Gender Quotes in Middlesex

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

I was aware that there was something improper about the way I felt about Clementine Stark. (3.3.118)

This is the only time we hear of Clementine Stark, the girl whom Calliope shares her first kiss with. Children pick up on gender norms easily, and she can just feel that this same-sex relationship is "wrong"… at least compared to societal norms.

Quote #8

During the growing months, quite a few of my schoolmates had -- as adults liked to say -- "developed." (3.4.73)

This is a difficult time for Calliope. Being raised as a girl, she expects to, um, blossom at the same time the other girls do. But it doesn't happen that way. Since she is primarily male physiologically, she has to wait a while to experience her own special brand of puberty.

Quote #9

Females pause and look for signs of agreement before continuing. Males just look into the middle distance and hold forth. Women prefer the anecdotal, men the deductive. (4.1.144)

This is Dr. Luce's assessment of male vs. female thought processes and storytelling. Do you agree? How do you think Cal combines both of these viewpoints into one hermaphroditic body and mind?