Why did the Lisbon Sisters kill themselves? The end of virgin suicides explained

The Virgin Suicides The ending is somewhat open-ended, leaving many asking, “Why did the Lisbon sisters kill themselves?“. Set in a quiet 1970s Michigan suburb, the film follows the lives of the Lisbon sisters, led by Lux (Spider-Man(Kirsten Dunst), through the eyes of the neighborhood boys, who remain in love and haunted by their memories. This haunting narrative explores themes of youth, control, freedom, and the enigmatic essence of life and death, leaving a lasting impact. The film’s legacy lies in its ability to resonate deeply with themes of loss and the elusive nature of understanding another’s inner world.

Based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, the story navigates the constrained lives of the five Lisbon sisters under the strict supervision of their parents in a narrative full of longing and mystery. The atmosphere that Lost in translation Director Sofia Coppola’s creation is one of palpable tension and suffocating control, depicting the inevitable crumbling of the sisters’ spirits under the weight of their parents’ restrictions. This scenario sets the stage for a tragic conclusionwhere the sisters, with seemingly no escape, make a collective decision to end their lives, a choice that remains as baffling as it is devastating.

What happens at the end of virgin suicides

The Lisbon Sisters Die By Suicide In Collective

The story, having chronicled the sisters’ lives under oppressive guardianship, culminates in a moving ending. After a series of events that further isolated them from their peers and each other, the sisters decide to die by suicide in a collective and premeditated act. The boys, who had been watching from afar, hoping to understand or perhaps save them, arrive too late, finding the sisters in a tragic picture that seals their fate as eternal mysteries. This ending also serves as a somber reflection on the themes of imprisonment, despair, and the impact of isolation on the human spirit.

The deaths of the Lisbon Sisters are the result of their entrapment

The sisters lived under the strict control of their parents

The trap experienced by the Lisbon sisters forms the core of their tragic destiny. Living under the strict control of their parents, the sisters are portrayed as ethereal figures trapped in an existence that stifles their desires, individuality, and connection to the outside world. This intense supervision and isolation from social norms and the interactions serve as a double-edged sword, protecting them from perceived corruption in the outside world, but simultaneously imprisoning them within their own home. The psychological and emotional impact is portrayed through the sisters’ increasingly desperate actions and their ultimate decision to escape the only way they consider possible.

This trap is not just physical, but deeply psychological, permeating the very essence of their being and shaping their perception of the world around them. The lack of freedom to explore, grow and make autonomous decisions leads to a deep sense of despair and hopelessness, which, together with his inability to imagine a future beyond his immediate environment, catalyzes his tragic end. The sisters’ deaths can be seen as a final act of defiance, a means of asserting control over their lives in the face of unbearable confinement and of escaping a world that offers them no means of expression.

The decomposing house is a symbolic representation of the confinement of the Lisbon family

The property is a physical manifestation of the sisters’ isolation

The Lisbon family home, a decaying house, remains a powerful symbol within The Virgin Suicidesmirroring the internal disintegration of the family and the psychological confinement of the sisters. As the film progresses, the house that was once a symbol of suburban respectability deteriorates into a physical manifestation of family isolation and the oppressive nature of their existence. This decline parallels the gradual loss of hope and vitality within the sisters, emphasizing the toxic environment that contributes to their tragic decision. The house, with its barred windows and abandoned garden, reflects the suffocating control exercised by the Lisbon parents.

The house, in a state of degradation, serves as a a constant reminder of the futility of parents’ attempts to preserve their daughters’ innocenceultimately showing how these efforts can lead to devastating results. The home becomes a metaphor for the family itself – seemingly immaculate, but internally crumbling under the weight of its own restrictions. This decay is not just physical, but emotional and spiritual, representing the slow erosion of the sisters’ will to live under such oppressive conditions.

Why the story is told from the perspective of everyone but the Libson sisters

The Virgin Suicides explores the ways in which people can ignore the struggles of others

One of the most compelling narrative choices in The Virgin Suicides it’s the decision to tell the story from everyone’s perspective except the Lisbon sisters themselves. This approach creates a sense of mystery and longing, as the public is kept at a distance, as are the neighborhood kids who can only speculate about the sisters’ inner lives. The distinctive narrative technique emphasizes the theme of misunderstanding and the inherent difficulty of truly knowing another person. By denying direct access to the sisters’ thoughts, Coppola highlights the complexity of the human psyche and the limitations of perception.​​​​​​​

This also serves to highlight the objectification and idealization of the Lisbon sisters, portraying them as ethereal figures, almost mythical in the eyes of their observers. The narrative gap between the sisters’ lived experiences and the boys’ perceptions of those experiences illustrates the dangers of romanticizing others without understanding their reality. Reflects on how society often views troubled individuals through a lens that simplifies or ignores their suffering, focusing instead on their mystique. By keeping the sisters’ perspectives open-ended, the film invites viewers to confront their assumptions and consider the countless ways in which people can ignore others’ struggles.

The Meaning Behind the Virgin Suicides’ Rotten Tree

The removal of the tree reflects tendencies to prioritize appearances over real problems

The rotten tree in The Virgin Suicides serves as a critical symbol in the film, embodying the themes of decadence, abandonment and the suffocating atmosphere of the Lisbon family. Positioned prominently in the sisters’ front yard, the tree is a constant, looming presence that reflects the family’s downward spiral. Its removal, demanded by the neighborhood as a safety concern, functions as a metaphor for the community’s attempt to sanitize or remove visible signs of decay without addressing the underlying issues that cause such deterioration.

The decay of the tree symbolizes the widespread rot within the Lisbon family, a rot that extends beyond the physical environment to infect the emotional and psychological well-being of its members. It reflects the consequences of a life lived in confinement, devoid of the natural growth, exploration and freedom necessary for healthy development. Furthermore, the community’s reaction to the tree – focusing on its removal rather than the health of the family it represents – highlights social trends of prioritizing appearances over content, empathic involvement with those who are struggling.

The true meaning of the end of virgin suicides

Challenges viewers to consider their roles as observers in other people’s lives

The end of The Virgin Suicides transcends the literal tragedy of the Lisbon sisters’ suicides to offer a profound commentary on the themes of isolation, control, and the elusive nature of understanding. Serves as a poignant reminder of the complexity of human emotions and the depths of despair that can be hidden behind the facade of a seemingly normal life. The sisters’ decision to end their lives is a tragic assertion of agency in a world where they felt powerless and voiceless, highlighting the terrible consequences of extreme isolation and control.

The Virgin Suicides‘the conclusion stimulates reflection on the part of the public, challenging viewers to consider their roles as observers in other people’s lives. It questions the adequacy of our efforts to truly understand and connect with those around us, suggesting that genuine empathy requires more than superficial engagement. The true meaning of the film’s ending lies in its call to recognize the intricate and often hidden struggles of individuals and approach them with a deeper sense of compassion and understanding.

In its haunting beauty and complexity, The Virgin Suicides leaves an indelible mark on its audience, offering a narrative that is as enigmatic as it is tragic. Through exploring the lives and deaths of the Lisbon sisters, the film invites viewers to contemplate the delicate interplay between appearance and reality, freedom and confinement, and the profound impact of human connection – or lack thereof.

How The Virgin Suicides Ending Was Received

Fans debated the sisters’ suicides

Critics and viewers praised The Virgin Suicides, with a critical score on Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh at 80% and the audience score on Popcornmeter was 81%. An audience reviewer in Rotten tomatoes wrote about the ending, “The climax of the film was not unexpected, but the way it was done made the film work. The unfolding of events occurred naturally and added a lot of realism to the film..” Roger Ebert also reviewed the film, addressing what he sees as the true meaning:

“When the Lisbon girls kill themselves, don’t blame their strange parents for their deaths. Grieve for the passing of everyone you knew and everyone you were with the last summer before sex. Grieve for the idealism of inexperience.​​​​​​ ​.. The story that reminds me most, in fact, is Picnic at Hanging Rock… The lack of any explanation is the point: For those who are left behind, they are preserved forever in the perfection they possessed when they were last seen time.”

The Reddit threads started with people discussing the reasoning behind the suicides. One of them had the OP showing a misunderstanding about the ending of the film, thinking it was just about the suicides. Editor Arckanold explained: “The film is not about the Lisbon sisters, but about the way the people around them looked at them and objectified them. That’s why we only know two sisters, the youngest, because we have her diary and Lux, because we have Trip’s retelling. The other sisters remain shadows because the boys are afraid to meet them.”

However, this has not stopped people from interpreting what suicides mean in The Virgin Suicides. Editor CitizenSunshine he wrote, “In short, they are only seen as passive objects to be conquered and consumed (“They will only draw us”), when the only thing they want is to be truly loved. Home is equally depressing. They didn’t want to die. They simply didn’t see anything else worth living in life.“