“Suicide- The act
or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally
especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind. The individual
is in control of their fate.”
In suicide, it is often thought, as this definition says, that the
person who is considering taking their own life has the power to give up or go
through with their plan. Others around them have no influence in their decision
when the moment actually comes. But for Hannah Baker in “Thirteen Reasons Why”
the decision to kill herself was correlated far beyond her inner emotions. CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago
The
story, “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher introduces and elaborates on many
topics that are troubling to read. Through the main character, Hannah Baker,
the author illustrates the ongoing struggles of depression and suicide that the
book deals with. The author depicts this best through quotes in the tapes that
Hannah has left behind for certain individuals to discover after she has taken
her own life. Hannah sends out 13 tapes to people who were involved in her suicide,
and it is in these tapes that the quotes riddled with trouble and confusion are
most present. Through the point of view of Clay, a boy who received a tape, we
are exposed into the Hannah’s world and what was going through her mind when she
thought about killing herself. We are given a point of view on how characters
like Clay and others who’ve received the tapes are dealing with the grief and
guilt that comes through these messages. Overall, there are many things
troubling to read within “Thirteen Reasons Why”, and the author shows this most
through quotes of Hannah Baker.
Jay Asher shows Hannah’s sorrows and depression, and
therefore most troubling moments, through quotes. To start off, in the
beginning of the story, we are introduced to Hannah’s life at home. She talks
about how she began to feel unsafe even in her own home. “We all know the sound
a camera makes when it snaps a picture. Even some of the digitals do it for
nostalgias sake. And I always keep my window open, about an inch or two, to let
in fresh air. Which is how I knew someone was standing outside.” Without even
thinking deeper about this quote it is obvious to why this scene is very
troubling. The idea of the main character being stalked within her own home is
very creepy and scary to read, but this becomes even more troubling when
figuring out there is a correlation between this moment and Hannah’s suicide.
This quote allows readers to be connected to the main character in seeing her
in her most vulnerable state of mind through her first hand quotes. The author
uses quotes as a technique to better establish the main character’s interior
and exterior troubles.
Additionally, towards the middle of the story, we learn
about Hannah’s biggest fears and insecurities through quotes the author
provides. At this part of the story, Hannah is sharing a traumatic experience
she underwent after a regular day at her school. She sets the scene at a local
candy store she would always go to. “Wally’s eyes were focused down, just
beyond the edge of the counter, near my waist, and I knew what was coming. A
cupped hand smacked my ass. And then he said it. “Best ass in the freshman
class Wally. Standing right in your store!” This is troubling to read in
multiple ways. I found the harsh language very unnerving to read and is
troubling to read in multiple ways. I found the harsh language very unnerving
to read and comprehend, making this a scene that was hard for me to read. The
main character being sexually harassed is difficult to understand and
acknowledge within itself. Seeing Hannah be negatively objectified for her body
parts is even more upsetting to read. However, I believe reading about
traumatic experiences like Hannah’s is important because of the readers
exposure to occurrences that they may not be familiar with. Even though understanding
this information is challenging, readers who did not know about sexual assaults
before can be offered a glimpse at what they are and how they affect
individuals like Hannah. The author chose quotes from Hannah to present
disturbance throughout the story.
Lastly, towards the end of the book, Hannah introduces a
class she attended at her school before her suicide. She talks about the class
ritual, everyone had a bag where others could drop positive notes into. The
teacher had one, where people could drop notes into saying what they wanted to
discuss in class. She explains the
class’s significance, and how it was a positive influence in her life until one
day where it became a correlation to her death. “In the past, Mrs. Bradley had
notes dropped in her bag suggesting group discussions on boyfriends, girlfriends,
abortion, family violence, cheating, and tests. No one insisted on knowing who
wrote those topics. But for some reason, they refused to have a discussion on
suicide without knowing who wrote the note.” This line is most troubling to
read when finding out the consequences from Hannah not being able to talk about
her thoughts of suicide. After knowing Hannah did commit suicide, it makes the
quote all the more troubling. Questions are created as to if the absence of the
talk about suicide could’ve factored into her death. It also surfaces ideas as
to if Hannah would still be alive if the discussion was held. Relating this
back to my own life and opinions, I believe conferences about depression and
suicide should be held in schools and communities. From reading about what
happened to Hannah, it makes me believe that the attention and help suicidal
children need should be mandatory to have in public school systems. Overall,
the quote creates many troubling ideas and questions, providing as the authors
way to use quotes to express turbulence throughout the story.
In conclusion, the author, Jay Asher, of “Thirteen
Reasons Why” uses quotes throughout the book to illustrate troubling moments
and scenes. These quotes make readers reflect and think deeper as to what they
really mean and what we can learn from them. This is important because everyone
has felt a surge of sorrow in their life at some point, and these quotes can offer
a way to cope and deal with these emotions. Reading this book can also spread
suicide awareness, creating prevention and allowing discussion about dark
topics like suicide to become more accessible. Overall, this book has many
scenes that are very difficult to read, and they are best illustrated through
quotes the author provides through the main character, Hannah. “Thirteen
Reasons Why” is an outstanding story that shows that things may not be how they
seem, and ultimately, the beauty in letting go, but never forgetting.
