Gloria Naylor on the American dream and Nella Larsen's "Passing" | American Masters | PBS

Official website: http://www.pbs.org/americanmasters | #AmericanMastersPBS On June 28th, 2000, novelist Gloria Naylor spoke about the illusion of the American dream and the role it plays in Nella Larsen's "Passing," about two Black women who pass as white, one of whom lives as a white woman. She discussed the motivations behind the characters of the critically acclaimed novel in this extended outtake from the American Masters Digital Archive. Interview originally conducted by Michael Epstein, director of American Masters: Novel Reflections on The American Dream (2007). Chapters: 00:00 The illusion of the American dream 02:46 Nella Larsen's book, "Passing," and what passing as white means in America 04:12 The symbolism of the heat in the book 05:22 When Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield first meet 06:46 Clare's racist husband, John Bellew 08:32 Is Clare psychologically free or tormented? 09:46 Parallels to "The Great Gatsby" 11:53 When Clare's husband finds out she's Black 13:29 The ambiguity surrounding Clare's death 14:38 The lasting impact of "Passing" Subscribe to the American Masters channel for more clips: http://bit.ly/1JmUCu5 Enjoy full episodes of your favorite American Masters films: http://www.pbs.org/americanmasters FOLLOW AMERICAN MASTERS: Facebook:   / americanmasters   Twitter:   / pbsamermasters   #AmericanMastersPBS Instagram:   / pbsamericanmasters   #AmericanMastersPBS FOLLOW PBS: Facebook:   / pbs   Twitter:   / pbs   Instagram:   / pbs   Shop: http://www.shop.pbs.org/ The American Masters Digital Archive includes over 1,000 hours of footage from more than 1,000 original, never-before-seen, full, raw interviews: a treasure trove of the movers and shakers of American culture, including Maya Angelou, Patti Smith, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Matthew Broderick, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Audra McDonald, Lee Grant, Patricia Bosworth, Sidney Lumet, William Buckley and many others. ___________________________________ Now in its 36th season on PBS, American Masters was recently nominated for an IDA Award, two Primetime Emmy® Awards and was awarded two News & Documentary Emmys. The series illuminates the lives and creative journeys of our nation’s most enduring artistic giants—those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape—through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim and 28 Emmy Awards—including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special—14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast American Masters: Creative Spark, educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.