Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Greeks modern and ancient

The narrator refers to his story as "my midwestern Epidaurus" and says Jimmy Zizmo is "the one wearing the biggest mask." What did you think he meant by this?
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10 comments:

Erin said...

I must say, I'm pretty clueless on this. What are your thoughts?

7:50 PM, January 23, 2008
kc said...

I found this online:

Epidaurus is one of the most important ancient sites in Greece, with an almost perfectly preserved amphitheatre built 2,500 years ago and still hosting Greek dramas today.

According to Greek mythology Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asclepius, the god of healing and son of Apollo. The site later became one of the most important centres of healing in the ancient world and by the 4th century BC the sick were travelling from far and wide to seek medical and mystical cures at the sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius.

Eugenides' Epidaurus reference, because of the mask mention, seems to be to the theater, but Epidaurus as a healing center also seems significant. The narrator speaks of "my midwestern Epidaurus," and we have the sense of drama and also of personal catharsis.

I guess he says Zizmo wore the biggest mask because he had the most to hide, the most secrets. I don't know. Is there some significance in Greek drama to the size of mask an actor wears?

It's kind of ironic because Lefty and Desdemona were hiding a pretty damn big secret. And Sourmelina was hiding her sexuality. Zizmo was the only one who seemed to be exactly what he was, and yet we didn't know him at all in the end.

Did you ever supect that Zizmo wasn't really dead?

12:25 AM, January 24, 2008
Erin said...

Very interesting. Both the theater angle and the healing center make sense in regard to the story.

Zizmo was interesting. I never suspected he wasn't dead. It seemed sort of over-the-top when he showed up as the Nation of Islam leader.

10:15 AM, January 24, 2008
kc said...

Yeah, I thought that was over-the-top, too.

Whose "reinvention of self" did you find most poignant? Zizmo after the crash? Lefty and Desdemona after coming to America? Sourmelina after Zizmo "died"? Calliope into Cal? Milton as the hotdog king? Chapter 11?

8:19 PM, January 24, 2008
Erin said...

Great question. I think Lefty and Desdemona's life change was the most poignant for me. Maybe just because of Desdemona's trepidation -- the way she tried to resist her feelings for Lefty and then gave in to them in the opportunity of "reinvention," only to remain ashamed and fearful for the rest of her life. I loved that passage where she finds Lefty after his stroke, and along with her grief, she feels happy because she thinks God has finally punished her for good and she can stop being afraid.

9:02 AM, January 25, 2008
kc said...

Yes, that was a tremendous scene. Desdemona was a fantastic character in so many ways. Both the grandparents were.

I really loved this description of her: My grandmother took to television right away. It was the first and only thing about America she approved of ... The television replaced the sound of conversation that was missing from my grandparents' lives. Desdemona watched all day long, scandalized by the love affairs on "As the World Turns." She liked detergent commercials especially, anything with animated scrubbing bubbles or avenging suds.

11:57 AM, January 25, 2008
rev amy said...

Zizmo was over the top, but I think that is what makes this an amazing book. It is fantastic and real at the same time. It is an impossible story yet tells of a true medical condition and explores gender and sexuality in a way that touches on basic human expereince.

Many times reading I felt I needed to know more about Greek mythology and culture to hear all the allusions Cal was making. But it wasn't frustrating, only enticing.

8:30 PM, January 28, 2008
kc said...

Yes, I had the same feeling of wishing I knew more about Greek mythology!

And Zizmo's story is a mixing of the real and fantastic, and it's an extreme example of reinventing identity, which the book is so concerned with.

2:33 PM, January 30, 2008
rev amy said...

it's an extreme example of reinventing identity, which the book is so concerned with.

This is why I hang out with you smart people. I'd hadn't thought of that as a unifying theme, but it is everywhere, now isn't it.

How do you think "reinvention" correlates with the idea of wearing masks? Was Cal's journey about reinvention or discovery of true self?

3:54 PM, January 30, 2008
Erin said...

Interesting questions. I suppose an easy way to reinvent yourself is to put on a mask -- or take one off.

5:03 PM, February 05, 2008

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