No number of reasons are enough to commit suicide

Licensed+for+reuse+under+creative+commons+by+Wikimedia

Licensed for reuse under creative commons by Wikimedia

J.Q. Church, Web Manager

In 2007, Jay Asher wrote “13 Reasons Why,” a book that follows the 13 tribulations of Hannah Baker, a high school girl who chose to end her life.

The book was so impactful that it was adapted into a Netflix original series, produced by singer/songwriter Selena Gomez.

“No return engagements. No encore. And this time, absolutely no requests,” Baker begins the series on the first tape, side A of seven tapes.

“Get a snack. Settle in. I’m about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you are listening to these tapes, you are one of the reasons why,” Baker said.

The 13 tapes consist of 13 reasons, or rather, 13 people she blames for the reason she took her life. Each person learns what they did to hurt her.

Baker was a new student at Crestmont High. She was the new kid that nobody knew, but bullied anyway.

Baker emphasized setting; even her tapes came with a map. This allows her accused to walk in her life with accuracy. Although these people may have already been to these places several times, she wanted them to experience it all from her point of view.

“A lot of you cared, just not enough.” Baker tells the listeners.

Throughout the series, Baker details each of her experiences. From sexual rumors and loss of her only friends, to child pornography and rape. Clay, her best friend, has to endure each tape, crucifying himself for never noticing these things.

Finding it difficult, he spends several days just avoiding the first tape.

Tony, a mysterious mutual friend and outside source, is Baker’s confidant. He presses each person who has the tapes to finish. If these students destroy the tapes, Tony replaces them with a new set.

However, Clay could not finish the tapes as fast as everyone else. He breaks down and sees Hannah just from hearing her words.

Although many unfortunate events occurred that promptly destroyed Baker’s new life, I cannot begin to accept her choice to end her life.

This choice is rarely mentioned in the series, but let us call it what it is: suicide. Suicide is many things, but it should never be a solution.

No matter how alone you are, someone is bound to miss you. Someone is bound to be destroyed knowing they were something to you and lost you. Someone is bound to feel they could have done something to prevent it.

Clay is that someone who missed Hannah. He loved Hannah, and despite his conflicting feelings, she saw it all and told him that she did not deserve him.

Although cleared of what he believes is murder, he is still condemned. He may regret his decisions he made with her—regret leaving her at her most vulnerable.

Clay may have been too late, but he learned his lesson. In the end, he fights back against those who did wrong, and befriends old middle school crush, Skye, who may have been at suicide risk.

“13 Reasons Why” is a tear jerker and a lesson from a revenant.

“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part.

Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything . . . affects everything.”