Middlesex

by

Jeffrey Eugenides

Dr. Luce is a famous sexologist who specializes is considered the world expert on intersex conditions. He is seeking to prove a social construction theory of gender, meaning that the way in which a person is raised has a greater impact on how they identify than their biology. He is thrilled to meet Callie, who is intersex and is therefore a perfect test subject for him, but ends up subjecting Callie to unethical, invasive, and patronizing treatment. Without gaining Callie’s consent, Dr. Luce recommends that she undergo hormone treatment and surgery to make herself more like a “normal” woman, despite the fact that Callie’s biological sex is closer to male than female.

Dr. Luce Quotes in Middlesex

The Middlesex quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Luce or refer to Dr. Luce. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Rebirth vs. Continuity Theme Icon
).
Book 4: Looking Myself Up in Webster’s Quotes

In addition, the subject has been raised in the Greek Orthodox tradition, with its strongly sex-defined roles. In general the parents seem assimilationist and very “all-American” in their outlook, but the presence of this deeper ethnic identity should not be overlooked.

Related Characters: Dr. Luce (speaker), Cal/lie Stephanides, Milton (Militadies) Stephanides, Theodora “Tessie” Stephanides
Page Number: 436
Explanation and Analysis:
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Middlesex PDF

Dr. Luce Quotes in Middlesex

The Middlesex quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Luce or refer to Dr. Luce. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Rebirth vs. Continuity Theme Icon
).
Book 4: Looking Myself Up in Webster’s Quotes

In addition, the subject has been raised in the Greek Orthodox tradition, with its strongly sex-defined roles. In general the parents seem assimilationist and very “all-American” in their outlook, but the presence of this deeper ethnic identity should not be overlooked.

Related Characters: Dr. Luce (speaker), Cal/lie Stephanides, Milton (Militadies) Stephanides, Theodora “Tessie” Stephanides
Page Number: 436
Explanation and Analysis: