A Reflection Paper: Thirteen Reasons Why

Introduction

My reflection of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is that this thrilling work of art represents an accurate yet chilling portrayal of the problems of bullying, rape culture, and sexual assault in schools and its psychological effects on teenagers. The novel reveals how Hannah Baker might have committed suicide due to bullying. Thirteen Reasons Why shows how literature and art can be effectively used to create awareness on various issues in the society and how they affect individuals.

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Additionally, I think Thirteen Reasons Why also offers a critical reflection and insight into the issues of teen suicide and mental health and their impacts on those affected. The author shows just how devastating and fatal mental health issues caused by factors such as bullying can be particularly with young people. By focusing on suicide among teens mainly brought about by bullying and too much pressure from relationships and studies, the author of this thrilling novel has managed to raise awareness about these issues and the need for the society to find lasting solutions to them to avoid further loss of innocent lives such as that of Hannah Baker.

However, Thirteen Reasons Why has also been criticized for romanticizing the issues of suicide, bullying, sexual assault, and rape among teens. According to Gross (2017), Thirteen Reasons Why has received criticism from school boards, parents, and mental health professionals on the basis that it glamorizes suicide and hence could potentially lead to a suicide contagion. Even though the novelist's intention is to show the effect of suicide on Baker's family and friends and raise awareness on this issue by shedding light on it, Thirteen Reasons Why could actually do harm because it contains inappropriate conversation about suicide. To some extent, I agree with these criticisms. Sandler (2017) also argues -rightly so - that by suggesting that bullying leads to suicide, Thirteen Reasons Why uses a narrow and simplistic narrative since Hannah Baker's experiences did not justify her taking her own life. Moreover, Thirteen Reasons Why offers no reasonable solutions to the problem of suicide among teens.

Conclusion

In summary, in spite of the criticisms of Thirteen Reasons Why, this novel offers an important insight into critical issues facing most teens, such as sexual assault, bullying, mental illness, and suicide both at school and at home. It sheds a shining light on the adverse psychological effects of these issues on individuals and thus creates awareness on the need for appropriate action by relevant stakeholders.

References

Gross, E. (2017). What teens think of '13 Reasons Why.' Teen Vogue. Retrieved from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-teens-think-thirteen-reasons-why

Sandler, E.P. (2017). 13 Reasons Why "13 Reasons Why" isn't getting it right. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/promoting-hope-preventing-suicide/201704/13-reasons-why-13-reasons-why-isn-t-getting-it-right