I have selected a short passage from The Virgin Suicides and found it suitable to contrast with the famous painting of The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
“Still, while everyone agreed the suicides came as predictably as seasons or old age, we could never agree on an explanation for them. The final suicides seemed to confirm Dr. Hornicker’s theory that the girls’ had been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but Dr. Hornicker later distanced himself from that conclusion. Even if Cecelia’s death led to copycatting, that still didn’t explain why Cecilia had killed herself in the first place” (pg. 220)
Let’s start with the Mona Lisa:
The Mona Lisa and the five Lisbon sisters in The Virgin Suicides are similar in the sense that they are both enigmatic, eternally guarding their motivations and emotions from the world. However, the character in The Mona Lisa is very self-possessed, completely in contrast with the Lisbon girls. The Mona Lisa, a portrait of a woman by the famous Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, is known for being enigmatic and mysterious. It is difficult to interpret what she is thinking. She possesses a misleading and deceiving smile, shielding her true emotions and state of mind from the outside world that is trying to read her. This is directly similar to all five of the Lisbon sisters. Each of the girls was exceptionally enigmatic and secretive. As much as people tried to read them, no one was ever able to truly understand the thoughts and emotions that those girl’s experienced. The passage reveals that no one in the neighborhood had a clue as to why the girls’ did what they did. Much like the Mona Lisa, different individuals had their own thoughts, theories, and assumptions on the Lisbon girls’ intentions, but that is all they were: thoughts, theories, and assumptions. No one knew anything for certain, and no one would ever find out. The Lisbon Girls’ and the Mona Lisa are very similar as both characters’ emotions are forever hidden within them, never to be revealed to bystanders. The case of the cause of the Lisbon girls’ suicides will forever remain unresolved due to the fact that the only five girls that can reveal the secret are dead. Similarly, the true intentions of The Mona Lisa will also remain hidden forever due to the fact that the artist who created her is dead and therefore, will never be able to reveal the secret. The whole neighborhood was left in the dark about the sisters’ emotions and actions. Even one possible plausible theory made by Dr. Hornicker was later withdrawn. Although many people
