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The Virgin Suicides: In his 2004 novel Magic Seeds, V. S. Naipaul writes: “It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That’s where the mischief starts. That’s where everything starts unraveling.” Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which a character holds an “ideal view of the world.” Then write an essay in which you analyze the character’s idealism and its positive or negative consequences. Explain how the author’s portrayal of this idealism illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
The Virgin Suicides: In his 2004 novel Magic Seeds, V. S. Naipaul writes: “It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That’s where the mischief starts. That’s where everything starts unraveling.” Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which a character holds an “ideal view of the world.” Then write an essay in which you analyze the character’s idealism and its positive or negative consequences. Explain how the author’s portrayal of this idealism illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
In the novel The Virgin Suicides, Jefferey Eugendies employs an ideal view of the world in order to convey the neighborhood boys idealism of the Lisbon sisters to show how their romanticized views lead to distortion ultimately illustrating extreme idealsim of people can lead to corruption in memories and overall obsession.
The boys' romanticized response to Cecilia's suicide demonstrates how idealism prevents individuals from recognizing the suffering of others. Cecilia's first attempt sparks the boy's interest in the girls and begins their obsession. After the attempt the girls are briefly allowed to socialize at a party with people in their neighborhood..Because the boys focus more on the beauty and mystery of the sisters rather than the emotional distress of the situation. Consequently, Instead of trying to comprehend Cecilia's suffering they explore the Lisbon home, seeing the girls as objects to explore. Therefore, the boy's idealism of the Lisbon sisters leads to their failure in recognizing Cecilia's struggles. Their fascination with the sisters turns them into figures instead of real experiencing real emotions. Also, Eugenides continues to show the boys idealism of the sisters through their perspective of the girls during their moments of extreme isolation. After Lux returns home past curfew, the girls are withdrawn from school and restricted from leaving the house. During this time they reach out to the boys with phone calls and other actions. Because the Lisbon girls are entirely separated from the outside world, they try to find a way to reach out but the boys these moments instead of recognizing the cries for help. Consequently, the phone calls and Lux's meeting with boys on the roof become a fascination for the boys. Therefore, the boys are consumed with their idealized perspective of the girls' beauty and mystery, they are unable to see the emotional suffering that the girls experience in their isolation.
To continue, Eugendies also uses the boys' recollection of the Lisbon sisters to show how their idealism continues after their deaths.After the girls' last day the boys reveal their struggle with understanding the girls even into adulthood as their obsession blinds them from the truth.On the final night of the girls' lives they call the boys over to help them escape the Lisbon house. When the boys arrive they see Lux but then discover the other sisters are already dead. Because the boys are so focused on their romanticized views, even in the girls' last moments they envision them all driving off together to escape the Lisbon house. Consequently, they are blindsided by their idealized view of the lives the girls could have, they fail to recognize the degree of the girls suffering in the weeks leading up to their death. Therefore, the boys were unable to see the true extent of the girls' emotional suffering, even years later, because they will always be too caught up in their adolescent fascination that defines their view of the girls.Even after the deaths of the Lisbon sisters, the boys' idealism continues to shape their memories of the girls.As adults, the boys collect evidence through diaries, interviews, and past memories in an attempt to piece together the sisters' deaths. Because their memories remain shaped by their adolescent views they are never able to fully understand the depth of the girls. Consequently this consumes them for many years as they try to imagine alternate situations where the girls moved away. Therefore their obsession with the girls shows how idealism prevents them from confronting reality. The boys transformed the sisters into symbols of beauty and mystery making it impossible for them to see them as complex individuals.
Overall, through the boy's perspective, Eugendies uses the idealistic view to show the consequences of the behavior. The boys are never truly able to understand the girls because their memories are skewed by their idealized views of the girls. Their romanticized view of the girls leads to destroyed memories of the past. The fragmented evidence through the story and recollection of the past displays the distortion they have of the past. When people view others in an idealized lens they lose sight of reality and what is happening around them. In the virgin suicides this is revealed because the boys inability to see the girls struggles leads to their eventual deaths, through the neglect of the boys.
Middlesex: Many works of literature feature characters who have been given a literal or figurative gift. The gift may be an object, or it may be a quality such as uncommon beauty, significant Social position, great mental or imaginative faculties, or extraordinary physical powers. Yet this gift is often also a burden or a handicap. Select a character from a novel, epic, or play who has been given a gift that is both an advantage and a problem. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing the complex nature of the gift and how the gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Middlesex: Many works of literature feature characters who have been given a literal or figurative gift. The gift may be an object, or it may be a quality such as uncommon beauty, significant Social position, great mental or imaginative faculties, or extraordinary physical powers. Yet this gift is often also a burden or a handicap. Select a character from a novel, epic, or play who has been given a gift that is both an advantage and a problem. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing the complex nature of the gift and how the gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
In the novel Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides employs a gift of uncommon beauty to Cal through his intersex identity, in order to convey his struggles with aligning societal expectations with discovery of identity, ultimately illustrating a gift given to someone can have both positive and negative attributes but in order to fully understand ones true identity it is important to accept ones gift.
In the novel, Eugendies employs Cal's intersex gift to show discovery of a gift leads to struggles with his identity. Cal begins to form a complicated relationship with the obscured object in the novel that leads to confusing feelings. They develop an intense relationship that is against the norms of society and has Cal begin to question their own identity and realization of his gift. Because the relationship between Cal and the obscure object is against societal norms, Cal begins to realize he is different from others. Consequently, the gift of intersex causes conflicts between Cal’s identity and the norms of society they are expected to follow. Therefore, gifts can reveal hidden identities that can only be discovered with acceptance of one's condition. The conflict between societal norms and Cal continues through the Doctor's discovery and force of identity on Cal, displaying society's goal to conform to others . When Cal is first introduced to their intersex identity by the doctor. The doctor tries to force surgery on Cal and keep them a girl. This begins to show the societal expectations that the doctor wants to force onto Cal. Because the doctor wants to get rid of Cal's condition so they fit into society, it displays enforced norms that people are expected to follow. Consequently, these norms are often forced upon others from society without much choice of their own leading to people hiding their uncommon traits. Therefore, people are often forced to conform to societal expectations never allowing one to show one's gift.
Eugenides continues to display the gift of Cal's intersex by moving from themes of society to themes of discovery of one's identity. He begins to discuss how Cal embraces their gift and moves past societal norms to finally be comfortable in their identity. In the novel, after the doctor tries to push Cal to be fully female, Cal runs away from home. WIth this Cal moves away from societal expectations in order to embrace their gift. Because Cal doesn't want to conform to society despite their uncommon gift, they run away to break these norms and discover their true identity on their own. Consequently, Cal is able to not worry about the thoughts of others and become comfortable with their gift without changing. Therefore, with acceptance of one's gift, despite the norms of society, people are able to truly discover themselves and become most comfortable in their own skin. Eugenides continues to tell the story of Cal while also displaying the downsides of Cal's gift even after acceptance from the lack of acceptance of others. After Cal runs away and finds their true self they join a freakshow. At this place, Cal is used as entertainment with others for their uncommon gifts. Because Cal is used as a moneymaker for this show, it displays that although he has accepted himself, society still views him as entertainment due to his uncommon features. Consequently, this shows that society will always struggle with acceptance of others unlike themselves and will view them as something to be observed. Therefore, although society struggles to accept people against the norm it is important to still embrace one's gifts.
All in all, Eugendies uses the expectations of society that lead to struggles of Cal's identity to show the positive and negative aspects of Cal's gift of being intersex. The discovery of being intersex is difficult on Cal as society pushed him to conform to be like others. Despite this push Cal keeps their intersex identity and becomes comfortable with oneself. To show that acceptance is important in discovering identity. Even after acceptance Cal still struggles with people who view him as something to observe, showing that society will always struggle to accept people that are different. Even with that it is important to accept one's gifts and embrace them to become comfortable with themselves.
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