In the novel Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, the protagonist and narrator, Cal, guides the reader through the multi-generation immigrant story of his family. Cal’s grandparents, Lefty and Desdemona, fled Greece as refugees during the Turkish invasion and settled in America. Over the course of three generations, Cal unfolds his family’s narrative, tracing the development of a mutant gene that ultimately led to Cal being born a hermaphrodite. Alongside Cal’s personal journey of self-discovery, Eugenides weaves a compelling tale of the Stephanides family’s assimilation into the societal norms of their respective times and surroundings.
The text describes the characters and their experiences in relation to the American Dream. Lefty symbolizes the typical immigrant who is determined to succeed and achieve the American Dream. His son, Milton, follows his father’s footsteps in business and fully embraces the American way of life. Lastly, Callie represents the first generation born in America, but she struggles with the challenges of navigating both a female and male world.
Callie struggles to fit in with the other girls during her adolescence, despite being inherently different. Likewise, Cal faces a lifelong struggle to accept and be comfortable with his true identity. Eugenides presents a family that constantly yearns for a different life or identity. Lefty, an immigrant of the 1920s, arrives in America seeking success to provide for his family. Upon his arrival in Detroit, Lefty encounters Jimmy Zizmo, his cousin’s husband, who is a con artist and generally corrupt businessman.
With the assistance of Zizmo, Lefty secures employment at Ford Motors, where he receives English language training. Meanwhile, Zizmo imparts knowledge to Lefty on achieving financial success in America. Serving as Lefty’s model for assimilation is Lina, Zizmo’s wife and cousin to Lefty and Desdemona. Cal observes, “In the span of five years since leaving Turkey, Sourmelina had successfully eliminated almost all traces of her Greek heritage” (84). Following his dismissal from Ford Motors, Lefty proceeds to establish his own speakeasy, known as The Zebra Room. Over the course of several years, as he operates his bar, Lefty appropriates the identity of an ‘American.’ He embraces American business and cultural principles but remains cognizant of the sacrifices he has made to achieve this. Ultimately, Lefty emerges as a prominent advocate for racial equality.
On Monday morning, a race riot occurred when a group of men entered the establishment and boasted about killing a Black person. Nevertheless, my grandfather refused to serve them and one of the men insulted him by telling him to go back to his own country. In response, Lefty confidently declared, “This is my country,” and demonstrated his point by retrieving a pistol from beneath the counter (169).
Lefty serves as an exemplar of embracing American culture and assimilating into the desired American image. He strives for the American Dream by adhering to societal norms and successfully establishing his own bar and restaurant. Lefty takes pride in resourcefully providing for his family’s needs. Conversely, Milton follows in his father’s footsteps by actively participating in business ventures and financially supporting his family; however, he falls short in fulfilling his responsibilities as a supportive father and husband.
Milton is often occupied with his thriving Hercules Hot Dog’s chain, leaving little time to address his family’s concerns and adjustments. Previously, Milton prioritized establishing familial connections before attaining wealth and status as a successful entrepreneur. Unlike his father, Milton easily embraces American business practices and customs as the first generation in his family to reside in the United States. However, this influence of American culture on the Milton family displeases Desdemona, his mother.
When Tessie, Milton’s wife, is expecting a baby, Milton employs contemporary techniques to guarantee that their child will be a girl. Upon witnessing Milton’s accuracy, Desdemona recognizes that her Greek heritage and convictions are obsolete within her own family. Cal describes how Desdemona becomes somber as she comprehends that her American-born son is correct. As a result of this latest defeat, Desdemona’s attachment to her homeland, even though it is thousands of miles and many years away, diminishes even further. My arrival signifies the conclusion of her attempts at predicting the gender of babies.
Milton builds on his father’s efforts to achieve the American Dream, striving for even greater social success and acceptance than Lefty. When Milton acquires wealth and settles in the affluent Grosse Point neighborhood, he goes to great lengths to assimilate into American culture, even disowning his heritage. In his new surroundings, Milton embraces Republican ideals, distancing himself from his family’s background after the government endorses the Turkish assault on Greece.
Cal comments, “Having to choose between his native land and his ancestral one, he didn’t hesitate.” Due to this decision, Cal’s family and friends become distant and stop visiting on Sundays as they used to. Milton’s action of cutting off Greek heritage marks the end of it for the Stephanides. Consequently, Milton’s daughter, Calliope, grows up without any Greek culture or values, and instead lives her life as a normal American girl. Throughout her childhood, Calliope fit in perfectly, but as she entered adolescence, she started to sense her uniqueness. To address these issues, Milton enrolls Calliope in a private all-girls’ school. It is at this school that Calliope realizes she is not the all-American girl she believed herself to be.
Calliope expresses, “Until we came to Baker & Inglis my friends and I had always felt completely American. But now the Bracelets’ upturned noses suggested that there was another America to which we could never gain admittance”(298). In addition to facing cultural exclusion, Calliope also experiences loneliness and isolation due to her genetic irregularity. While attending Baker & Ingris, Calliope begins pubescent changes that differ from those of other girls.
Eugenides suggests that Calliope’s hermaphroditism is evident through various physical signs such as a deepening voice, facial hair, and masculine features. The mention of testicles further supports this notion. During her teenage years, Calliope assimilates with the ‘Bracelets’ and other girls in school. However, a freak accident lands her in the care of Dr. Luce, an expert in sexual disorders and gender identity. Upon discovering her hermaphroditic nature, Calliope perceives herself as a “Monster,” influenced by the dictionary’s definition of hermaphrodite. As she realizes her genetic makeup is male, she is compelled to embrace life as a young man, abandoning her former identity. This new journey leads Cal to confront the constant internal struggle between who he has tried to be and who he truly is. Feeling increasingly isolated and unsure of how to behave, he finds himself instinctively resorting to familiar habits such as “flipping his hair,” only to realize they no longer fit his new reality.
In his quest to discover his true masculinity, Cal decides to change his appearance through getting a haircut and wearing male clothing. He then embarks on a journey to the western region of the United States in search of purpose in his life. Upon reaching California, he encounters Zora, who identifies as a hermaphrodite and fully embraces her own identity. Cal finds solace in realizing that he is not alone in his struggle and attentively listens to Zora, immediately forming a bond with her. This connection prompts Cal to prolong his stay in San Francisco, believing that it was fate or fortune that led him there. He intends to make the most of this opportunity by learning from Zora and overcoming the sense of isolation he once experienced. Ultimately, Cal meets someone who can empathize with him and comprehend his situation.
Cal’s journey was extraordinary as he dedicated his whole life to conforming to different expectations. However, he has now reached a stage of self-awareness and is accepting his authentic identity. In the end, Cal comes back home for Milton’s funeral and finally attains a sense of resolution. Contemplating this moment, he declares, “The wind brushed against my weathered face, which resembled both my grandfather’s and the face of the American girl I once was” (529). Both Lefty and Milton pursued their own version of the American Dream by assimilating into society.
Meanwhile, their Greek heritage faded away and became nothing but memories for Desdemona. However, Cal experienced the lives of three individuals: a young and fearful girl, who was distinct from others; a secluded boy, who felt lonely and lost, sensing his differences and inadequacies; and a determined man, burdened with his past but possessing a strong sense of identity, and comfortable in his own being. Eugenides’ novel ironically comes full circle, commencing with a modest Greek couple, progressing to an Americanized second and third generation, and concluding with a Greek funerary custom, demonstrating that one’s heritage will always remain a part of oneself.
