Estimated read time: 14 min read
Table of Contents
List of Characters in "Middlesex"
| Character Name | Role in Story | Relation to Protagonist |
|---|---|---|
| Calliope "Cal" Stephanides | Protagonist and narrator | Self |
| Desdemona Stephanides | Cal's grandmother | Paternal grandmother |
| Lefty Stephanides | Cal's grandfather | Paternal grandfather |
| Milton Stephanides | Cal's father | Father |
| Tessie Stephanides | Cal's mother | Mother |
| Chapter Eleven | Cal's brother | Sibling |
| Dr. Luce | Gender specialist | Medical advisor |
| The Obscure Object | Cal's romantic interest | Friend/Romantic interest |
| Sourmelina Stephanides | Desdemona’s cousin | Great-aunt |
| Jimmy Zizmo | Sourmelina’s husband | Great-uncle |
| Zora | Fellow performer | Friend |
| Jerome | The Object’s boyfriend | Rival/Love triangle |
Role Identification
Central Characters
- Cal/Calliope Stephanides: The main character and narrator. Born intersex, Cal recounts his family's history and his own journey of self-discovery.
- Desdemona Stephanides: Cal’s grandmother, whose choices and secrets shape the family’s genetic legacy.
- Lefty Stephanides: Desdemona’s brother and husband, symbolizing the beginnings of the Stephanides family in America.
- Milton Stephanides: Cal’s father, an embodiment of the American Dream and familial responsibility.
- Tessie Stephanides: Cal’s mother, a figure of warmth, anxiety, and maternal care.
Supporting Characters
- Chapter Eleven: Cal’s older brother, represents traditional masculinity and sibling rivalry.
- Dr. Luce: The medical authority who diagnoses Cal, pivotal in Cal’s understanding of his identity.
- The Obscure Object: Cal’s adolescent love interest, central to Cal’s sexual awakening.
- Sourmelina & Jimmy Zizmo: Relatives whose secrets and actions impact the family’s trajectory.
- Zora: Performer and friend during Cal’s time in San Francisco, symbolizes acceptance and community.
Character Descriptions
| Character Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Cal/Calliope | Intersex protagonist, intelligent, introspective, and searching for identity. |
| Desdemona | Traditional, superstitious, deeply connected to her Greek roots. |
| Lefty | Charismatic, rebellious, and adaptive, fleeing his past for a new life in America. |
| Milton | Ambitious, pragmatic, and at times emotionally distant. |
| Tessie | Nurturing, anxious, and supportive, yet sometimes overwhelmed by family secrets. |
| Chapter Eleven | Athletic, conventional, and a foil to Cal’s nonconformity. |
| Dr. Luce | Objective, clinically detached, yet fascinated by Cal’s rare condition. |
| The Obscure Object | Mysterious, alluring, and symbolic of adolescent desire. |
| Sourmelina | Independent, secretive, and influential in the family’s early American experiences. |
| Jimmy Zizmo | Opportunistic, secretive, and ultimately tragic. |
| Zora | Outgoing, accepting, and a mentor figure in Cal’s exploration of gender and sexuality. |
Character Traits
| Character Name | Core Traits |
|---|---|
| Cal/Calliope | Curious, sensitive, resilient, intelligent, self-reflective |
| Desdemona | Superstitious, loving, anxious, proud |
| Lefty | Daring, witty, adaptable, passionate |
| Milton | Ambitious, responsible, stubborn, practical |
| Tessie | Compassionate, anxious, caring, indecisive |
| Chapter Eleven | Traditional, athletic, competitive, protective |
| Dr. Luce | Analytical, clinical, authoritative, curious |
| The Obscure Object | Enigmatic, independent, charismatic, elusive |
| Sourmelina | Pragmatic, secretive, resourceful, resilient |
| Jimmy Zizmo | Scheming, reckless, secretive, tragic |
| Zora | Assertive, supportive, empathetic, wise |
Character Background
Cal/Calliope Stephanides
Cal is born in Detroit in 1960 as Calliope, assigned female at birth. Unbeknownst to his family, Cal has 5-alpha-reductase deficiency, an intersex condition. He grows up in a Greek-American household, surrounded by tradition and family secrets. Cal narrates the story from adulthood, reflecting on his unique journey and the events that shaped his identity.
Desdemona Stephanides
Desdemona is born in Bithynios, a small village in Asia Minor. She flees the Greco-Turkish War with her brother Lefty, whom she secretly marries. In America, she clings to her old-world values and traditions, haunted by guilt over her incestuous relationship and its potential consequences.
Lefty Stephanides
Lefty, Desdemona’s brother and husband, is impulsive and charming. He adapts quickly to life in America, seeking new opportunities while struggling to conceal his past. His choices set the course for future generations of the Stephanides family.
Milton Stephanides
Milton is a first-generation Greek-American. He is ambitious and entrepreneurial, founding a successful hot dog business in Detroit. His focus on assimilation and material success often puts him at odds with tradition and family intimacy.
Tessie Stephanides
Tessie, Milton’s wife, is gentle and loving. She is caught between her desire for a modern American life and her loyalty to family traditions. Her anxieties center on her children’s well-being and the secrets she suspects within her family.
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven is Cal’s older brother. He is athletic and traditionally masculine. His nickname comes from the financial term for bankruptcy, reflecting a crisis point in his own life.
Dr. Luce
Dr. Luce is a renowned sexologist. He is called in to diagnose Calliope during adolescence. His clinical detachment contrasts with Cal’s emotional turmoil, and his recommendations profoundly impact Cal’s life.
The Obscure Object
The Obscure Object is a fellow student at Cal’s girls' school. She is the object of Cal’s first intense romantic feelings. Her enigmatic presence is central to Cal’s sexual awakening.
Sourmelina Stephanides
Sourmelina, or Lina, is Desdemona’s cousin and the first family member to immigrate to America. She harbors her own secrets, including her hidden sexuality.
Jimmy Zizmo
Jimmy Zizmo, Lina’s husband, is involved in illegal activities. His mysterious disappearance leaves a legacy of speculation and myth in the family.
Zora
Zora is a transgender woman and performer in San Francisco. She becomes a mentor and friend to Cal, offering guidance and acceptance in the intersex community.
Character Arcs
| Character Name | Starting Point | Key Events/Challenges | End Point/Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal/Calliope | Innocent, confused, female-identified child | Discovery of intersex status, adolescent love, running away | Embraces true identity as Cal, reconciles past |
| Desdemona | Superstitious, guilt-ridden refugee | Marriage to brother, immigration, burden of family secret | Comes to terms with past, accepts her family |
| Lefty | Carefree, daring, romantic | Incestuous marriage, new life in America | Dies, leaving a legacy of love and risk |
| Milton | Ambitious, American Dream pursuer | Family crises, racial tensions, Cal’s revelation | Dies violently, unable to reconcile ambitions |
| Tessie | Loving, anxious, hesitant | Navigating secrets, Cal’s transformation | Finds peace in her role as mother |
| Chapter Eleven | Successful, confident, masculine | Family’s struggles, financial failure | Endures crisis, remains supportive brother |
| Dr. Luce | Detached expert | Cal’s case challenges his views | Remains committed to science, but personally distant |
| The Obscure Object | Unattainable, romanticized figure | Relationship with Cal, school life | Remains a memory, catalyst for Cal’s awakening |
| Sourmelina | Guarded, secretive, survivor | Navigating America, hiding sexuality | Finds belonging, keeps family together |
| Jimmy Zizmo | Shady, ambitious, mysterious | Disappearance, criminal dealings | Fate uncertain, mythic figure in family lore |
| Zora | Confident, supportive | Supports Cal’s self-discovery | Remains a symbol of acceptance and community |
Relationships
| Character 1 | Character 2 | Nature of Relationship | Key Dynamics/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal | Desdemona | Grandparent/grandchild | Inherited secrets, shared outsider status |
| Cal | Lefty | Grandparent/grandchild | Family legacy, genetic inheritance |
| Cal | Milton | Parent/child | Generational conflict, pressure to conform |
| Cal | Tessie | Parent/child | Maternal support, anxiety, protection |
| Cal | Chapter Eleven | Siblings | Rivalry, difference, eventual understanding |
| Cal | Dr. Luce | Patient/doctor | Power imbalance, identity crisis |
| Cal | The Obscure Object | Romantic interest | Unrequited love, self-discovery |
| Cal | Zora | Friend, mentor | Acceptance, community, guidance |
| Desdemona | Lefty | Siblings/Spouses | Taboo relationship, guilt, partnership |
| Desdemona | Milton | Parent/child | Cultural tension, generational divide |
| Desdemona | Tessie | In-laws | Mutual support, traditions |
| Desdemona | Sourmelina | Cousins | Shared secrets, immigrant experience |
| Sourmelina | Jimmy Zizmo | Spouses | Deception, survival |
| Tessie | Milton | Spouses | Marital strain, parental roles |
| Tessie | Chapter Eleven | Parent/child | Supportive, protective |
| Milton | Chapter Eleven | Parent/child | High expectations, disappointment |
In-Depth Character Analysis
Cal/Calliope Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Cal is the core of "Middlesex." The entire narrative is filtered through his self-aware, reflective voice. As Cal, he recounts the family’s multi-generational journey, linking personal identity to genetic and cultural inheritance. The story of Cal’s intersex condition shapes the entire novel, making him both the product and the interpreter of his family’s secrets.
Key Traits and Struggles
Cal is intelligent and deeply introspective, often using humor and irony to cope. He is acutely aware of his outsider status, both as a Greek-American and as an intersex individual. Cal’s journey is defined by a search for self-understanding, complicated by societal expectations and family pressures.
Arc
Cal’s arc takes him from confusion to self-acceptance. Childhood is marked by innocence and gradual alienation. Adolescence brings crisis: the discovery of his intersex status, unrequited love, and medical intervention. Running away, Cal explores life as a man, facing both liberation and vulnerability. Ultimately, he reconciles his dual heritage and identity, accepting the complexity of his existence.
Relationships
Cal’s relationships are shaped by secrecy and intimacy. He is closest to his family but is also burdened by their secrets. His love for the Obscure Object is pivotal, marking his sexual awakening and emotional maturation. Zora represents acceptance and belonging in a world that often marginalizes difference.
Desdemona Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Desdemona is the matriarch, the keeper of tradition and secrets. Her marriage to her brother Lefty is both a personal and symbolic act, setting in motion the family’s genetic legacy. Desdemona’s superstitions and guilt inform her parenting and her relationship with Cal.
Traits and Struggles
Desdemona is loving but haunted by fear of retribution for her sins. She clings to her Greek heritage, using old-world practices to anchor herself in a new country. Her anxiety about the family’s fate is a constant undercurrent.
Arc
Desdemona’s journey is about coming to terms with the past. She moves from fear and secrecy to acceptance, even as she remains deeply tied to tradition. Her death marks the end of an era, but also a release from guilt.
Relationships
Desdemona’s closest bond is with Lefty, her husband-brother. Her relationships with her children and grandchildren are marked by love, protectiveness, and anxiety. She is both a source of strength and a reminder of the family’s complicated origins.
Lefty Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Lefty is the family’s risk-taker, the one willing to gamble everything for a new life. His marriage to Desdemona and emigration to America are acts of both love and desperation.
Traits and Struggles
Lefty is charming, witty, and adaptable. He struggles with the consequences of his choices, yet rarely expresses regret. His ability to reinvent himself is both survival and denial.
Arc
Lefty’s arc is more static than Desdemona’s; he is shaped by his early choices and spends his life adapting to them. His death is sudden, underscoring the unpredictability he embodied.
Relationships
Lefty’s relationship with Desdemona is central—passionate, taboo, and enduring. He is a supportive father and grandfather, but his influence is felt most through the legacy he leaves.
Milton Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Milton represents the first fully American generation. He is pragmatic, driven, and at times emotionally distant, focused on business and social status.
Traits and Struggles
Milton’s ambition often clashes with family loyalty and tradition. He struggles to understand his children, particularly Calliope, and is ultimately undone by his inability to reconcile his ideals with reality.
Arc
Milton’s arc is tragic. He achieves material success but loses touch with the emotional needs of his family. His violent death is symbolic of the larger societal chaos of Detroit.
Relationships
Milton’s marriage with Tessie is loving but strained by secrets and unspoken fears. His relationship with Cal is marked by misunderstanding and distance, yet not without love.
Tessie Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Tessie is the emotional core of the family, a nurturer who tries to hold everyone together amid chaos and change.
Traits and Struggles
Tessie is anxious and indecisive, often caught between tradition and modernity. She is fiercely protective of her children but struggles to cope with the family’s secrets.
Arc
Tessie’s journey is about adaptation. She moves from fear to acceptance, finding peace in her role as mother and survivor.
Relationships
Tessie’s relationships are defined by care and worry. She is closest to Cal, sharing a deep, if sometimes fraught, bond.
Chapter Eleven
Role and Evolution
Chapter Eleven is the typical older brother, athletic and conventional. He provides a point of comparison for Cal and represents a different path within the same family.
Traits and Struggles
He is competitive, protective, and ultimately supportive. His nickname reflects his own financial and personal crises.
Arc
Chapter Eleven faces his own setbacks but remains a steady presence for Cal.
Relationships
His rivalry with Cal gives way to understanding and support as they both mature.
Dr. Luce
Role and Evolution
Dr. Luce is the authority on gender and sexuality. His clinical approach provides answers but lacks empathy.
Traits and Struggles
He is brilliant but emotionally detached, more interested in theory than the person.
Arc
Dr. Luce’s recommendations catalyze Cal’s flight and self-discovery. He remains unchanged, a representative of the medical establishment.
Relationships
His interaction with Cal is pivotal but impersonal.
The Obscure Object
Role and Evolution
The Obscure Object is the focus of Cal’s adolescent desire, representing both possibility and unattainability.
Traits and Struggles
She is independent, enigmatic, and ultimately inaccessible.
Arc
She remains a formative memory, central to Cal’s understanding of himself.
Relationships
Her relationship with Cal is marked by longing and secrecy.
Sourmelina Stephanides
Role and Evolution
Sourmelina is the family’s first immigrant, a survivor who conceals her own secrets.
Traits and Struggles
She is pragmatic and resourceful, navigating the challenges of a new country.
Arc
She finds a place in America, balancing secrecy and belonging.
Relationships
Her marriage to Jimmy Zizmo and relationship with Desdemona are defined by mutual survival.
Jimmy Zizmo
Role and Evolution
Zizmo is a shadowy figure, involved in illegal activities and disappearing mysteriously.
Traits and Struggles
He is reckless and secretive, ultimately becoming a mythic presence in family lore.
Arc
His fate is left unresolved, underscoring the unpredictability of the family’s history.
Relationships
His marriage to Sourmelina is pragmatic and fraught with secrets.
Zora
Role and Evolution
Zora is a performer and a mentor in San Francisco, embodying acceptance and community.
Traits and Struggles
She is confident and empathetic, guiding Cal through a world of difference.
Arc
She remains a symbol of hope and belonging for Cal.
Relationships
Her friendship with Cal is transformative, providing support and understanding.
Character Arcs in Context
The characters of "Middlesex" are bound by family, secrets, and the search for identity. Their arcs intersect across generations, with each facing their own crises of adaptation, acceptance, and loss. Cal’s journey is both a singular story and the culmination of his family’s collective choices and traumas.
The relationships between characters reveal the tensions between tradition and modernity, secrecy and revelation, conformity and individuality. "Middlesex" explores these dynamics with nuance and empathy, using its characters to embody the complexities of heritage, gender, and belonging.
Conclusion
"Middlesex" offers a rich tapestry of characters, each shaped by history, culture, and personal struggle. Cal/Calliope’s journey to self-acceptance is mirrored in the arcs of his family, whose secrets and choices echo across generations. The novel’s characters are memorable for their complexity, contradictions, and humanity, making "Middlesex" a landmark in contemporary fiction and in the exploration of identity.
