“Though
our parents were friends, I hardly knew Maxine…She was the only Jewish kid at
school. She ate lunch alone, spooning kosher food from Tupperware” (321).
As part of the description of her
advanced English course, Cal mentions the other girls in the class. One of
these girls is Maxine Grossinger, a daughter of two Orthodox Jewish parents.
From Cal’s description of Maxine it is clear that because of her parents’ faith,
she is ostracized at school. Parents’ identity affecting their children
socially is not limited to Maxine in the novel. Stepping a generation back from
Cal, Milton is degraded by the real estate agent’s point system because of Lefty
and Desdemona’s race and religion. As for Cal, her parents’ race and status causes
her to be looked down by her school peers. The “old money” students, or the
Charm Bracelets, label Cal as “ethic” for being Greek and not being from a long
established family,
In addition to being negatively
affected by her parent’s outward appearance, Cal suffers because of her families’
genetic condition. As a result of the family’s incest, Cal is born both as a
male and as a female, negatively affecting Cal, as it causes her to be
uncomfortable with herself and distanced by others.
Other text that we have read in this
course that deals with parents’ status and reputation affecting their children
is Oedipus the King by Sophocles.
After Oedipus’ true past is uncovered, he mourns about the future of his
children. Oedipus cries,
“I think about your life in days to
come,
the bitter life which men will force on
you…
Who, then, will marry you? No one, my
children.
You must wither, barren and unmarried”
(1758-1773).
Because
of the “crimes” Oedipus committed, his children will be forever alienated by their
own society. Oedipus’ reputation will tail the children even though they had
nothing to do with the patricide and incest.
The reason both text include parents’
identity negatively effecting their children is because it is a reality that is
very prevalent and has not only social effects but others effects as well. By
including this element of life, both texts reveal that like the pre-determination
of genetics, parts of your reputation and standing are already set even before
you discover self-choice.
Eugenides,
Jeffrey. Middlesex. New York:
Picador, 2002. Print.
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New
York: Penguin Classics, 1984. Print.
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