Social Commentary on 13 Reasons Why In 2007, Jay Asher released the young adult novel 13 Reasons Why. It steadily gained popularity; it made the New York Times Bestseller List in 2011. In early 2017, Netflix took off with it and produced a 13-episode series. The story follows the suicide note (or rather, audio cassette tapes) left behind by high schooler Hannah Baker after she killed herself. Respected social figures and celebrities quoted the show and opened discussion about topics like depression, rape culture, bullying, and most obviously, suicide. On the thirteen tapes, Hannah walks the audience through the events and actions that led to her taking her own life, with each tape specifically about one of the thirteen people that she …show more content…
But her relationship with them doesn’t seem to be one of mutual trust and communication. She explained that when their career lives got difficult and busy, her relationship with them dwindled. She said they talked to her, but not like before. They let their work take precedence over investing in their daughter, and beneath their disinterest and oblivion, she fell apart. She already accepted that they aren’t her best option to address her problems; her mom didn’t even notice her haircut, never mind her emotional deterioration. 13 Reasons Why exhibits uninvolved parenting and the way it can impact, or rather, not impact, teens’ lives.
Additionally, Hannah only utilized the authorities in the school (to whom youth facing issues like hers are encouraged to come to) as a last resort, after she had already decided to take her own life. As previously mentioned, she went to talk to Mr. Porter, her guidance counselor at school, in search of one last glimmer of hope. She discussed with him the sexual assault she suffered, among other hardships, and her desire to end her life. His response painfully disappointed her. He essentially told her that getting over it may be her best option, and she left agitated. She hoped he would follow and not let her go, realizing she was serious about suicide, but he didn’t. Along the same lines as
Hannah's tapes weren't only about people and the problems they have caused her; one of the tapes is about seeking help. She really needed someone to help her out with the burden she carries every day she needed someone to give a reason to live, she needed someone there for her. She needed a friend the type of friend that would listen and tried to understand what she's been going through. Like Hannah wants help she doesn't want to end it just there she wants a reason to live so in the book she says “ I’m giving life one more chance. And this time, I’m getting help. I’m asking for help because I cannot do this alone. I’ve tried that.”(Asher 269). Therefore, Hannah is asking for help even though Clay was there for her but she pushed him away
In season two Hannah has one of her worst mental breakdowns, which comes from a series of events that lead to her become so overwhelmed. In this season Hannah, and her boyfriend Adam that she had been lusting over all of season one break up, and soon after he starts dating someone that’s overall prettier, and just in anyway shape of form better than Hannah.
Hannah is a lot like myself, and I believed nothing like this would ever happen to one of us. We were top tier athletes, students, and spent all our free time sleeping or eating rather than partying. I learned that it is never up to the victim and the strongest of people can be taken advantage of. Hannah was tricked into trying a drink that was drugged when no one was watching. Talking to the guy, trying to be nice because he was a friend of a friend. I had engaged in a fundamental attribution error by making judgements on similar situations without knowing all the details. Now, sexual assault victims look very different.
Jay Asher’s novel 13 Reasons Why follows the suicide of Hannah Baker and the events that lead her to her fate. The most influential characters of the novel all attend Liberty High School and all of them in their own ways, lead Hannah to her suicide. Clay Jensen is the main protagonist in the novel and the narrator. Throughout the book we follow his reactions of Hannah’s tapes and his interpretation of them. IN fact we follow Clay as desperately attempts to teach everyone included on the tapes the effect that their words and actions have on others. The twelve tapes follow the 12 most influential people that lead Hannah to her suicide. These tapes include, Jessica Davis and Alex Standall who are Hannah’s first friends at Liberty High. Justin
Hannah couldn’t be saved because she wasn’t vocal about her feelings and only asked a few people for help. Firstly, when Ms. Antilly tried to get Hannah and Jessica to become friends, Hannah didn’t put effort in to form a good friendship with Jessica. (Asher 56-57). Hannah not trying to form friendships as she is a new student at a school where she knows nobody proves that she wasn’t vocal and didn’t want to form many friendships. Furthermore, Hannah did ask Mr. Porter for help but he didn’t take it very seriously (Asher 268-280).
Although this show has gotten some major hate recently for glorifying suicide and such, but we think it’s important that we educate ourselves on how suicide truly does affect us. This show truly tugs at our heart strings with the amount of pure torture these characters insue. ‘13 Reasons Why’ will have you in tears the whole while, if you want to be sad you have to watch it.
Hannah from “The Perfects’” struggles to face her demons. To begin, as the new girl in town she is curious about the neighbors. When
Even the remarkably negligible actions of ours have abundance, momentous consequences, however, sometimes we only comprehend after the catastrophe has occurred; after someone has taken their life. To commence "Thirteen Reasons Why", written by Jay Asher, initially published in 2007, is a young adult book, consisting of teen drama, mystery and suspense throughout the novel. This novel revolves around the unexpected suicide of Hannah Baker, a teenage high school student who was driven into despair due to the numerous actions of bullying and betrayal by her peers. Subsequently, Clay Jenson, Hannah's former friend, comes home to find a peculiar package consisting of cassette tapes which Hannah made prior to her suicide, enlisting the thirteen
For Thirteen Reasons Why, I am going to explain the literary terms. Thirteen Reason is about a girl named, Hannah Baker who killed herself. Before Hannah killed herself she made 13 videos of why this person made her make that decision.
This book is based on the hard life of one highschool girl and how the actions of her classmates negatively affected her life. These people pushed Hannah to do what no one should ever feel is the answer, "I hope you're ready because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why"(Asher 7). This book goes in depth of how hard life can be for some highschool students. Thirteen Reasons Why, was banned for many reasons, however one of the main reasons is the topic of suicide
In the novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, the main cause of Hannah's alienation is having the people she cared about the most stab her in the back, betrayed her and having people making fun of her. Hannah Baker moved into a new town before her first year of high school. She didn't know very many people. But the people she did where nice to her for the most part but later on. Early on in the story, Hannah talks about how she had been having dreams about her first kiss for a while and when she did get it it was almost just like her dreams.
In the book “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, many choices are made and many consequences are not good or beneficial for any of the characters specifically Hannah Baker. Hannah Baker’s death was the consequence of many people decision. Hannah was a healthy teenager even though she was bullied raped and she committed suicide. She tried to look for help
These are simple, short lines but, one can perceive the tone of resignation fueled by complete belief in her thoughts as the truth; thoughts that ultimately led to her self-destruction. There is this one funny thing about humans and the world. There are many truths- too many. And no one is capable of discerning whether they are lies or not. Each one has their own beliefs and nobody is given the advantage of having seen the “ultimate truth” because what we think our truths are, are truths merely because we believe them to be so. Hannah’s “truth” was her belief that she could not be saved and that suicide was her only way. So, we are only given the right to believe that what we think is
It was originally a book. If you haven't watched the show, it is about a girl, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide because of 13 reasons which she recorded on tapes. There were reasons such as bullying and hate towards her. The tapes were delivered to the people on the tapes. The show really makes people realize how much “a little joke” can ruin a person's life. How a picture can hurt someone deeply. 13 Reasons Why also has a topic about rape. They try to make people understand that rape is not something you should be embarrassed to talk about. They also make people realize how much their life is worth, and that you need to be open about your feelings so you can get help. Selena was an executive producer for the series. She was supposed to be the starring role of Hannah Baker, but she didn't take the part because she really wanted the character of Hannah to be understood. “Selena transitioning her role from star to executive producer likely made 13 Reasons Why a stronger project. By casting a relative unknown (Katherine Langford) as Hannah, the series saves itself from viewers thinking, "Oh, hey, there's Selena Gomez!" every time Hannah is on screen; it keeps viewers in the story”(4). Selena said, “A book is frightening for me because I know the cult following it has, which is the reason I didn't want to be in it.” Although she didn't take the part of Hannah baker, Selena was very involved throughout
This is an American drama mystery based on the 2007 novel “Thirteen Reasons why” by Jay Asher. Gregg Araki et al directed it. The series follows a teenager Clay Jensen who seeks to understand his classmate and female friend who chose to commit suicide.