From Lauren G

Last Wednesday my group discussed the way that events are coupled with in the novel. Important events in Cal’s family are often set against the back drop of a greater event: Cal’s conception coincides with Easter, the beginning of WWII with Tessi and Milton’s engagement, Turkey’s invasion and the first sexual feelings between Desdemona and Lefty, and Lefty’s stroke and Cal’s birth. By coupling important occurrences in Cal’s family history with catastrophic events, he lends a feeling of imminent destruction, conflict, and violence to the events that directly lead to his birth and struggle with gender identity. It is important to keep in mind that Cal is the narrator, and this is a deliberate choice that reflects his feelings about his past, and the animosity he feels.