Middlesex Eugenides Loss Of Identity

One element of the author’s style that I noticed and enjoyed about this novel is how the author properly characterizes each member of the story interestingly, and successfully manages to make the story more appealing due to his use of multiple literary elements. One opening property in this novel is the use of characterization. Aristotle, the protagonist and narrator of this story, is considered a dynamic character. Through the beginning of this novel, Aristotle was very shy, and had a limited amount of friends; moreover, he portrayed himself as timid, antisocial, and basic compared to other of his “peers.” This all changed, however, shortly into the novel, when Aristotle stumbled into a new individual. The book continues by letting the reader understand that Aristotle likes feeling sorry for himself. A passage in the book to support this claim goes as follows,”Feeling sorry for myself was an art. I think a part of me liked doing that.” (Saenz, 13) We also discover that Aristotle’s dad seems far away to him regardless of living in the same house. Moreover, we get some small backstory of Aristotle’s father, and we understand that his father feels distant to him because of the Vietnam war; a war in which Aristotle’s dad was a part of. A line

He maintains his focus on Greek myths not only because of the sheer number of myths around the world, making it impossible to interpret and clarify them all, but also because European men, who would have been familiar with the myths from Greece, write most of the classics we analyze. He explains that these myths are not only a part of them but also “so much a part of the fabric of our consciousness, of our unconscious really, that we scarcely notice” (Foster, 51). Which suggests that, we can recognize Greek myths even if we do not realize it. With this simple fact presented to us, we no longer wonder why allusions to Greek myths have been used since they emerged and are still employed today. Myths are often exercised as “overt subject matter for poems and paintings and operas and novels” but more often “writers have…borrowed from and emulated” these myths (Foster, 52, 53). Instead of explaining every detail about every character, place or moment authors rely on other stories, such as myths, to expand and develop their tale. The writer will subtly hint at myths and hope you recognize their allusions to these old legends. Since we established that, we know these myths, whether consciously or not, we can take these allusions and decipher any hidden meanings the author has for us, giving each story a new level.

Middlesex is an outline of the life of Calliope Stephanides who grew to the age of fourteen believing that she was a girl with unnatural thoughts for the same sex. As puberty takes hold of her friends and classmates, both Calliope and her family begin to worry about the growing gap between her and the average teenage girl; this marks the beginning of a new life for Calliope who finds she is really a he. Under the new name, Cal, this individual struggles with identity management as he traces his transformation from female to male and the genetic condition, beginning with his paternal grandparents that caused it. “I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smog less Detroit day in January of

Oscar Wilde once determined that “most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” People tend to fall into this pattern when they allow themselves to have a temporary identity, willingly influenced by others. It may be due to one’s insecurities or desire to be accepted, yet regardless, people allow themselves to be controlled by others. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, portrays how the protagonist, Gene, struggles with his own identity. Gene often finds himself succumbing to his best friend’s influence because he is insecure in his own identity. He demonstrates his personal war with himself through his continuously shifting mindset. Therefore, conflicting diction

Circe gives him a life of ease and self-indulgence on an enchanted island. In Phaecia, Odysseus is offered the love of a young princess and her hand in marriage. The Sirens tempt him to live in the memory of the glorious past. Calypso, the goddess with whom he spends seven years, offers him the greatest temptation of all: immortality. In refusing, Odysseus chooses the human condition, with all its struggle, its disappointments, and its inevitable end. And the end, death, is ever-present. But he hangs on tenaciously and, in the midst of his ordeals, he is sent living to the world of the dead to see for himself what death means.” (Lawall,

It is inferred that the parents should take care of their children and have their best interest at heart. This however, is not the case in Greek and Roman mythology. The killing of ones own children, or filicide, was not viewed as negative upon in their era. The contemporary times contrast with the ancient Greek and Roman’s because it was justified to use any means necessary to obtain a higher status. The Greeks and Romans valued keeping a high social reputation and having respect for those of great power. The motherly union between their children conflict with the reality that the father strives to retain or gain control. These circumstances cause a tense bond between the members of the family. The strained parent to child relationship in

Othello’s race and regression of speech (from calmness to rudeness), Iago’s victims (Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, etc.) being unravelled with manipulation and slyness, Desdemona’s struggling voice and false blame, etc., all participate in the damage the “power of language” causes. Therefore, by exploring the three language devices – “words as power”, “words as character” and “words as conversation” – it is possible to conclude that the language devices are used significantly in the play, “Othello”, because the human behaviour of the characters (Othello, Iago, Desdemona, etc.) is either positively or negatively influenced, and their characteristics and destinies are

Even as he suffers, the parallel of his grief to that of the woman’s dissipates for we are privy to the knowledge that Odysseus is likely to have once been a man who cut down the father of another home. Though the language of grief is universal, spreading itself to Odysseus in likeness, the application of it remains ironic because the self-pursuant and capable hero persists in the blindness that his own hands brought about the same pain in many

For this primary source paper, I decided to write a comparison on the source Women’s Place in Renaissance Italy: Alessandra, Letters from a Widow and Matriarch of a Great Family and The Virgin Suicides written by Jeffrey Eugenides. Immediately reading the first paragraph of Women’s Place in Renaissance Italy, it strongly resonated with The Virgin Suicides in a way. I thought these two would make an interesting comparison due to the way they both address men, death, complexity of being a female, and family.

A birthmark as referred to in this short story is the “Differences of temperament”, the inborn traits someone can develop. In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "The Birthmark" there are many different themes such as, nature versus science, and perfection. We see Aylmer struggle with his own temperament. For him the birthmark becomes the symbol of Georgiana’s flawed humanity, which he tries to alternate. Throughout the story, we come across several observances of otherness revolving around “The Birthmark”.

“Yes. Nomi has one as well, but her mother does not see her for who she is.” Through the psycellium, he feels echoes of the pain that each ‘Michael’ brings.

As human beings, we are NOT perfect! It is part of our nature to be

“Aristotle believes that the language must be sweet in tragedy. The level of language used by different characters should differ to depict the social stands of the characters” (Adade-Yeboah, Ahenkora, & Amankwa, 2012 pg. 1). Additionally, he focuses on meaningful language reflected throughout the entire play, and stresses that tragedy must be taken seriously.

Calixta’s old love Alcee represents the regrets and wrong decisions she has made. In the story she accidently falls into Alcee’s arms and remained there because of the feelings they both shared for each other. “ When he touched her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering ecstasy, inviting his lips. Her mouth was a fountain of delight, and when he possessed her they seemed to swoon together at the very borderland of life’s mystery”(107). When the storm finally passed away, Alcee went had left to continue on his

Throughout all the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne, one thing always reoccurs. What is this one thing? Well, it is secret sin. This Great American Writer of the Romantic era in literature had a firm grasp and understanding of human nature and what it means to be human. The darkness of Hawthorne’s writings come from his own observations of human nature and the treachery that we can commit either in front of others or in secret. A secret sin is nothing more than some sin you committed; but, you are the only one who knows. So it is something that isn’t known by the population. To understand Hawthorns obsession with secret sin we must look