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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mike Antoniou think of Tessie's daily trips to the movie theatre?

2. What is significant about Callie's and Clementine's soak in the Middlesex hot tub?

3. Why did Sourmelina's parents send her to America?

4. What mistake does Dr. Philobosian make when the narrator is born?

5. What does Dr. Philobosian have that he believes will protect him from the Turks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the conflict between Desdemona and Lefty in the chapter "Marriage on Ice"?

2. Describe Sourmelina's appearance when Lefty and Desdemona first arrive in Detroit. What is the significance of the way she looks?

3. Describe Desdemona's transformation after Calliope's birth.

4. Describe Detroit in 1967.

5. Describe the events that allow Desdemona and Lefty to depart from Smyrna.

6. Describe the Greek General Hajienestis.

7. Why does Lefty not marry either of the village girls that Desdemona attempts to set him up with?

8. What does Desdemona do when she hears that Milton's Navy unit will be going to war?

9. How does Jimmy Zismo change during Sourmelina's pregnancy?

10. Describe Fard Muhammad's beliefs about the evolution of race.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Friendships with females are important to Cal/Calliope's journey towards self-discovery. Select two of the following females that the narrator befriends: Julie Kikuchi, Clementine Stark, the Obscure Object , Zora. Discuss:

1) Cal/Calliope's relationship with each woman.

2) The impact of this relationship on her view of herself.

3) Compare the two relationships. How are they different? How are they the same? Which has a greater influence on the person that Cal/Calliope becomes?

Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Sexual taboos are central to the story lines in Middlesex. Discuss how the author uses forbidden romance and sexual secrets in the novel. What is the impact of these taboos on the story? What is the author trying to say about our beliefs about sexuality? Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes in Middlesex is the American Dream. Discuss how the American Dream is used in this novel and what it says about the attainability of the dream. Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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