Analysis of Virgin Suicides - Term Paper Example

Analysis of Virgin Suicides Suicides were once considered to be taboo as people tended to avoid that sensitive topic. Most probably beliefs, traditions and religions deny the access to the issue as the life is already involved. Once suicide is done, there is almost no point of return to the physical world or the once considered by many as the reality. Reality is then subjected to various interpretations as people hold different beliefs and opinions about it. It is important as it serves as the basis behind the motivation or actions of people. In the case of the novel entitled Virgin Suicides, the reason behind the actions of the central characters were dipped in mystery as the narrators were not able to unveil fully the motives of the gruesome suicides that came upon the house of the Lisbons. The paper will explore how truth-seeking is important to the society like transparency and honesty for a better life as the novel reflects the distortions of truth-seeking as those problems arise in the truth-seeking done in the society. The truth in reality may become distorted unless direct confrontation is done because people have the tendency to have biases and unconsciously add make changes to the truth they see. It will then be analyzed for its significance in the reality of the outside world and how people cope up with challenges in their lives. Truth may become distorted in reality as the information is passed on from an individual to another as they may add their own interpretations and opinions. They may also omit some important parts of the truth rendering the information to be half-truth or false already. Grapevine may be used as a starting point when one is seeking for the truth, but he must be careful about the reliability of grapevine as opinions may distort the truth (Muema 20). The ulterior motive is what people look for when they search for the truth which may be hidden from the eyes of others in reality (Almaas 128). Grapevines show how speculation is done and how it is problematic as it does not only pervert the truth but also misjudge the people involve. People may put in some of their own stories and add colors to the events and situations without the consent of the people involve (Kushal 71). It is mainly dependent upon the perspective of the observers, but the accuracy is not ensured if it is just based on pure opinions that shroud the reality. Virgin Suicides as the name implies pertains to a gruesome event that occurred in the story. Just with the title, it captivates the attention of people about various issues that are actually happening in the society. Enriched with mysteries, the novel surely makes its reader puzzled. It explores how the Lisbon sisters end their lives for unknown reasons. It shows various instances of truth-seeking coming from the characters throughout the storyline. The accounts of the “truth” regarding the lives of the Lisbons are contained in the perspectives of the neighborhood boys who are able to acquire the things owned by the Lisbon sisters from bra to makeup and other objects that are fascinating to the teenage girls. They even have a shrine for the girls in the form of a tree house where they store the mementos of the girls (Eugenides 246). They dared to create the memories about the Lisbon girls like putting together some puzzle pieces. In the process, it is difficult as the existence of the Lisbon sisters were many years ago and the truth-seeking of the neighborhood boys now at their middle-age are not as eager as their desire to know those girls way back in their teenage years. Eugenides use the style of having a collective narrative perspective shows how the pluralistic form that the narrator possesses depict the conflict within the neighborhood boys by introducing them one by one. The unreliability flourishes as they have different perspectives as individuals. Eugenides considers the boys as impossible voices as they have the voyeuristic pursuit to get close to the Lisbon daughters that become a big struggle between the narrator and the readers as the latter must see through the gaps and flashbacks given by the neighborhood boys as they share their memories about the girls (Wilhite 271). They do that to unveil the very core of the tragedy that hit the house of the Lisbons (Eugenides 245). The truth-seeking in that particular situation may be attributed to the neighborhood boy when they become middle-age men. They have a hard time remembering the details about the lives of the girls. It shows how memory of people may become vague as time passes by especially if they do not have the open communication with the people in their memories. At the same time, the girls have passed away a long time ago when the neighborhood boys are already grown-up and they spend their everyday lives without the presence of the Lisbon girls. Another truth-seeking is in the case of the Lisbon girls when they have been taken out from school by their strict mother (Eugenides 143). Mrs. Lisbon is a strict traditional Catholic who enforces the practices upon her children (Eugenides 177). Probably the girls would like to find the truth behind the conditions implemented by their mother that lead to their decision of committing suicide. They have been locked away from the society and they do not have the access from the outside world. That act of selfish protection as Mrs. Lisbon claim it to be a time for recovery just worsens the conditions of the girls as they want to explore and know more about the outside world. It is a natural tendency of teenagers to explore as they want to learn and curiosity drives them. They are in search for the truth which cannot be answered by simply telling them all along. It is the experience that can satisfy their curiosity (Wright 143). The application in reality may be the importance of looking for own happiness and identity which may be restricted by the rigidness of the prevailing traditional social system and norms. It may be linked to the youth rebellion of the Sixties and the rise of the civil rights movement where people challenged the norms despite of the sacrifices they experienced like the deaths of the civil movement leaders and the criticisms of the older generations bounded by traditions (Harrell and Gaustad 1052). The boys are still unsuccessful in fully understanding the girls despite of their interest with the Lisbons as they try to peek at them and observed their activities. Their pursuit for the truth about the Lisbon sisters is covered by the way each of them “pictured the Lisbon girls amid the stock scenery of […] impoverished imaginations,” (Eugenides 123). They were also unsure whom to choose as their dates among the Lisbon girls when “the boys weren’t even sure which girl was which,” (Eugenides 122). It is then shown that knowing somebody else is not an easy task as the only way to understand them is to be with them and confront them directly. No matter how many times other people make some intellectual deductions and hypotheses behind any action, the accuracy will not be perfect unless the person involved shared her motives directly (Fuller 259). The boys make use of voyeurism to get the glimpse and views of the Lisbon sisters as those boys fantasize them. Perhaps they want to know more about those girls and their existence. In the series of voyeur acts, the neighborhood boys show their own ways of truth-seeking. For teenagers, it may be a normal thing for them to do as they are driven by curiosity but overshadowed by their own imaginations and dreams (Gluck 33). That shows how people in reality are becoming superficial and focus less on the deeper aspects of life in knowing. They even start talking about other people based on what they perceive instead of getting to know them better (Xavier 187). Another form of truth-seeking is the acts done by Lux as she goes against the rules set forth by Mrs. Lisbon. She hangs out with delinquents, smokes cigarettes and experiences sex with random guys on the roof of the Lisbon house as she “confused the sexual act with love. For her, sex became as substitute for comfort she needed,” (Eugenides 88). She starts her venture when she has experience with Trip who is a neighborhood heartthrob (Eugenides 84). At the same time, Trip also has a truth-seeking venture when he has sex with other women, drives a shiny car, takes and sells drugs (Eugenies 75). Sadly, their truth-seeking acts end sadly as Lux is dead and Trip undergoes detoxification at his mid-age. Probably Eugenides included the scenarios regarding substance abuse, sex and rebellion as reflected upon the past decades like Sixties and Seventies showing how youth struggled in search for their identities while questioning the tradition. Also the emerging culture reflects the American dream and how they happened in reality. Related to the knowing of other people by direct confrontation, one factor that veil the truth or deeper understanding upon the motives of people is the social ritual of creating the atmosphere of happiness (Lear 55). It is shown in the form of Mr. Lisbon showcasing the Christmas decors of his family in the midst of the recent suicide of Cecilia (Eugenides 175). Also the pamphlets with “dark green with white lettering” on teenage suicide were distributed as the “local Chamber of Commerce […] thought green was cheerful. But not too cheerful” as the president of the organization stated that “Green was also serious,” (Eugenides 98). Another action regarding the superfluous happiness and help was the removal of the fence conducted by the neighborhood folks (Eugenides 53). Those occurrences emphasize the outside obsession of people regarding happiness as it is more important than the reason or the causality. In search for the truth, the norms and traditions about happiness may vague the real essence of finding and understanding the reality behind the superfluous image they see. It is also very ironic for joy to be achieved as the outer part is the only concern and not the inner and long term like in the case of Lux and Trip wherein both indulged in drugs and sex for immediate gratification that resulted to long-term rehabilitation for Trip and early death for Lux. In reality, the gruesome consequences may be avoided by proper guidance given to the youths especially the teenagers without suppressing their freedom. The tendency of teenagers once the parental control become dictatorial, they will just do the prohibited acts and go against the authority of their parents The analyst of the novel would like to point out that knowing others start from knowing oneself and by immersing oneself in place of the other people for mutual understanding. Outside evaluations and observations may be proven right at times, but it does not reflect the whole content of the situation. Truth-seeking is then part of the motivation of people as driven by curiosity and hoping to know more. Direct confrontation shows how speculations may be proven right or wrong as the truth will only be revealed ultimately by experiencing the situation and asking the people involve. Works Cited Almaas, A. Spacecruiser Inquiry. USA: Shambhala Publications, 2002. Print. Eugenides, Jeffrey. The Virgin Suicides Paper Back Edition. Great Britain: Bloomsbury, 2002. Print. Fuller, Mati. Beyond the Veil of Delusions, Understanding Relationships through Homeopathy. USA: Bigger Vision, 2007. Print. Gluck, Jeremy. a. United Kingdom: Chipmunkapublishing, 2008. Print. Harrell, David and Edwin Gaustad. Unto A Good Land: A History Of The American People. USA: Eerdsman Publishing, 205. Print. Kushall, Sri Jin. Business Communication. New Delhi: VK India Enterprises, 2010. Print. Lear, Jonathan. Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation. USA: Harvard College, 2006. Print. Muema, Thomas. Effects of Poor Communication in an Organization: Case of Kenya Seed Company. USA: Grin Verlag, 2012. Print. Wilhite, Keith. Framing Suburbia: United States Literature and the Postwar Suburban Region, 1945-2002. USA: ProQuest, 2007. Print. Wright, James. The Sexualization of America's Kids: And How to Stop It. USA: Writer’s Club Press, 2001. Print. Xavier, N. Fulfilling Heart and Soul: Meeting Psychological and Spiritual Needs With Conscience. USA: Author House, 2007. Print. Read More