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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. Who is Mr. da Silva?

2. Where do Rex and Jerome take Callie and the Object while they are vacationing?

3. Who discovers Callie's unusual genitals in this chapter?

4. What does Cal/Callie say the hardest adjustment is that s/he has to make in choosing to live as a man?

5. Who is Meg Zemka?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Father Mike pretend to be Callie's kidnapper?

2. Describe the changes in Chapter Eleven that Callie notices when he returns home from his freshman year at college.

3. Describe the dynamics of Zoe's and Father Mike's relationship.

4. Why does Callie have sex with Jerome?

5. Describe Dr. Luce's office.

6. What does Desdemona reveal to Cal when he returns home?

7. What masculine traits does Callie begin showing in this chapter?

8. Compare and contrast Milton's and Chapter Eleven's views on the Vietnam War.

9. Describe the circumstances that lead Milton to cancel the Stephanides family's trip to Turkey.

10. Why does Cal decide not to go to Milton's funeral?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Middlesex, a few minor characters have a major impact on the story line. Select one of the following minor characters to analyze: Father Mike, Jimmy Zismo, Chapter Eleven or Sourmelina. Discuss:

1) The personality (character traits) of this character.

2) The relationship between this minor character and the major characters in the story.

3) The impact of this character on the story line--How does s/he influence the overall story line? How would the story be different if this character was removed?

Essay Topic 2

Middlesex is a first person narrative written from the point of view of Cal. Discuss how this fact influences the story? What biases does Cal bring to the story? How would the nove be different if another character was telling the story? Cite several specific examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides juxtaposes scenes from the past with the narrator's present life in Berlin. Select one of the chapters where he does this and:

1) Describe the past and present scenes presented in the chapter.

2) Discuss the relationship between the two scenes. What do the two scenes have to do with each other? Why does Eugenides choose to place these two scenes from different time periods within the same chapter?

(see the answer keys)

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