"Passing as an Interior Journey: Unintentional Acts on the Color Line in Toi Derricotte and Danzy Senna" is an academic honors project written by Xiao di Tong at Bowdoin College (2007-2008), advised by Professor Elizabeth Muther.

The project explores how "passing" functions not just as a deliberate social deception, but as an internal, psychological, and often unintentional experience for mixed-race or light-skinned individuals in contemporary literature.

Key Focus Areas

Unintentional Passing: Instead of focusing on intentional, deceptive passing, the work examines moments where individuals are misidentified or "pass" without conscious effort.
The "Color Line" Internally: It analyzes how Toi Derricotte (likely in the context of her memoir The Black Notebooks) and Danzy Senna (likely in the context of Caucasia) navigate the racial divide not just socially, but internally.
Interior Journey: The project frames this involuntary crossing of racial boundaries as a profound psychological and emotional journey ("interior journey") rather than just a social maneuver.
Context: It falls under the umbrella of post-civil rights literature, exploring how racial identity is negotiated when traditional binary definitions of race break down.

Note: This information is derived from the Bowdoin College past honors projects archive.

Honors Thesis