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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. Why does Dr. Luce show Callie a pornographic movie?

2. What is Cal/Callie's initial impression of Ben Scheer?

3. What do the police detectives tell Tessie and Milton is the best thing for them to do to help find Callie?

4. What do Zora and Cal have in common?

5. Why is Callie given the position of goalie on the field hockey team at her school?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Meg Zemka's personality.

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

3. Why does Callie have sex with Jerome?

4. How does Tessie react to the fight that Milton has with the men during Sunday dinner?

5. What information does Callie get about her condition when she meets with Dr. Luce?

6. Describe Dr. Luce's office.

7. What is the connection between the mulberry tree outside of Middlesex and the silk industry?

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

9. Why does Callie not discover her hermaphroditism in this chapter?

10. Describe the series of medical examinations that leads to Callie being referred to Dr. Luce.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Dr. Luce's study of Cal/Calliope not only explains his/her medical condition, but also causes him/her to make the decision to change genders.

1) Describe Dr. Luce's conclusions about Cal/Calliope's medical condition. What is his diagnosis? What does he propose as a course of treatment?

2) Analyze the accuracy of Dr. Luce's conclusions. Did he correctly diagnose Cal/Calliope? Why or why not? Was his course of treatment appropriate? Why or why not?

3) Discuss how Cal/Calliope's life would have been different if s/he had continued to work with Dr. Luce and had followed his course of treatment.

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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