Jeffrey Eugenides’ debut novel, The Virgin Suicides, and its subsequent film adaptation by Sofia Coppola, present a haunting narrative centered on the enigmatic suicides of the five Lisbon sisters. Set in a 1970s suburban neighborhood, the story delves into themes of adolescence, isolation, and the elusive nature of understanding. The collective suicide of the Lisbon sisters has left readers and viewers grappling with the question: Why did they take their own lives? This article explores the multifaceted factors contributing to their tragic decision, drawing from literary analyses and psychological perspectives.
The Oppressive Environment of the Lisbon Household
The Lisbon sisters—Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese—are raised in a strict, religious household under the vigilant eyes of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon. Mrs. Lisbon, in particular, enforces rigid rules, limiting the girls’ social interactions and personal freedoms. This oppressive environment fosters a sense of isolation and entrapment. As noted in The Virgin Suicides study guide by SparkNotes, “Mrs. Lisbon reacts strongly to cracks in her totalitarian regime, responding to Lux’s breaking curfew on Homecoming by withdrawing the girls from school entirely and locking them in the house ‘to recover.'”
The Catalyst: Cecilia’s Suicide
The youngest sister, Cecilia, is the first to attempt suicide by slitting her wrists. After surviving this initial attempt, she later succeeds by jumping from the second-story window onto a fence post. Cecilia’s death serves as a catalyst, intensifying the family’s isolation and the sisters’ sense of despair. According to LitCharts, “Cecilia ultimately survives this suicide attempt, but she doesn’t live long. During a party that her parents throw… Cecilia goes upstairs and jumps to her death from the second floor, impaling herself on a fence post below.”
The Impact of Social Isolation
Following Cecilia’s death, the remaining sisters become increasingly secluded. Their withdrawal from school and social activities exacerbates their isolation, leading to a deteriorating mental state. The neighborhood boys, who narrate the story, observe the sisters’ decline but remain powerless to intervene. As highlighted by SparkNotes, “Once Mr. Lisbon’s trips to school cease, the Lisbon house becomes completely desolate. No one ever leaves, the lights rarely go on, and the grocer stops delivering groceries.”
The Symbolism of the Elm Blight
Eugenides employs the metaphor of the elm blight—a disease affecting the neighborhood’s trees—to parallel the sisters’ plight. Just as the trees succumb to the blight, the sisters are overwhelmed by their circumstances. This symbolism underscores the inevitability of decay and the fragility of life. As discussed in an article by Looper, “The plight of the sisters is framed as a similar consequence of the suburban experience.”
The Role of the Community
The suburban community, characterized by its conformity and superficiality, fails to recognize or address the underlying issues within the Lisbon household. The neighbors’ passive observation and gossip contribute to the sisters’ sense of alienation. The New Yorker reflects on this dynamic, stating, “In one of the great feats of voice, ‘The Virgin Suicides’ is narrated by a Greek chorus of unnamed men, looking back on their adolescence and the suicides of five girls in their Michigan suburb.”
Psychological Perspectives
From a psychological standpoint, the sisters’ suicides can be viewed through the lens of shared trauma and the phenomenon of suicide contagion. Dr. Hornicker, a psychiatrist in the novel, diagnoses the remaining sisters with post-traumatic stress disorder and warns of the high incidence of repetitive suicide in a single family. This perspective is supported by SparkNotes, which notes, “Dr. Hornicker writes a second report on the Lisbon girls, diagnosing the remaining sisters with post-traumatic stress disorder and warning of the high incidence of repetitive suicide in a single family.”
The Elusiveness of Understanding
Despite various analyses, the true motivations behind the Lisbon sisters’ suicides remain ambiguous. Eugenides intentionally leaves their inner thoughts and feelings largely unexplored, emphasizing the limitations of external observation. This narrative choice reflects the broader theme of the unknowability of others’ inner lives. As the neighborhood boys admit, “We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing which colors went together.”
Conclusion
The suicides of the Lisbon sisters in The Virgin Suicides are the result of a complex interplay of familial oppression, social isolation, community neglect, and psychological trauma. Eugenides crafts a narrative that resists simple explanations, compelling readers to confront the enigmatic nature of human suffering and the limitations of understanding. Through this haunting tale, the novel serves as a poignant exploration of the fragility of adolescence and the profound impact of environment and community on individual well-being.
