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Hugh Wentworth is a popular and celebrated white author that attends functions put on by the Negro League and has become a close friend of Irene. It is unclear why exactly Hugh is making such an effort to integrate with the Black community. Irene notes that white artists seem to have taken an interest in Black culture, resulting in an increase of great or popular artists attending Black events and influencing other white people to join as well. While there is certainly an element of exoticization in this behavior as a whole, Hugh’s interest in the Black community and his friendship with Irene seem to be genuine. He is curious about the concept of race and how it affects people’s identities, thoughts, and behaviors, and he openly discusses these matters with Irene. Due to the inherent tensions present in a racist society, there is always a slight barrier between the lives and perspectives of Black people and white people in Passing, regardless of Hugh’s kindness and curiosity. However, Irene considers him a close friend and someone she can be honest with about difficult subjects.
Hugh is an intellectual who is often bored by mundane social functions, and when he attends parties at Irene’s home, she worries that he will find the people and activities unsatisfactory. However, Irene may be overestimating Hugh’s dislike of or disinterest in people due to her own misunderstanding of the inner workings of her social circle. Initially, Irene believes that Hugh dislikes Clare because Clare is not a particularly deep or intellectual thinker. Irene explains to Brian that Hugh prefers “intelligent women,” in the sense that he enjoys the company of women who are educated, rational thinkers who are intellectually involved with matters of politics and culture. Clare does not fit this description. Her form of intelligence stems from her ability to manipulate others with her beauty and charm, a skill that Irene believes a man like Hugh would find distasteful. However, what Irene does not yet realize is that Hugh’s dislike of Clare stems from his knowledge that she is having an affair with Brian Redfield. Hugh shows himself to be an observant man with a keen understanding of human nature, picking up on Clare and Brian’s subtle social cues long before Irene, while the rest of their social group never seems to notice at all. Additionally, he is the only significant male character who is not in love with or charmed by Clare, implying that he may possess a certain level of discernment that Brian, Fred, and Jack do not.
