The Lisbon girls all have their eccentricities, like wearing old wedding dresses, keeping lab goggles on in the hall, or protesting the cutting down of the diseased tree in their front yard. Don't all young people have crazy things they enjoy that the grown-ups just don't understand? But something more serious is going on with the Lisbon sisters; you don't kill yourself just because your parents misunderstand you or ignore you or make you go to church. Something else is lurking below the surface, and everyone seems to have a hypothesis about it. Professionals or neighbors, many people weigh in about what's eating the Lisbon sisters. The narrators have a different view; they've seen how "normal" the girls seemed on Homecoming night once they were out of the house. They see the problem as not one of madness inside, but as outside force—their oppressive family and the hopelessness it creates.
Questions About Madness
- Whose explanation of the girls' suicides seems most plausible to you?
- What symptoms does Dr. Hornicker notice about the girls in his analysis?
- When do you think the older sisters decide to follow Cecilia in death?
Chew on This
Suicide, by definition, implies mental illness.
The Lisbon sisters are perfectly sane, but no one wants to accept this.