Middlesex Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

Middlesex Topics for Discussion

Discuss the author's chosen point of view. Do you believe this story could be told in another point of view? Would it be as effective?

What part does the choice of setting the story in mid-west Michigan, specifically Detroit and Grosse Pointe play in the story?

How important to the story is Cal's being a hermaphrodite? How similar would this story be had Cal not been a hermaphrodite?

Why does the author choose to never introduce Chapter 11's given name?

Discuss the author's purpose in including flash-forwards to Cal's present life in Berlin. How would the story change without the flash-forwards?

The author has said that he considers Middlesex to be a tragic-comedy. Discuss examples of the tragedy and the comedy of this tale.

Cal remarks that the themes of his life are "chance and sex." Discuss how these themes emerge in the story.

The author had to write from...
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