Middlesex+Journal+8

The Light in the Forest is a fictional novel by Conrad Ritcher which uses several figures from US history as characters. It is a mixture of reality and imagination, which relates to the feelings that Calliope has growing up. With her gender identity crisis, Cal does not know what is real and what isn't in her life. A crocus is a perennial flower in the iris family. It is derived from the Greek word, krokos. Though colors vary, a crocus is often lilac, mave, yellow, or white. []

"Incense rising with the pungency of irrational hope. Closer in (it had been drizzling out), the smell of wet wool...The smell of hairspray and perfume, of cheap cigars, and the slow ticking of watches" (351). This scene of rising odors represents of type of hope that is still present while in the Church.

"It's a different thing to be inside a body than outside. From outside, you can look, inspect, compare. From inside there is no comparison" (387). This quote from Calliope about her sexual experiences with the Obscure Object and Jerome relates to the narration of the novel. We are told the story through the mind of Calliope, rather than from some external voice. It allows us to delve deeper into the issues and meanings.