In Middlesex, the main character, Cal, writes about his grandparents by using their first names, Desdemona and Lefty. This is unusual because normally grandchildren refer to their elders as grandma, or grandpa, or a similar title. Perhaps Cal writes this way because he is trying to remain objective or help the readers keep the characters straight. But it can be argued that he writes about them using their first names because he is angry towards them and doesn't feel that connection or bond that some grandchildren have with their grandparents.
Desdemona and Lefty are actually brother and sister, and their incest led to a rare genetic mutation that made Cal born intersex. Although I have no gotten to the part in the novel where Cal discovers the family secret, I can only imagine the hatred Cal must've felt towards them, being that they're the reason his life is plagued with struggle. Not only that, but it must be hard to totally rethink everything you thought you know about your grandparents, and that the image of them is forever skewed in your mind.
My prediction is that Cal is at first angry, however, he finds forgiveness for them because he was close with his grandparents his whole life, even living with them for years. And, while giving back story on Desdemona and Lefty's romantic relationship in the earlier portions of the book, he makes it clear that Desdemona felt shame and regret and she had no idea what genetic problems would arise from their sin. This shows that Cal has compassion for Desdemona's situation, which must be super hard to find, but goes to show Cal's maturity level and selflessness. If this topic is explored further by the end of the book, and my prediction for Cal's forgiveness is accurate, it'd be an impactful lesson for the reader to see how forgiveness is an important step in moving forward.
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