Middles ex Blog # 5: Personal Story

I guess in some ways I can relate to Callie. In the relation to that I had a moment (not as significant) that changed how I viewed my self and my family. 

Several years ago, I was told that I have a different grandfather then all of my cousins. On a biological standpoint I saw myself as less of a cousin or less of a niece to my aunt. It's just strange to think that the person I presumed was my grandfather has no relation to me and the fact that there is another man out there who is actually related to me. Someone I never knew and never will. Learning this new information was weird. I felt almost betrayed in a way by my family into making me believe in a story that wasn't 100 percent truth. Kind of like a kid learning that Santa wasn't really that's how I felt. It made me think and still makes me think about what defines and who defines your family? Just because I have a different grandfather then my cousins shouldn't make me any less of a person to them. Just because Callie has learned that she's different from everyone else shouldn't make her feel obliged to change who she is. Although, It was a hard piece of information to wrap my head around I've learned to accept and love my family. My cousins are still my cousins and my aunt is still my aunt. All that's different is that I know the fully story. I now know why I tan easier or that my nose looks a little different from my cousins, aunts and uncles. I accord who and am even though I'm 1/4 unknown.

Middlesex Blog #4: Poem

Blog #4:

"Ecstasy. From the Greek Ekstasis. Meaning not what you think. Meaning not euphoria or sexual climax or even happiness. Meaning, literally: a state of displacement, of being driven out of one's senses"(374).

Original Piece:

The Burn

One look

I set off the fire

that erupted across his cheeks

traveling thorough his chest

controlling his heart

controlling my heart

One touch

The flames had reached our throats

Smoke filled our lungs

pouring out through our eyes

Ash clogging our ears

Neither one of us sought

To extinguish

the fire that raged

But I let go

Gasping for air

like a fish being thrown into the ocean

I swam away in a trance of terror

My heart thumped

squeezing the cold blood

through my veins

His scars faded

Mine remained

He loved the warmth

I ached for the burn

Explanation:

In this poem I was just trying to express the destruction of intense desire. While some can move forward and learn to love someone else with intense passion. Some are forever caught up on one person. In some ways, ecstasy can leave people in a naive state of mind. Especially , if you have never experienced that strong of emotion. It leaves you wanting to recreate that same type of feeling. When one has too much euphoria at once it can be destructive for both the mind and body. The same way drugs work. Everyone knows, drugs are horrible for your body because it consumes your entire existence altering your state of mind. In relation to Middlesex, one can say that Callie finds love and ecstasy in being with the Obscure Object. She consumes Callies life. Overall, love and the feeling of ecstasy can leave one wanting more. When you find someone you love never let them go. Unless, they do not love you back. Then you have to learn how to heal and move forward and not get stuck on one feeling of passion.

Middlesex Blog #3: Middlesex to Oedipus the King

Teiresias

           

In the chapter of Middlesex titled The Obscure Object  Callie portrays Teiresias in her schools' production of Antigone. Teiresias has appeared before in Oedipus the King as a blind prophet. This can relate to how Callie behaves as a teenager hiding behind her hair unable to physically see what is going on in the world. Also, metaphorically Callie is unable to see and accept that her body is biologically different from her peers. Additionally, the character Teiresias brings up the theme of fate which happens to be a big theme in Middlesex.  For instance, in the begging of the book there was a series of events fueled by their destiny that allowed Lefty and Desdemona to travel to America. Along with Callie who has not discovered her own fate that she is both a male and a female. Also, in Oedipus the King there is a strong theme of denial seen in Oedipus himself. Oedipus is in denial of the prophecy that Teiresias tells him, however, Oedipus cannot prevent his prophecy. Similarly, Callie is in denial that she is not a normal teenage girl even though her body has shown very limited signs of puberty.

            An obvious connection between the texts is that Teiresias was a woman for several years thus making Teiresias a hermaphrodite. This connects to the fact that Callie is a hermaphrodite as well. Furthermore, in both Callie's and Oedipus's family history there are acts of incest. Once Oedipus has discovered that he in fact married and had a child with his own mother he blinds himself. This makes me question how Callie will react when she discovers her own family history and her own identity.  Will she metaphorically turn a blind eye to the world and hide herself like Oedipus did or will she accept and love herself living life to the fullest embracing her biological identity?