Yessenia Vargas

March 18^th, 2015

Ms. Reyes Middlesex blog post #5: Text-to-text

Similar to Callie's love or obsession as some say argue, Lucentio's love for Bianca highlights the theme of forbidden love due to the fact that different obstacles stand in the way of them obtaining what they desire. The Taming of the Shrew, involves a beautiful young girl refer to as Bianca, because of her qualities she attracts many suitors. A variety of men ask Bianca's father to allow them to give her different classes in exchange to see her. Lucentio's love becomes forbidden as he is not the only one chasing after her and he has to work even harder in order to be the winner of her love. Similar to Callie's love for the object societies ideals stand in the way of their love. Since everyone around Callie views her as female and before her self discovery she view herself as one too, the idea of liking a girl is completely off limits as they go against societies norms. As Eugenides states, “We were hidden by the backrest, by the wall of hair, and who was the farmer to tell anyway?” (394) after Callie's accident, the Obscure Object builds up the courage to kiss her away from the confinement of her bedroom. Despite the fact that this action is no longer done in this room, they still are not expressing their love opening as this kiss is done where no one can see. Both the Object and Callie are afraid to openly express their love as it goes against societies norms, and if they rare to go against them they will be shun. In the case of Lucentio's love for Bianca, it becomes forbidden love as he has to battle against many in order to obtain her love. Since the other suitors are also offering Bianca lessons, it forces him to have to share her with the others. The other suitors, become Lucentio's major obstacle as he can not have Bianca for himself since he has to share her with the others and run the risk of her falling in love with them. Both Callie and Lucentio face different obstacles that prevent them from obtaining their true desire ranging from other people and society.

Yessenia Vargas

March 9th, 2015

Ms. Reyes

Middlesex blog post #4: Original Creative Respond
(Sarah= Obscure Object)

My feelings for Callie Stephanides had began to grow from the moment my sister Sarah introduced her. She was not one of the prettiest girls, or coolest I have seen but she sparked a feeling in me no one else did. She was smart, and mysterious. For the first time, I was able to touched Callie not just as her best friend’s brother but something more than that; her body felt smooth and her soft lips pressed down on mine. I was not experienced at all, and was unsure if I was doing it right but I wasn't worry because I knew Callie did not know much either. Once in a while I would look over at Rex and Sarah and try to imitate the movement of his hands, and mouth. As I kissed Callie, I opened by eyes a couple of times and saw Callie observing them as well, possibly for the same reason I did. As Rex pulled Sarah's underpants I copied him and did the same. I was afraid, as I did not know what to do or what to expected though I remember seeing the nude images of woman as well as the videos of them doing exactly what Callie and I were on the verge of doing. I continued imitating Rex's actions eventually inserting my penis into her vagina. As I looked down at Callie, I read pain in her eyes. The sensation that came from this action was the best feeling I have ever endured. Callie pushed me away, I did not understand what I did wrong, and I thought we were both enjoying it. I looked at Callie and only observed pain and disappointment in her eyes, while I felt satisfaction, and victory.

Current Event: Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner Sex Change: Reality star announces gender reassignment plans to family on reality show

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bruce-jenner-sex-change-reality-star-announces-gender-reassignment-plans-family-reality-show-1490856

The moment Bruce Jenner announced to his family that he is planning to live his life as a woman, will be shown on a forthcoming episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

It has been long speculated that the former Olympic athlete has been undergoing gender reassignment, however he has not yet spoken publicly about his decision.

The 65-year-old turned to his family for support as he made the announcement during a family gathering in which he broke the news to Kendall, Kylie, Khloe and Kim Kardashian. E! cameras captured the moment, as Jenner explained his changing life choices.

According to Us Weekly the former sports star was 'very matter-of-fact' as he addressed the subject. "He literally started the conversation with, 'Hey, guys, I'm becoming a woman, but I'm sure you probably already figured that out,' a source told the magazine.

'"There was so much speculation, and they were all wondering about the truth. Bruce had to address it with them," the source added. "He got a little emotional, but it wasn't a jaw-dropping conversation," the source said, adding that "it's a surprise to the girls that he's doing this at 65."

Bruce has apparently been slowly transitioning into a woman. Speculation as to his changing appearance first mounted after he reportedly had his Adam's apple surgically reduced, a common procedure often undertaken by men seeking gender reassignment. The 65-year-old reality star also allegedly started taking oestrogen and underwent a series of physical changes, growing his hair long, sporting hot pink nails and appearing with clean shaven legs, all contributing to his increasingly feminine appearance.

According to Us Weekly the announcement resulted in a mixed reaction. Kendall, 19, told Bruce to 'just be you' while Kylie, 17, also stood by her father. The source said: "They want nothing more than for their dad to enjoy the life he wants to live."

Khloe, 30, apparently was unsurprised by his statement, and had been aware of Bruce's feminine side. "It all suddenly makes sense to her," the source told the publication. Kim, 34, and Kourtney, 35 were said to be rather more reticent about his decision.

The source claimed: "Kim had been thinking, 'What if Kendall had an event and Bruce shows up in a dress? Won't that steal her attention?' " It was suggested that Kourtney, who recently welcomed a son named Reign with long-term partner Scott Disick, was said to be 'so wrapped up in her kids and new baby... she doesn't care what Bruce does."

Of all the Kardashian clan it seems the person most perturbed by the news was Bruce's ex-wife Kris Jenner, 59. The couple who were married for 22 years announced in 2013 they were to separate. Their divorce was finalized in June 2014. "Deep down, Kris feels betrayed," the source said.

While Bruce was reported to be in negotiations to publicly talk about his gender reassignment on a televised interview, the proposed TV special was postponed after he was involved in a fatal car accident in Malibu.

Bruce's announcement will be featured in episode 13 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians which airs on March 15. He is also filming a docu-series chronicling his gender transition.

Middlesex blogpost #3

Yessenia Vargas

Ms. Reyes

May 3th, 2015

Middlesex blogpost #3: Current event

Brunce Jenner, a famous reality television star announced to his family that he will undergo sex change to become a woman. It has been speculated that Jenner has been in the process of changing sex long before but has never openly spoke about the issue. Jenner had his Adam's apple reduced, began taking estrogen, grew out his hair, and shaved his legs in order to enhance his feminine appearance. Jenner and Callie share a lot in common as both are undergoing a tremendous change. For instance Jenner, born a male after 65 years decides he wants to become a female. Callie's situation is more complex as she is born with both sex organs. Despite the fact that she is viewed as a female by those around her, her body is not undergoing the changes a woman should at her age. Since Callie is seen as a female, she attempts to undergo different procedures in order to feel or become more like a woman. For example, Callie goes to a salon to have her upper lip hair removed with her mother. Callie undergoes this procedure to feel like a woman because her body does not let her feel like one. The fact that she shared this experience with her mother and was around other woman, allows her to feel like a part of their clan. As Callie states, “I started shaving my legs and underarms” (311) which enabled her to feel more like a woman because woman are expected to do this, as it is more appealing to men and Callie is attempting to fulfill the social norms are female is require to. As the article states Jenner, “underwent a series of physical changes [such as] growing his hair long all contributing to his increasingly feminine appearance” having long hair is often associated as a feminine attribute, and is not surprising that Jenner will decide to grow his hair in order to enhance his feminine look. Callie compares her hair to chapter 11's and states, “not as long as mine, but still” (312) Callie's hair acts both as a shield and as a way to make her feel like a woman. Her long hair allows her to hide from the rest of the world, making her appear invisible. On the other hand her hair makes her feel like a woman. The fact that she compares her hair to Chapter 11's and says, “not as long as mine” is used to emphasize the fact that because her hair is longer than his it makes her even more of a female. Jenner after 65 years of being a male discoveries himself and comes to the realization that he wants to be a female. Callie born both sexes attempts her hardest to be the female others want her to be but in reality that isn't who she truly is. The fact that both Jenner and Callie have difficulties discovering who they are, reinforces a common theme in Middlesex, identity and discovering who you really are.

Yessenia Vargas

April 25th, 2015

Ms. Reyes

I recall often sitting on my desk in middle-school, staring at the other girls and wanting to be just like them. They were so different from me, I had small breast and the other girls had breast that showed through their V-neck shirts. They had butts that would make any guy turn around just to take a look, but that wasn't the case for me. I often thought there was something wrong with those girls, how can these young girls have asses like a grown women when they are only in middle school. But it didn't matter what I thought all the guys loved it, and the girls loved the attention they received from them. Their jeans were completely filled with their asses and their womanly figure while my body delayed to develop. I had something there but it was never enough to make guys turn to look at me. When i was younger, guys used to liked me because they thought I was cute but after a while that stopped; all the other girls around me became women while I lagged behind becoming unwanted and unnoticed. I remember often sitting near guys and listening to their conversations. They will speak of how big that girl's ass was or how nice her boobs were, but I was never one of those girls that they spoke about. The girls around me will speak about their bra size changing rapidly and how their boobs became larger and larger, but I was stuck with the same bra size for almost a whole year. I then got a great idea, which was to buy bra that was a size bigger than mine with padding which will make my boobs look bigger than they actually were. At first it felt right, they did look bigger but felt fake. The other girls boobs looked real, their bra didn't completely cover their boobs, so you can see their cleavage through their low cut shirts; while mine were completely covered by my bra leaving nothing to be seen. I often wondered what in the world was wrong with me. Most of my friends looked like fully grown woman while I still looked like a 5th grader trapped inside the body of a 7th grader. After every summer vacation, these girls returned with everything a bigger size than last year. While mine appeared to grow, but only a tiny bit. I then came to the conclusion that the reason behind the slow development I have undergone, was due to the fact that I was skinny. I started eating even more than usual, in the hopes that my boobs and ass will grow but it was a failure. Eventually I gave up and stopped trying, and let nature run its course in the hopes that I would attract males with my assets and possess the womanly figure I always desire. I did often wonder whether or not I actually wanted these things or if it was only because the other girls wanted them and those guys desired it. My desire was to fit in so once again I will be liked and wouldn't have to worry about looking different from everyone else.

Yessenia Vargas

Ms. Reyes

April 19th, 2015

Middlesex blog post 1: Key Passage Response

The prostitute scene serves to highlight the empathy Callie feels for the prostitutes. As Callie observes the prostitutes he pities them as they have no choice but to submit their bodies to awful acts that maybe many of them do not want to. As Cal describes his surroundings, “It isn't easy to keep yourself clean on the street... They're numb, too, to thoughts of babies left at home, six-month-olds with bad colds lying in used cribs, sucking on pacifiers, and having a hard time breathing” (236-237). Cal acknowledges that these woman are submitting their bodies only for sex and in return all they will receive is money. He understands that doing this job must be extremely difficult as it requires these women to make sacrifices in order to be able to perform this job. Women must expose their bodies to many men in order to get their attention, in the hopes of being the lucky one to be taken. Due to the actions that these women perform it becomes difficult to keep themselves clean as they have to sleep around with many men. The use of the phrase, “it isn’t easy to keep yourself clean” (237) highlights that this action is seen as dirty thus causing Cal to feel a sense of empathy for these women. These women have to leave their babies at home alone just to sell their bodies to try and make money to survive. The use of the words, “bad colds”, and “hard time breathing” (236-237) emphasizes the severity of the problem. These phrases are used in order to create an image that makes the reader see the awful situation, thus emphasizing Cal's feeling of condolence for these women. Women that do take part in this job, are often looked down upon or shunned from society because it is seen as morally wrong. Most women that resort to prostitution do so for the need of money not because they want to. Both Cal and the reader feel a sense of pity for these women through the awful acts they have to submit their bodies to and the extreme sacrifices that no mother will want to make.

New York City: Train Rides

I was rushing out of my last period. Trying to reach the train on time, to not be caught during rush hour. But as soon as I entered the train it was extremely crowded. I slowly squeezed inside the tiny space that remained. Everyone is extremely close to one another. I do not feel comfortable putting my whole body on someone. I am afraid to be in these crowded trains because I get worry that someone may touch me. I see things on the news everyday, and women are always the victims of unwanted sexual contact. This makes me wonder, why women are always the victims of this? Then it becomes clear to me, women are seen as weak incapable of defending themselves. But this is not new, women have always been seen as the inferior gender. I am often forced to put myself in this situations if I want to get home fast or not be late for anything. On the other hand, I could stay back and wait but I am sure the train is going to be just as crowd or even more.

As each stop passed, the train got more and more filled with people. Eventually, after reaching grand central the train become so crowded that it become extremely difficult for anyone to move or even get out. I was unable to find a seat since the train was crowded. As people got up from their seats, I attempt to take one but a woman always rushed in front of me and got it before I could. She may have seen me going for it but she pushes her way through, almost as though she is racing me to the finish line. On occasions when a male and I are both trying to take a seat, most will step out my way and allow me to sit. But I rarely see this behavior from a female. Sometimes I had to exit the train in order to let others out, as I did not want to be pushed around, since people often ignore those in their way. Many times when I attempt to exit the train people always stand in my way. In times like this I get really frustrated because I am often in a rush or just want to leave the train and people are preventing me from doing so. Plus many times if you push these people who stand in your way they will get angry at you. I have noticed that most of the time it is women who don’t like to get out. Even when I say “excuse me” they still stand there, as though no one said anything to them. When they remain in my way, it gives me pleasure to push them because they did not listen to me. It makes me feel in power. But why don't they get out? The obvious reason is that they do not want to lose their spot in the train. But I am sure it is something more than that. Women don’t respect other women.

Being in a crowded train, comes with being pushed around by both males and females but women don’t feel enough compassion for other women on the train, yet respect men enough to get out of their way. What's even more strange is that women seem less likely to make room for other women on the train, but they will apologize for stepping on me or pushing me. They may want to avoid confrontation. I actually have discovered a trend, those big, strong males twice my size are often the ones not to say anything. They often just look at my face with an expression of “she’ll be fine.” I guess these males do not fear confrontation from such a defenseless little thing. Lately, I have noticed a pattern in myself, sometimes I’ll step on someone and pretend I didn’t do it or just ignore it so I don’t have to apologize. Although when I step on someone that looks very intimidating I will apologize in an instant. Women apologize on trains more often than men since men don’t see women as threatening. A train can be a competitive environment that brings out the defining behaviors in individuals.