Postmodernism in "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Like we can clearly notice all throughout the novel entitled The Virgin Suicides and written by Jeffrey Eugenides, the basic perspective on religion is that it has lost its power. It can no longer save people from their own decay. This idea is presented to us from the very beginning. Thus, we are told that Cecilia, in her first and failed suicidal attempt, was found in the tub, with cut wrists and a holding a picture of the Virgin Mary "against her budding chest." Virgin Mary is generally an indicator of the Catholic faith (since the setting of this story is Detroit, U.S. and there aren't many Orthodox there). But we could not interpret Cecilia's gesture as a Catholic's desire to be reunited with her celestial mother since, like we have previously commented, suicide is considered an unpardonable sin by the Catholic doctrine. The Protestants are less rigid in this respect, part of them stating that suicide can be forgiven, because at the moment when the person comes to believe in forgiveness through Christ, all his/her past, present or future sins are forgiven. And therefore even suicide can be forgiven (in advance, even). And this is not the only aspect in the novel in which Catholics seem to be "infested" with elements from the Protestant, opposite side. Mrs. Lisbon, although such a fervent Catholic, listens to Protestant songs. But this only serves the idea of relativism. One thing is true, but its opposite is also accepted. Or they could both be equally wrong.
At any rate, this only serves to show that each thing in the novel that initially appeared to be the final answer is later on contradicted in a way or another. Cecilia for instance, with all her aura of spirituality, with her completely de-materialized appearance, still does not hold to one perspective only. It is this blurred perspective on spirituality that is very typical for the postmodern trend. She is "Postmodernly" eclectic in her views, I might say: she listens to Celtic-i.e. Pre-Christian music-all the time, her room is interestingly, artistically decorated with a mixture of religious items such as crucifixes and rosaries, and also panties and a mobile zodiac. Cecilia is at the same time very much concerned with nature and suffers along with the dying trees that are about to be cut down at the local authorities' request. She seems pantheistic in her love for dying trees. And her interest in zodiacs and magic is revealing of her pagan interests. Could we interpret her suicidal gesture as a proof of her belief in reincarnation? That after her death, her soul will be reincarnated into such a dying tree, saving its life? Of course, this is only one of the many speculations one could make in order to explain her motivation for putting an end to her own life at the very early age of 13. The fact is the novel is written in such a way that the reader is not only allowed to choose his/her own answers from a set presented to him/her by the writer, but also come up with his/her own interpretation of things and controversial details.
Despite this openness of viewpoint, the reader is inclined, or maybe directed by the author, to take Cecilia's side. Indeed, one of the interesting things in this novel is the breaking of the usual pattern concerning who is right, who is wiser and more mature. Thus, parents, grown-ups are completely wrong, superficial and unable to grasp the true nature and meaning of things around them, whereas teenagers are the ones who hold the truth (or truths). The Lisbon girls have the stature of prophets announcing a decaying future for their suburb, their city, and the whole world. They sensed it so powerfully that they chose to never have to face it in real life.
The "collective voice" of those boys who were in love with the Lisbon girls gave one interpretation to their gesture as being "a simple reasoned refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws." Of course, the meaning of this affirmation could be that they were seen as perfect by those boys, too perfect to live in the actual world, and because of that the Lisbon girls had chosen to leave it for the better world.
