--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide…" description: "\"We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter does it--that makes no sense. What my yia ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg" --- # We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us… ![“We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter does it--that makes no sense. What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time.” -Mrs. Karafilis” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg) > “We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter does it--that makes no sense. What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time.” -Mrs. Karafilis” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects cultural differences in emotional expression, highlighting how Greek melancholy contrasts with American forced happiness, especially in tragic contexts. **In simple terms:** Cultural clash over showing emotions. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect diverse emotional norms. Themes culture emotion identity family grief Mood melancholy reflective Type observational cultural When to use this quote - family gatherings - holiday traditions - immigrant experiences - mental health discussions Key Concepts cultural relativism emotional authenticity diaspora Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural expectations shape personal grief? - Can we balance authenticity with social norms? A Different Perspective Not all cultures value constant positivity; some view it as denial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Christmas lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-lights/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Greeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greeks/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moody/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Virgin suicides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virgin-suicides/) ## Related quotes > [“We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter does it—that makes no sense.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-makes-sense-to-us-putting-up-2/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/what-my-yia-yia-could-never-understand-about-america-was-why-everyone/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I'm probably less moody than people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-m-probably-less-moody-than-people-think/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [When I wrote The Virgin Suicides, I gave myself very strict rules about the narrative voice: the boys would only be able to report…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/when-i-wrote-the-virgin-suicides-i-gave-myself-very-strict-rules/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [At night the cries of cats making love or fighting, their caterwauling in the dark, told us that the world was pure emotion, flung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/at-night-the-cries-of-cats-making-love-or-fighting-their-caterwauling/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Virgin suicide What was that she cried? No use in stayin' On this holocaust ride She gave me her cherry She's my virgin suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/virgin-suicide-what-was-that-she-cried-no-use-in-stayin-on-this/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [ “\[...\] and the love he felt at that moment, truer than all subsequent loves because it never had to survive.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-the-love-he-felt-at-that-moment-truer-than-all-subsequent-loves/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew, finally, that the girls were really women in disguise, that they understood love and even death, and that our job was merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-finally-that-the-girls-were-really-women-in-disguise-that/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [What are you doing here, honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets." (...) "Obviously, Doctor," she said, "you've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/what-are-you-doing-here-honey-you-re-not-even-old-enough-to-know-how/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Withen 5 minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-withen-5-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“And all goes onward and outward, nothing collapses, / and to die is different from that anyone supposed, and luckier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-all-goes-onward-and-outward-nothing-collapses-and-to-die-is/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We realized that the version of the world they rendered for us was not the version of the world they really believed in...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-realized-that-the-version-of-the-world-they-rendered-for-us-was/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [During a warm winter rain ... the basins of her collarbones collected water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/during-a-warm-winter-rain-the-basins-of-her-collarbones-collected/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“So you want to commit suicide,huh? Why? Life doesn't compel you to choose that way.Generally People makes you commit suicide.And those who makes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riyadh-razzaq/so-you-want-to-commit-suicide-huh-why-life-doesn-t-compel-you-to/) Riyadh Razzaq > [“Your suicide makes the lives of those who outlive you more intense. Should they be threatened by boredom, or tshould the absurdity of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douard-lev/your-suicide-makes-the-lives-of-those-who-outlive-you-more-intense/) [Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter does it--that makes no sense. What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time.” -Mrs. Karafilis", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-makes-sense-to-us-putting-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-makes-sense-to-us-putting-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6af/jeffrey-eugenides-462_america_we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-mak_583532.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We Greeks are a moody people. Suicide makes sense to us. Putting up Christmas lights after your own daughter…” — Jeffrey Eugenides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We Greeks are a moody people....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-makes-sense-to-us-putting-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-greeks-are-a-moody-people-suicide-makes-sense-to-us-putting-up/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```