Virgin Suicides Madness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"Ceci told us all about your tests. I'm just not in the mood right now."

"What kind of mood are you in?"

"No mood. I'm just kind of tired is all."

"Not getting enough sleep?"

"I sleep all the time." (4.41-45)

Again it's hard to read Lux's behavior. Is she suffering from mental distress or is she just being a moody teenager? She doesn't feel like talking to the doctor that tested her sister (and keep in mind that sister still killed herself), but can you really blame her? Her sleep habits are alarming though. Sleep disturbance, as Dr. Hornicker knows even if he's a fictional character, is a major symptom of serious depression. Not sleeping or sleeping all the time—both are danger signs.

Quote #5

"She was in deep denial," Dr. Hornicker told us later. "She was obviously not sleeping—a textbook symptom of depression—and was pretending that her problem, and by association her sister Cecilia's problem, was of no real consequence." Dr. Finch came in with the test results soon after that, and Lux jumped happily off the cot. "But even her delight had a manic quality to it. She bounced off the walls." (4.51)

Dr. Hornicker believes that Lux is denying her own pain over Cecilia's death, and he's decided that she's indeed depressed. His use of the term "manic" suggests he thinks Lux might have bipolar disorder. That makes sense when you think of her compulsive sexual behavior. Hypersexuality is sometimes a symptom of mania. Lux seems to feel that if she can minimize her own problems, then she can pretend she's coping okay with losing Cecilia.

Quote #6

Citing a recent study by Dr. Judith Weisberg that examined "the bereavement process of adolescents who have lost a sibling by suicide" (see List of Funded Studies), Dr. Hornicker gave an explanation for the Lisbon girls' erratic behavior—their withdrawal, their sudden fits of emotion or catatonia. The report maintained that as a result of Cecilia's suicide the surviving Lisbon girls suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (4.52)

The narrators sound like an academic article here, citing their sources in ways that would bring tears of admiration to your psychology professor's eyes. Dr. Hornicker uses psychological research to try to make sense of the Lisbon girls. It seems that their symptoms are not unique, but rather common in surviving siblings of suicides. The way the narrators present this information—clinical, unemotional—suggests they're not happy with this explanation. It doesn't do justice to the sisters' suffering.