Virgin Suicides - Media Depiction and the Cultivation of Fragility and the Etiology of Anorexia Nervosa

Midterm Paper – Food, Behavior, and Eating Disorders

Part I (a, b, c)

Media Depiction of the Cultivation of Fragility and its Involvement in the Etiology of Eating Disorders and the Epidemic of Body Dissatisfaction

The Virgin Suicides, 1999, Sofia Coppola

The Virgin Suicides, 1999, directed by Sofia Coppola, most notably starring Kirsten Dunst, is a film that exemplifies the idealization of female youth and purity. In nineteenth century England and America, women were encouraged to be virginal and ethereal, a “cultivation of fragility” in which women were to not enjoy rich and sensuous foods.

The film (based upon the classic novel of the same name by Jeffery Eugenides) seems as if the premise would be based upon the eventual suicides of the beautiful, blonde, thin, Lisbon girls in their suburban town. However, film actually illustrates the memory these boys have of the Lisbon sisters, and the romanticized infatuation they had for them as teens.

The movie is in a first person narration, offering the viewer a voyeuristic view of the five Lisbon sisters. The narrative style illustrates a sense of obsessive love the boys had for the girls, and not just one boy, the anonymous narrator paints a picture of the girls just being fawned over by many. It may not even solely be the Lisbon sisters, but those girls that some boys had obsessed over as teens that they will never forget. The girls are obsessed over and very beautiful and appear to be very mysterious. Their strictly and religious household kept them barred from the outside world, however this encouraged them to rebel, especially Lux Lisbon, whom would sneak out and would later on become incredibly promiscuous, thriving on the attention of men. They received a lot of attention from men, and Lux for example would set herself up on her front lawn in a bikini to seek such attention.

The movie makes it seem as if they are loved and obsessed over due to their appearance. Mysterious and frail beauty is...