Middlesex and Liminality
Crossing borders, whether they are defined by country, language, gender, or sex, is a theme that is prevalent in Geoffrey Eugenides’ novel Middlesex. Although Eugenides depicts this transgressive behavior as valiantly subversive towards oppressive societal norms, he simultaneously makes a statement about hybridity. In the case of any character in this novel that experiences a change in culture, this transition ultimately ends in an attempt to assimilation into a more mainstream, privileged culture. For example, Cal’s grandfather, after emigrating from Greece, tries to become a “real” American. Eventually, even the protagonist attempts to assimilate, deciding to present and identify as Cal, a heterosexual man. Some feminists perceive the act of a trans* and/or intersex individuals transitioning from an oppressed sexual or gender identity to a more privileged identity, especially that of a man or a male, as an act of betrayal to all oppressed identities. When I make the claim that Cal's transition was an attempt to assimilate into a mainstream, patriarchal, and heterosexist culture, I do not mean to admonish him. If anything, I find it interesting to note the significance of this attempt, both in Cal's intentions and the outcome of his action. One of the main questions I had upon reading the book was whether Cal was completely autonomous in deciding to transition, or was society goading Cal into making this choice?
When talking to Ms. Devine yesterday, she explained to me the concept of liminality, this in-between space, a space that is neither here nor there and that is simultaneously both things and nothing. One can claim that Cal’s intersex identity inherently places him in a space of liminality, where he is neither male nor female. Although this statement is starting to sound more like the introduction to the concept that sex is a spectrum, it’s really not. What’s different about Cal's identity is that, when observed together, his gender and sexual identities are too ambiguous to conceive of, at least through societal standards. The intersectionality of his identity – being raised as a man, having ambiguous genitalia, being biologically male, and being sexually attracted to girls – makes it difficult to place Cal at a definite point on the spectrum. This is why it may be more accurate to describe Cal’s identity as being in a liminal space rather than on a spectrum.
Cal could have the option of embracing his intersex identity (i.e.: liminal space); however, this option is not feasible in modern society. I cannot even to begin to describe what it would look like to have Cal embrace this aspect of his identity, thus demonstrating that the liminal space for gender and sex is so taboo that it cannot even be envisioned. Therefore, because Cal cannot live in the in-between, he chooses – or more accurately, is forced by society to pick – a side and ultimately identifies as a man. One might pose the question: Why would Cal transition from woman to man when, in the text, he never even explicitly describes himself as feeling like a man? The only point in which Cal, as Callie, ever sees himself as being different is when he becomes conscious of his attraction to women. When considering Judith Butler’s idea of compulsory heterosexuality, one can better understand why Cal may have chosen to become a man. Theoretically speaking, if gender governs compulsory heterosexuality, then being a girl who likes girl would have meant that Cal, as Callie, is not fully a girl, thus making her susceptible to prejudice. Regardless of Butler’s idea, no matter how masculine and heterosexual Cal presents himself to be, his presented identity will never be fully accepted by society due to him being intersex.
One could suggest that Foucault’s idea of scientia sexualis supports another possible reason as to why Cal begins presenting himself as a man. Once he reads his medical records and learns that he is biologically male, he may feel obligated to “confess.” His transition to a man, a gender that would – in a heteronormative society – match with his sex, could be viewed both as an act of confession for his “sin” (i.e.: having ambiguous genitalia) and of penance (i.e.: trying to compensate for that fact that he is intersex by taking on a heterosexual, masculine identity).
On more of a side note, this directed study is structured so that I can read literary texts in conjunction with theory texts. This has definitely enriched the learning process for me, because I have been able to draw connections between theory and fiction. For example, Middlesex supports Butler’s ideas that sex is gendered and the gender is performative, as exhibited by Cal being able to present himself as a man despite having ambiguous genitalia and being capable of transitioning from woman to man solely by altering his dress and behavior. Nonetheless, reading this book has further strengthened my belief that theory will never be able to entirely prove or predict everything that happens in literature or the real lives of people. I will never be able to use theory to discover exactly why Cal chooses to transition, or why some people in real life transition. Butler, a renowned gender theorist, may claim that Middlesex is not a feminist novel because Cal transitions from woman to man instead of embracing his intersex identify and demonstrating the unlimited possibilities there are of gender and sex. The point of theory is not to invalidate people’s identities, recommend how they can be improved, or find an explanation for one's identity, but rather to think critically about the way in which society functions and shapes identity and to become skeptical of what defines normality.