In The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, observation and investigation of life through physical facets prove inadequate in determining reality. As the narrators are forced to discover, infatuation-driven scrutiny leads to a flawed account of truth. The "acquainted" Lisbon sisters are found to be complete strangers, as visual depiction proves superficial in a world of personal contemplation and secretive being. Unable to sound the lives of the analyzed subjects, the obsessed narrators must fathom the sisters' clandestine existence via insufficient means of voyeurism.
             From the novel's onset, it becomes apparent of the narrator's distant but dissecting observation. It is immediately interpreted that the boys had developed a keen interest in the Lisbon sisters. "...We had a lot of time to watch them... the five glittering daughters in their homemade dresses, all lace and ruffle, bursting with their fructifying flesh" (Eugenides, p. 8). Detailed annotations exhibit the narrators' deep adoration for their appealing neighbors. The Lisbon isolation and authoritative oppression appears to be a source of intrigue for the boys; resulting in a fascination and desire to discern their enigmatic veracity.
             Following Cecilia's suicide, the boys use means of behavioral analysis and physical inquiry to gain insight on the thoughts of the remaining sisters.
             "Added to their loveliness was a new mysterious suffering, perfectly silent, visible in the blue puffiness beneath their eyes or the way they would sometimes stop mid-stride, look down, and shake their heads as though disagreeing with life. Grief made them wander." (p.52)
             They study and interpret every observable detail of the girls' lives, making assumptions about their personal reflections and emotions without auditory confirmation. Never do they approach the questioned subjects for inquiry, as supposition becomes a ...