Society categorizes people based on a variety of pre-existing labels. Self-identity is the awareness of oneself and one’s own unique traits. Throughout Middlesex, characters develop their own sense of belonging. The narrator's parents, Eleutherios (Lefty) Stephanides and Desdemona Stephanides are from a Greek Orthodox religion and soon become Americans. Their first son, Chapter Eleven is a hippie. Calliope or simply Cal, the narrator, is a hermaphrodite. Belonging to an extended family with diffused cultures, Cal struggles to find his place in the world and so did Calliope.
Calliope’s family is originally from Smyrna, Greece. Her family identifies as Greeks. World War II began as the Turkish army invaded Greece. To help in refugee efforts, …show more content…
When she arrived at Ellis Island, she was forced to dump the silkworms which, therefore, dumped her sense of home. Desdemona’s dignity was stripped away by “In the concessions area at Ellis Island, Lefty had cajoled Desdemona to step into a tent run by the YWCA. She'd gone in, shawled and kerchiefed, and had emerged fifteen minutes later in a dropping waisted dress and a floppy hat shaped like a chamber pot. As part of the makeover, the YWCA ladies had cut off Desdemona’s immigrant braids.” (82) Desdemona was upset over the loss of her silkworms and worse, her hair. “She opened the silkworm box in her lap. Inside the silkworm box in her lap. Inside where her two braids, still tied with the ribbons of mourning.” With the loss of two very important things, her sense of self-identity …show more content…
Lefty's cousin, Sourmelina or otherwise known as "Lina, is one of those women they named the island after.” (86) Lina is a lesbian. Unlike Calliope, she was not born with an extra chromosome. However, Calliope had an attraction to her best friend, the Obscure Object of Desire. At her school, “Any girl suspected of being attracted to girls was gossiped about, victimized, and shunned.” (327) This created an environment full of fear and terror for her. When Calliope later becomes better acquainted with the Object, Middlesex takes a sharp turn. Jeremy, the Object's older brother calls both girls carpet munchers, which is a slang term used to describe a lesbian. With this encounter, Calliope soon finds herself at the Sexual Disorders And Gender Identity Clinic. Her parents bring her to this clinic in New York because they want to figure out what is genetically wrong with their daughter in order for her to form an identity. Calliope then runs away, changing her name and gender to Cal,
Calliope’s family is originally from Smyrna, Greece. Her family identifies as Greeks. World War II began as the Turkish army invaded Greece. To help in refugee efforts, …show more content…
When she arrived at Ellis Island, she was forced to dump the silkworms which, therefore, dumped her sense of home. Desdemona’s dignity was stripped away by “In the concessions area at Ellis Island, Lefty had cajoled Desdemona to step into a tent run by the YWCA. She'd gone in, shawled and kerchiefed, and had emerged fifteen minutes later in a dropping waisted dress and a floppy hat shaped like a chamber pot. As part of the makeover, the YWCA ladies had cut off Desdemona’s immigrant braids.” (82) Desdemona was upset over the loss of her silkworms and worse, her hair. “She opened the silkworm box in her lap. Inside the silkworm box in her lap. Inside where her two braids, still tied with the ribbons of mourning.” With the loss of two very important things, her sense of self-identity …show more content…
Lefty's cousin, Sourmelina or otherwise known as "Lina, is one of those women they named the island after.” (86) Lina is a lesbian. Unlike Calliope, she was not born with an extra chromosome. However, Calliope had an attraction to her best friend, the Obscure Object of Desire. At her school, “Any girl suspected of being attracted to girls was gossiped about, victimized, and shunned.” (327) This created an environment full of fear and terror for her. When Calliope later becomes better acquainted with the Object, Middlesex takes a sharp turn. Jeremy, the Object's older brother calls both girls carpet munchers, which is a slang term used to describe a lesbian. With this encounter, Calliope soon finds herself at the Sexual Disorders And Gender Identity Clinic. Her parents bring her to this clinic in New York because they want to figure out what is genetically wrong with their daughter in order for her to form an identity. Calliope then runs away, changing her name and gender to Cal,