M-Sex One Whatcha Think?
Let the discussion begin!
The plot of "Middlesex" involves a number of hot-button political issues, as seen through the experiences of one family: incest, pre-marital sex, perceived homosexuality, etc. etc. As a reader, how did you feel as you read this book? Interested? Offended? Sympathetic? Shocked? Plain-old weirded out? Which plot line affected you the most, and why?
The plot of "Middlesex" involves a number of hot-button political issues, as seen through the experiences of one family: incest, pre-marital sex, perceived homosexuality, etc. etc. As a reader, how did you feel as you read this book? Interested? Offended? Sympathetic? Shocked? Plain-old weirded out? Which plot line affected you the most, and why?
posted by JenniNapa at
6:26 PM
9 Comments:
Oohhhh, lots of good questions! The whole incest thing weirded me out a little. I guess in a small town where the pool of eligible people is small, I can kind of maybe see how this could happen, but it's on the high side of the "icky" scale. But it was certainly a necesssary plot point to the development of the story.
As far as Cal's character went, I felt sympathetic, but I think this has more to do with knowing that Cal was really male the whole time. I will talk about that a little after other people have had a chance to answer M-Sex Two Cal .. what?.
By
MamaChristy, at 6:49 PM
I agree with MamaChristy - the whole incest thing weirded me out. I was also rather shocked that Desdemona 'gave in' and married her brother after all her talk about how wrong it was. Did they seriously think it was okay as long as noone else knew the truth?
By
PCOSMama, at 8:12 PM
I also was a little weirded out by the incest, but on the other hand, I expected to be much more weirded out by the whole concept of the book than I actually was.
The incest was actually a reasonable explanation for Cal's condition, so it bothered me less than it might have otherwise.
Also, it wasn't one of those really creepy ones where everybody was excited about the decision, like in a VC Andrews book or something. I liked the fact that they knew it was wrong and agonized over it their whole lives and blamed themselves, because yes, they should! These things have consequences and there are reasons you shouldn't do them!
By
mamashine, at 11:16 AM
Long time ago, I read James Mitchener's "Hawaii." Incest plays a role in that novel, too. It grossed me out at first, but it was commonplace in some cultures, especially tribal ones. It's not as unnatural as we'd like to think.
The incest of Desdemona and Lefty was essential to the plot and made Callie/Cal's situation feasible.
By
Pegs, at 1:58 PM
Did you know that Cleopatra was the product of several generations of brother/sister marriages? As Pegs mentioned, it was commonplace in many cultures for incestuous relationships due to political or economic factors.
In some states it is illegal for first cousins to marry, but I friend of mine from high school married his first cousin and he informed me that the rate of birth defects in children of these unions is only very slightly higher (less than one percent, if I remember correctly) than the general population.
It still icks me out a bit, but perhaps that's because I never fell in love with a member of my family?
By
MamaChristy, at 7:41 PM
I'm with pcosmama. I too was shocked when Desdemona "gave in". She didn't seem like a very willing participant and then she just dove in anywhere. The whole boat trip where they make up their family history was just bizarre. Ahhh, the power of denial....
Ick...no matter how old I am I still think my brothers have cooties. :)
By
K-Pax, at 11:38 AM
Ugh....I meant "dove in anyWAY".
Sorry...
By
K-Pax, at 11:38 AM
I found it all fascinating! This is the stuff that's too racy even to make it into supermarket tabloids, and we had a front-row seat. (Apparently, I am totally as bad as the Garden patrons, Mama C!)
But KEP, I totally agree with you about how I appreciated seeing the difficulty/remorse Lefty and Desdemona experienced. If it had been all "Flowers in the Attic," I wouldn't have been nearly as sympathetic. And that whole fake courtship thing took me in, in a way, as well. Of course, I knew it was fake, but it somehow made the characters seem vulnerable and anxious, not sly and over-sexed. Just two confused people who'd lost everything and were trying to re-build their lives.
When I lost it with Desdemona and Lefty, though, was when they actually let their son marry his cousin. I know it's a deep dark secret, but c;mon! If Milton had a different bloodline, that would be one thing, but as it was, well I couldn't believe those three adults who knew his lineage didn't come clean with Milton or Tessie. I wonder if so much time passed they all sort of forgot, you know, in the ways families make up myths and accept them. But if your daughter was going to marry a man who was the son of a brother and sister, don't you think you'd kind of owe it to her to, oh, maybe mention SOMETHING?
And, KPax, yes, my brother has major cooties.
By
JenniNapa, at 10:10 PM
Okay, first let me say that I apparently was the only person in the universe who did not know that Cal was a transgendered individual.
The incest thing really, really creeped me out. I have a brother who I adore, but, iwww. I do think that the small town contributed to that. It also seemed like it was a lot more common, although not necessarily such a close family relationship.
I felt very sympathetic towards almost all of the characters, especially Cal. From the beginning, he was just trying to find his way and I was always rooting for him, knowing what was coming. I just wanted to smack all the adults around him and somehow make them wake up and do what was right for Cal.
I also felt very sympathetic towards Desdemona and Lefty, even in light of their relationship. It reminded me of feelings you might have towards friends who were doing something obviously wrong, but you love them and want things to turn out well for them.
By
Kate, at 8:06 PM
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