Brief Summary Of The Novel 'Middlesex'

The innate competitiveness of humans often turns initially neutral social groups into ranks through inevitable comparisons. The novel “Middlesex” by Jeffery Eugenides explores the topic of social distinction which suggests the impossibility of equality within a socially categorized society. The author illustrates the egotism in mankind which creates a social hierarchy that bolsters the authority of the higher class while exploits the rights and freedom of the underprivileged, as demonstrated in the racial exclusion of African Americans, the forced assimilation of immigrants and the mental oppression of Cal.

Narcissism in society creates inferior perceptions against African Americans, hindering their opportunities for advancement while assisting …show more content…
Likewise, the Americans’ deliberate neglect towards immigrants establishes its ethnic hierarchy. Regarding the 1988 United States presidential election, Cal believes that Michael Dukakis loses in the election solely because it is “[too] liberal for the moment”(Eugenides 185) for a Greek descendant to win. Heavily influenced by Nativism, America bestows most privileges upon native-borns, disregarding individuals’ abilities, in order to sustain its superiority and pride. Ultimately, society’s ignorance of cultural diversity obstructs individuals with supposed inferior foreign heritages from equal opportunities. Consequently, immigrants undergo unfair treatments due to their disadvantageous status in America. For instance, the repetition of the quote “Wierzbicki reams a bearing and Stephanides grinds a bearing and O'Malley attaches a bearing to a camshaft” (Eugenides 95) throughout Eugenides’s depiction of Ford’s assembly line emphasizes the monotonous and restrictive working conditions of immigrant labours under the exploitation of authorities. Moreover, immigrants' disparate education backgrounds and lacking English abilities desert them to inferior employments in America. Thus, social classification furthers distances immigrants from equality. On the contrary, the social hierarchy boosts the upper class’s authority and prestige in the community. One occurrence is when immigrant graduates “[rise] from the cauldron. Dressed in blue and gray suits...waving American flags, to thunderous applause” (Eugenides 105) at the end of the Ford English School graduation ceremony. The event advertises the propaganda of American Pride and exhibits how the Americanization of immigrants glorifies cultural reinvention and justifies inequalities between ethnic classes. Additionally, despite the tremendous contributions of