The Lisbon family are the only ones on their street who attend church. The devout Catholic mother tries to keep her five daughters in line, only allowing them to attend church and school after they're grounded. So religion becomes a punishment for the girls, and, after their deaths, an unsatisfying source of comfort for their parents. Religion is, at best, useless in the novel and, at worst, a destructive force in the Lisbon family. Eugenides has said that he intended the book's title to refer to the Virgin Mary, but he doesn't write much about the girls' own religious beliefs or practices except for a few references to Bonnie's piety or Lux's rebelliousness.
Many kids rebel against the parents' religious practices, but Shmoop will venture a guess that for most religious families, their faith is something that brings them closer and makes them happier and more engaged with a community of believers. Not so with the Lisbons. They're still isolated and miserable.
In the novel, religion and sex are sometimes seen as at odds, and at times related. The imagery of Lux's bra hanging on Cecilia's crucifix is a good example of how these themes are intertwined.
Questions About Religion
- Do any of the daughters seem to have respect for religion in the novel?
- Why do you think the girls communicate using the Mary cards? What does it mean?
- Why does Mrs. Lisbon refuse to see Father Moody after Cecilia's death?
Chew on This
Religion is a source of order and comfort for the Lisbons.
The repressive religious beliefs of their mother contribute to the Lisbon girls' deaths.