What is Irene Struggling with?

Irene is an elegant and affluent woman of African-American descent. She spent her childhood in Chicago but relocated to Harlem, where she lives with her husband Brian and her two sons, Brian Junior and Ted. Alternately levelheaded and sensitive, Irene spends much of Larsen's novel observing her outlandish acquaintance Clare Kendry and analyzing Clare's attempt to "pass" as a white woman. She generally conflicts with Clare.