Blog Post 12/15: Social Inquiry Question #4

    In “Thirteen Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher, there are several moments when I cringe, and resist reading anymore. I did finish the book, however, and found that the book had a theme of sexual creepiness. Throughout the novel, Hannah Baker is harassed in several ways, realistically. It is possible for me to be victimized in the way Hannah Baker was.

    Hannah had committed suicide and left behind thirteen tapes, thirteen reasons why, stating why she killed herself; specifically who. Everyone had done something that was awful, jerky, or creepy. On one tape she tells the story of Tyler Down; a Peeping Tom. Tyler was the photographer for the yearbook at Hannah’s high school, and decided that he needed pictures of his own, of the student body. Hannah explains her encounter with him outside her house when she isn’t fully dressed, and he snapped a shot. Although this isn’t the worst of what Hannah had been through, this was the one story that had me resist reading anymore the most. This could happen to me. There could be someone watching me from the window. It’s something that could realistically happen, and is the creepiest.

    Hannah also witnessed things that would disturb anyone; she witnessed her friend get raped. Clay Jensen and Hannah were at a party; after Clay left, another couple stumbled in. The guy left, and the girl lay unconscious on the bed. That’s when Justin Foley came in and raped her. Hannah was still in the room, but she stayed hidden. That is what disgusted me the most. The girl had a chance not to get raped, but Hannah let it happen, and she agrees; “Justin, baby, I’m not blaming you entirely. We’re in this one together. We both could’ve stopped it. Either one of us. We could have saved her. And I’m admitting this to you. to all of you. That girl had two chances. And both of us let her down.” Hannah could’ve done something, but she didn’t; this made me resist reading the book for a couple days because I was so disgusted by the character.

    Overall, the author Jay Asher does an effective job at making you cringe in “Thirteen Reasons Why,” with one girl who witnessed and experienced awful things that ruined her, and took her life. I resisted reading this book for more than a week because of the depiction of when high school life is at its worst.