Structure

Structure

Structure: Section 1.

     In section one it begins with a flash forward unknown to the audience. "On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide- it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese-" (Eugenides 1). Starting off near the end of the story gives the reader an idea of what the plot will be about. Then going into a flash back. "Cecilia, the youngest, only thirteen, had gone first," (Eugenides 1). The dialogue is written in past tense because it's in the past where you see how characters feel (Mostly Cecilia.) in this chapter. "Obviously Doctor, you've never been a thirteen year old girl." (Eugenides 7). This helps revile Cecilia's character develop in a different way by others. Mostly used character develop is used in descriptions. Telling physical descriptions blatantly (Eugenides 8) of Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon and of the girls. Cecilia's is told subtlety and that you can't tell what her actions will be. "Through all this Cecilia remained on her stool." (Eugenides 28). The vagueness of her actions keep the reader wondering what she'll do.

Structure: Section 2.

     Through detail and physical description, we can see how the characters feel. "hands with bitten nails, her rough elbows, the twin prongs of her hips, and even her knees." (Eugenides 39). All of these details show stress Cecilia was under when she was alive by not saying directly how she felt. He always compares the girls to different things instead of people themselves. "mythical creature" (Eugenides 42). Saying that they're some being supports the structure by character development.

Structure: Section 3.

     Eugenides starts to indirectly describe how the Lisbon girls feel with details. "They were having some kind of slumped party. They had pillows all over." (Eugenides 51). After Cecilia dies, you see they want to be alone with each other, isolated. And that they are depressed from the death by not going anywhere

Structure: Section 4.

     The dialogue for Lux brings out her character development by not saying directly on how she copes with the loss and how it moves the story along when she believes shes pregnant. "It'll make us feel close." (Eugenides 149). This shows how she has changed to wanting sex than a relationship. Having the boys thoughts or feelings of the girls, is also something that helps the story and move it forward. "Though some of us saw Lux as a force of nature." (Eugenides 150). This shows how the boys have grown and that these feelings will help the plot move on. To the point that leads to the climax (All the girls deaths.) the boys come to the house based on how the girls have treated them and manipulate them. "We understood we were only pawns," (Eugenides 212). If the boys stayed ignorant than have them already know about being used, the climax could have completely changed by them not going.

Structure: Section 5.

     Now with the resolution, it tells of the girls bodies (Eugenides 210) description on when they killed themselves. Making the mood very gloomy and  sad. Telling how the parents were able to get over the deaths easy with a flash forward. "Our parents seemed better able to do this, returning to their tennis foursomes and cocktail cruises." (Eugenides 23). And at the end showing the last thoughts of the boys, using run- on sentance. "It didn't matter in the end how old they were, of that they had been girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house, with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time, alone in suicide, which is deeper than death, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together." (Eugenides 249)

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