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ebock's picture

Middlesex

"And Helga, taking an oddly feminist stance: 'See what you do for the mens? You suffer. Is not worth it.'" (311)

I wonder how Cal feels about feminism? We know that he doesn't see himself as political. But I'm wondering what he might think about our discussions surrounding sex/gender and even the word "feminism?" From someone who has lived on both sides of the non-existent divide between our traditionally constructed gender binary, and who chose to live most of their adult life as a man, what is feminism? Is it significant? who does it imply?

It's very funny to me that this book seems to imply by its subject matter and content that gender isn't relevant, and all these progressive notions about sex and gender, yet it still ends in an oddly predictable (in my opinion) way: the character elects to be male: to accept the inherited social/culture power of being male. Being faced with a choice (or so it seems) between choosing a specific gender identity (male/female) or living with a gender ambiguous identity? Or continuing to identify as a woman, and living life presumably as a lesbian? Does it feel to anyone else like it was kind of taking the easy way out for Callie to decide to transition to Cal? I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate because I have no idea what I would do personally in that siutation...

 

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