Ethnicity and ethnic identity in Jeffrey Eugenides' "Middlesex"

Table of Contents

0. Introduction: In the Middle of Everything

1. Definitions

1.1 Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity

1.2 The Tradition of Ethnic Writing

1.2.1 Historiographic Metafiction

1.2.2 Middlesex as an Ethnic Novel

1.3 The Concept of Hybridity

2. The Silk Road

2.1 The Road of Self-Transformation

2.2 The Silkworm Image

3. The Melting Pot

3.1. The Concept of the Melting Pot

3.2 Henry Ford’s English-Language Melting Pot

3.3 Lefty and Desdemona: Melted into Amerikanidhes?

4. Blacks vs. Whites

4.1 The Nation of Islam

4.1.1 Naming

4.1.2 Fard Muhammad: The Master of Self-Invention

4.1.3 Tricknology

4.2 Black-White Relations

4.2.1 The Zebra Room

4.2.2 The Race Riots of 1967

4.2.3 The Second American Revolution

5. Ethnic Group Belonging

5.1 Middlesex

5.2 Milton: Pursuing the American Dream

5.3 Chapter Eleven: With a Knack for Self-Transformation

6. Ethnic Food

6.1 The Mediterranean Diet

6.2 Hercules Hot Dogs

7. In-Between: Cal/Callie

7.1 Ethnic Identity at Baker & Inglis

7.2 The Charm Bracelets: Everyone is Ethnic

7.3 Hermaphrodite: The Middle Way

8. Conclusion

Objectives and Themes

This thesis examines the representation of ethnicity and ethnic identity in Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel Middlesex, arguing that these aspects are central to understanding the protagonist's hybrid identity and the broader theme of gender identity. The work explores how the novel deconstructs traditional notions of ethnicity, assimilation, and the "American Dream" through a postmodern lens.

• The intersection of ethnic identity and gender in Middlesex.
• The critique of the "melting pot" concept through historical and fictional analysis.
• Self-invention and the construction of identity among immigrant generations.
• The role of "hybridity" as a key conceptual framework for character development.
• Black-white relations and racial segregation in 20th-century Detroit.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

0. Introduction: In the Middle of Everything: Summarizes the novel's generic diversity and introduces the core theme of the hybrid narrator and the questioning of historical representation.

1. Definitions: Establishes the theoretical framework by defining ethnicity, ethnic literature, historiographic metafiction, and the concept of hybridity.

2. The Silk Road: Analyzes the immigration journey of the grandparents and the emergence of self-transformation and self-fashioning as central motifs.

3. The Melting Pot: Investigates the concept of the melting pot as portrayed in both historical discourse and Eugenides' novel, specifically through the Ford English School.

4. Blacks vs. Whites: Examines racial tensions and the Nation of Islam's influence on the Stephanides family and the social landscape of Detroit.

5. Ethnic Group Belonging: Explores the importance of ethnic group affiliation and the disparate attempts of different family members to pursue the American Dream.

6. Ethnic Food: Discusses the role of diet as a marker of ethnic identity and a tool for asserting cultural pride or status in professional settings.

7. In-Between: Cal/Callie: Focuses on the protagonist's realization of ethnicity and gender, linking bodily metamorphosis to identity formation.

8. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, reiterating the novel's promotion of a hybrid and unfixed identity over binary oppositions.

Keywords

Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides, Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, Hybridity, Self-Transformation, Postmodernism, Historiographic Metafiction, Melting Pot, Immigrant Novel, Gender Identity, Detroit, Race Riots, Nation of Islam, Americanness

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this academic work?

This work explores how Jeffrey Eugenides' novel Middlesex interprets ethnicity and ethnic identity, demonstrating their critical relationship to the book's central theme of gender identity.

What are the central themes discussed in the paper?

The core themes include the intersection of ethnic and gender identity, the impact of historical events on individual life stories, the process of self-invention, and the validity of the "melting pot" ideal.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to demonstrate that ethnicity is not merely a marginal aspect of the novel, but a foundational element that defines the protagonist’s identity and the Stephanides family’s development.

Which scientific methods are employed?

The analysis utilizes literary theory, specifically focusing on historiographic metafiction, postmodern concepts of identity, and sociological studies on ethnicity by authors like Werner Sollors and Richard D. Alba.

What content is covered in the main body?

The main body follows a chronological and thematic structure, analyzing the migration narrative, the failure of the "melting pot," racial conflicts in Detroit, and the protagonist's struggle with ethnic and gender-based self-definition.

Which keywords characterize this paper?

Key terms include hybridity, self-fashioning, historiographic metafiction, the American Dream, and ethnic group belonging.

How does the author connect the hermaphrodite myth to Greekness?

The paper argues that the myth of Hermaphroditus, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, provides a direct mythological link between the protagonist's physical condition and their Greek heritage, challenging arguments that the two themes are unrelated.

What role does "tricknology" play in the novel's portrayal of race?

Tricknology is discussed as a rhetorical strategy within the Nation of Islam to reverse societal hierarchies, providing a psychological mechanism for the black population in Detroit to assert self-worth against white supremacy.