Middlesex+12

Finish Middlesex Definitions hermaphroditus- I looked this up to see if the story was true, and in fact, all the details Eugenides uses in the book relating to the story of hermaphroditus are true Androgen Insensitivity- this is when the body is immune to androgens (male hormones) so even though the person may be male, they can have no male genitalia, partial male genitalia, or male genitalia with sperm issues. If this occurs in someone XX, there are no real issues, it does not affect female development. With XY the person can appear completely female. Therefore, Zora is male, like Callie. However, Zora does not have any male characteristics, unlike Cal.

This book made me feel very uncomfortable during some of the more explicit sex scenes. I thought it was very interesting though. I was rooting for Lefty and Desdemona, and at the same time, wishing they were not together. I found the story of Dr. Phil very disturbing, along with the story about Zizmo/ Fard. But I really liked that The Object and Cal became best friends, but I don't understand why he never found her again. I liked that Julie was accepting of him, but I did not understand him saying that this might be the last stop for her. I was disgusted by human actions of violence and yet impressed by the power of one child to run away from home and really try and survive alone. I feel like I have learned a lot more about intersex and i feel like I will be much more open now than in the past. I feel much more educated, and since knowledge is power I feel more prepared for life in some way. I think this story also taught me a lot about sexuality in general. Eugenides really describes a lot of the emotions involved in attraction and love and I feel like it was interesting for him to be so open and straight forward about these things. Most of the time it is like they kissed and then went to the bedroom. Euginides really talked about the emotions behind the walk to the bedroom or the star tof the date or whatever. I feel like it was a great insight into human nature. I think i was surprised at the author's openness, but I also feel like this is a very adult book, and maybe I have been reading more teen/ english class books in the past. So I am not sure if I am surprised because I am not sure if it is normal or not.

When Milton is dying, and flying over Detriot, I found this interesting. His liminal state between life and death, his opportunity to see everything one last time and just the fact that this is how he imagined it I found interesting. (510-511) However, I do not believe it. Cal has never spoken to her father about this. He also, I now realize, never spoke to her grandfather about any of his feelings or his adventures down into the city from the beginning of the story. I really liked the way the story was told, and I enjoyed the insight and background and amount of detail, however it really bothers me that the reader is just supposed to believe or trust that he figured all this out. Cal spoke to his grandmother and figured all that out, and that makes sense, but when cal enters the mind of Father Mike, this is also not quite believable. That whole aspect of the story just really bothered me.