Preview

Middlesex

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1822 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Middlesex
A review of the choices made by each individual to the path of self-discovery in:
Middlesex

Groups are assigned to every person that is associated with another individual. No matter when or where, people are trying to fit into a group that they want to belong in. There are stereotypical groups that could be categorized as fobs, hippies, thugs, or socialites. Gender is also an aspect that people judge through generations after generations. Fortunately, the first step to be acknowledged by others is by identifying oneself so that the comfortability level is suitable for the individual in that specific crowd. It is hinted in Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides where every man and woman wants to fit into a group where they naturally belong. This is because of the human nature man-kind posses in which the necessity of security can only be achieved when gathered in a pack. However to do so, each individual must self-identify themselves to be recognized. There will be difficulties that one may encounter when not acknowledged by others and the challenges they will face to self-discover their identity. Also, the experiences received from the journey to self discover the similarities and differences from others and how it can change the views of another by the choices one makes. In addition, the significance an individual can bring to the societies perspectives and ways of thinking to broaden their minds. In Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex, the author explores the idea that every situation has an option in which the choices made by the individual will significantly lead them to understand their role in society of how it could be benefitted and the identity of oneself; experiencing the journey to self-discovery .
There is many obstructions that an individual confronts especially when they are disregarded as an equal for being different; the defiance that one must counter to distinguish their role when one does not fit in. In fact, some citizens change their identity to fit

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Close your eyes, and think of a time in your life when you felt like you didn’t fit into a specific group or place. Now think about what it would be like to live there every moment of your life.…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the article “The Space In-Between” by Santiago Quintana and “All guts, No Glory” by Molly M. Ginty shares three points in common discrimination, adjusting, and accomplishments. Throughout the articles both authors discussed how people were prejudice towards them how they adjust to their environment, and what obstacles they overcame; what they accomplished.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    • Performances of identities in a public space that are deemed ‘incorrect’ can be ‘punished’ by the dominant group. • Punishment can…

    • 1660 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Your perception of belonging can be shaped by your surroundings and community which can impact on whether you are isolated to the point of conformity.. This is determined by the individual which either leads them to adapt-which offers them safety, security and feelings of acceptance or to feel outcast and ostracised. In Ray Bradbury The pedestrian and in Peter Skrzynecki’s poem Felik Skrzynecki examine how individuals are pressured to conform to the norms and expectations of society, however a lack of it can also cause alienation.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel, we see that the characters are divided into certain distinct groups, which represent the major groups in general society. We also see the social divide between these groups, and while some groups are well represented in society, others are marginalised (i.e. they have barley or no social standing in society).…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is important for all individuals to have a stable sense of identity in order to fit into social groups and belong to places or other individuals. As well as being integral to maintaining these relationships, a strong sense of identity is necessary to stay content with one’s own contextual circumstances: such as dealing with discrimination and social labelling. William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It explores the connections between a myriad of characters and contrasting personalities. Henry Lawson’s poem Second Class Wait Here (Second Class) shows that when an identity is forced upon an individual (an outcome of class labelling) they may struggle to feel a positive sense of belonging. Gordon Bennett’s three-panel canvas artwork Triptych: Requiem, Of Grandeur, Empire (Triptych) exemplifies how strongly accepting one’s identity under difficult circumstances leads to a deep and enriching sense of belonging that may extend out to others.…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prompts 2014 1

    • 792 Words
    • 3 Pages

    3. Sometimes it is hard to balance belonging to a group with keeping one’s individual identity.…

    • 792 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyday, I see an increasing number of people with fantastically colored hair, mohawks upwards of 3 feet tall, and those who are embracing their gender or sexual identities by unashamedly being themselves. Without passing judgement, these acts make someone stand out, and standing out has become more desirable in our society. Just because someone is unique does not mean they aren’t part of a collective whole. As this change occurs, older people have taken to mistaking this kind of change as defecting from culture, leaving what is “normal” behind us, and disrupting the homeostasis of society. The fear is instinctive, Doty describes this phenomenon as “the mystery of being both an individual and part of a group” (Doty). It may initially appear a superficial contradiction, but this is the new norm. Accepting individuality as the natural state will still allow for the collective glory that Doty talks about as he discusses working together on something greater than oneself, so that losing a valuable individual doesn’t incite…

    • 1548 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cuckoo's Nest Conformity

    • 1341 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Society is an incredibly powerful social phenomenon that is influential from the moment of birth. Taking on the challenge of changing even a small microcosm of society such as the ward in Ken Keseys “One Flew Over the Cuckoos’ Nest” is a futile task for a single person. Society is structured as such that those who inhibit it are nurtured to be perfect individuals, complicit and expected to conform to the rules. Breaking the pattern, as seen with the struggles of characters such as Billy Bibbit, Dale Harding and Randle McMurphy, can be viewed as a herculean task. The deep-rooted and dangerous effects of uniformity on the human brain can be seen in childhood and beyond, clearly shown with Chief Bromden’s past and present. Breaking such norms…

    • 1341 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Middlesex Essay

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Individuals are given the gift of life when they are born into this world. Many agree that everyone is blessed and should not take their lives for granted. To be truly alive, individuals must be overjoyed and pursue happiness. However, others would describe their lives as a joke. To be precise, many would be ashamed of who they are. A very strong example of an ashamed soul would be Calliope, the main protagonist of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. In the story, Eugenides tells the tale of Callie, who is supposedly a monster because she is a hermaphrodite. Being a hermaphrodite indicates that someone has the sex organs associated with both genders. By definition, Callie is an abnormal freak. Eugenides employs literary devices, such as tone, imagery, and personification, to express Callie’s shame and humiliation of being herself.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale representations of strength in identity become more pessimistic as the novel progresses. Like many other dystopian texts such as A Clockwork Orange, identity is presented to us initially as something indestructible. It is the contrast of this against the obvious manipulation of identity further on into the book that highlights the idealisation of our personalities as individual and enduring. Like The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale, the novel looks at society’s effect on identity and suggests that identity must be manipulated in some form in order for a society to be peaceful and effective. The Road and Lord of the Flies share similar representation of how we are controlled by our society. They suggest we have evolved to act in a socially desirable manner and that without control we loose all sense of empathy or moral consciousness. Within The Road and Handmaid’s Tale however there are some positive examples which suggest that although identity is definitely able to be manipulated to a certain extent, expression and communication could both be instinctive aspects able to ultimately withstand full control. An example of this is the relationship between Offered and Nick, and the boys desire to help Ely or the lost…

    • 2635 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Take home essay

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In this world where image and identity play such a significant role in life it’s only natural that people fear being rejected; they urge a sense of belonging and so they conform to what is seen as correct in society. This is true for most but there are the occasional few who strive to set themselves apart from the rest and follow what they believe in. These individuals are considered to be different and because of it they are often alienated by society. Being different can be considered anything from looking a certain way, speaking a certain way, acting a certain away, and etc. This demonstrates the relationship and clash between the individual and the community.…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The concept of belonging is essential. To belong is to form a connection which will allow a sense of identity to manifest, without this we lose our humanity; however, conformity is in a sense a facade of belonging, as it restrains our freedom and forces us to only mimic. My studied texts show how society demands us to conform, yet conformity prevents a sense of true identity being created.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In our everyday lives we come across barriers, barriers of inequality, barriers of exclusion, barriers that prevent us from accomplishing our goals and ambitions. However, do we let these obstacles get in the way of our wants and desires or our basic rights and privileges? No, we do not. We work as individuals and together to encourage positive change in today’s society. People of the past and present have demanded equality and the right to be included in things rightfully owed to them, resulting in either an influential change that is usually beneficial or occasionally, a hindrance.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Simple discussion allows for exchange of thoughts along with affable companionship. Human categorization such as gender and race separate and classify individuals, making it easier to not only presume one’s identity but also damage it. Stout’s patient, Seth, is separated from others due to his dissociation while searching for his identity. Stout explains her patient Seth’s narrative, “then with more emotion in his voice than he was usually able to show, he said ‘It’s so hard, because so much of the time when I’m here, what you’re seeing is not what I’m seeing. I feel like such an imposter’,”(436). Seth gives his full self to Stout through his vulnerability in his conversation with her. His acknowledgement of his identity put emphasis on his relation to Stout as a psychologist but also creates opportunity to discover his cognitive self. Similarly, the role of identity is affected by the categorized “Citadel Men” through their “fourth-class system”. Using the comradery and the traditions of The Citadel, cadets are conformed to a certain identity to strengthen the relations of the males but the system also hinders their perspective of women. Faludi displays the complications of gender among the cadets, “Cadets site a number of…

    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics