9/29 assignment

The interesting thing about the protagonist of Thirteen Reasons Why is that she is already dead (and this is not an autobiography). The book is actually the long suicide note of Hannah Baker. She decided to tell thirteen people why she committed suicide, but the really sad part of the story is that she is telling them after she has already taken her life. No one can help her anymore. The story is also written from first person omniscient from Clay's perspective. From the information that the reader is able to gather from Clay, he is agonizing about the fact that Hannah did not tell him that she was hurting and contemplating suicide, despite having multiple opportunities to tell him. That fact alone is tearing Clay up inside. Is Hannah worthy of praise of criticism? I am not able to find anything worthy of praise for her. My main criticism is that Hannah did not tell anyone her feelings and suicidal thoughts when someone could have helped her. Maybe Hannah should have added a fourteenth reason telling why she did not tell anyone these reasons before she died. Throughout the book, Clay is asking Hannah questions, which will never be answered, because he REALLY cared about her! She made a life and death decision based on assumptions. Lots and lots of assumptions. She didn't have to open up to all thirteen people, just one. Opening up to one person could have given her the courage to open up to other people. I hope that the author is able to portray that it takes much more courage to deal with our daily problems, big and small, than to take our life and think that the problems are solved.