Virgin Suicides: Half-way through

Halfway through the Virgin suicides, I’ve learned to respect the Lisbon sisters. After Cecillia’s death, the book journeys through the aspects of the neighborhood and the alterations and consistencies within the town. The boys become even more interested in the Lisbon family, especially the girls. One scene in particular, depicts the girls’ first day of school after the summer’s tragic event; the girls walk on the campus and through the school with a seemingly exotic air that intrigues both the boys and girls. The group of sisters comes off as strange and bizarre yet very interesting and luring. Many students along with teachers pity, and even admire them. As they would walk around the school, many of the kids dare not to approach them, especially when they walk as a group.  For some reason, the girls are intimidating to the school community.

Later on, some students approach the girls and even acquaint them. One of their common activities includes ditching class and smoking in the girls’ bathroom. Here, one or two of the sister’s friends will attend the sessions.  The narrators or the interviewers state that a girl they interviewed years later had said that the sisters were quite normal teenagers. This is later affirmed again by the boys themselves. On one fortunate day, Trip Fontaine, the hottie and punk of the school dared to ask Mr. Lisbon for permission to go on a group date with the girls. After some sly smooth talking, the protective father agreed. He seemed almost relieved. The night came and Trip and a couple of boys took the girls out to the dance. Here, the boys had the same epiphany that the girls were quite normal or that day they seemed that way. They also realize that as the world was looking in and speculating about the Lisbon family, the family was looking outward at the community too. They were not as secluded and aloof as everyone had thought.

Throughout the book, the narrators do confirm that the other sisters do perform suicide later. Nevertheless, the story continues to illustrate the views of the boys and the overall community presumably to the end. The adults’ and teens’ postulated theories of the family range from ludicrous to possible factors that could have caused the suicides.  These formulated ideas of the family seem almost obsessive, especially the boys’ opinions, but that’s not surprising since tragic death, especially a death of a young girl was not common in this neighborhood.  Another strange aspect of the story is the strained relationships between the family members. The father’s stoically quite manner  and unhappy behavior adds to the somber atmosphere of the story. His isolation in his science classroom and aloofness to community life suggests a plausible influence on the strength on his family life and marriage. In one interview conducted by the narrators, Mr. Lisbon had stated that after the suicides, he and his wife split. He seemed to be quite relieved. The mother’s behavior correlated with the father’s, but instead of his isolationist method, she stowed away in her room, sometimes doing chores, or knitting. At one period, she had actually resisted leaving her room and doing any housework. Her withdrawn attitude reflected an image of a mother who was almost ready to give up. During one period after Cecilla’s death, the family as a collective locked themselves in the house. Their lawn collected a wild vegetation of weeds and wines swarming around and on the house, and excessive leaves lay muddying the front yard.  With these bleak images interconnected, the view of the family is hopeless. Although the boys do confirm that the girls seemed normal, the many illustrations of the seemingly grim family affirms the ending circumstance of the Lisbon family members.