Middlesex Setting & Symbolism

Middlesex Objects/Places

Bithynios, Greece

Bithynios is the small village in Greece near Bursa where Desdemona and Lefty were born and raised. Bithynios is the hometown they left to emigrate to America.

Detroit, Michigan

Desdemona and Lefty immigrated and settled in Detroit. The couple chose Detroit because their cousin, Sourmelina, lived there with her husband and invited the newlyweds to live with them. Detroit was home to the Stephanides family until they moved to the suburbs after the race riots.

Middlesex, Grosse Pointe

After the Detroit race riots in the 1960's, the Stephanides family moved to the upper middle class, white neighborhood of Grosse Pointe. Middlesex was the name of their street and also a symbol for Cal's gender.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin is where the adult Cal lives and serves as cultural attaché.

San Francisco, California

When Callie ran away and changed her identity to Cal, he ended up in San Francisco. San Francisco has long been a symbol for gender and sexual freedom and...
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