Feather 1
Kristy Feather
Carol Cabrera
Humanities
10 September
Does Clay really deserve to be here? Does Mr. Porter? “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher is a book about Hannah Baker’s thirteen reasons to kill herself. Unfortunately one of these thirteen reasons didn’t be long. Clay Jensen did not deserve to be on those tapes with the others, that much is clear - Hannah even said it herself. Meanwhile, Mr. Porter is a completely different story.
Mr. Porter. The school counselor, and yet he let a student - who was showing clear signs of suicide - walk out of his office door without even going after her. Hannah Baker’s exact words to Mr. Porter were, “I need everything to stop. People. Life.” (pg.272), key words being “stop” and “life”. Although, yes, Hannah goes on to say she doesn’t want to end her life (last sentence of pg. 272), Mr. Porter - as a counselor - should have been able to tell when something was wrong and try a harder to find out what the problem was about. Instead he went on to ask, “are we talking about a boy” and although the question may have been correct, it seems as if he’s judging her. The fact that he starts off with asking Hannah if this is over a boy instead of something like friend drama, or alcohol, or drugs, etcetera, is rather judgemental and could be seen as Mr. Porter calling Hannah a “slut” just like the rest of the students at the school, just by simply accusing that Hanna’s problems are due to a guy.
Hannah had been marked as a slut since freshman year (pg.23), and now she was in junior year looking for help, only to walk out and have no one come after her to help her. Yes, a slut, in freshman year. All because a boy, Justin Foley, - who was her first kiss - created a rumor that she and him had done other things the night of the kiss. Then - as the book states it - the snowball effect keeps going. Alex Standall, creator of the “Who’s hot/Who’s not” (pg. 39); a list that Clay Jensen read after hearing some of the rumors about Hannah. Those rumors, and that list, and everything else that floated around about Hannah, not only made Hannah’s life a living hell, but made Clay Jensen - one of the people that could have helped Hannah - stay away. So yes, in a way he could have helped, but not helping doesn’t mean he deserved to be on the tapes, he doesn’t deserve to be on the tapes because he did nothing. In fact he didnt even ¨not help¨; he was sent away by Hannah. Hannah also never told him anything, so how could he know to reach out.
Mr. Porter let Hannah slip when he knew what she was feeling; guilty. Clay Jensen knew nothing about Hannah’s emotions, and in fact tried to be her friend in the end; not guilty. Someone who’s not guilty should not be mentioned on a blame laying tape.
Kristy Feather
Carol Cabrera
Humanities
10 September
Does Clay really deserve to be here? Does Mr. Porter? “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher is a book about Hannah Baker’s thirteen reasons to kill herself. Unfortunately one of these thirteen reasons didn’t be long. Clay Jensen did not deserve to be on those tapes with the others, that much is clear - Hannah even said it herself. Meanwhile, Mr. Porter is a completely different story.
Mr. Porter. The school counselor, and yet he let a student - who was showing clear signs of suicide - walk out of his office door without even going after her. Hannah Baker’s exact words to Mr. Porter were, “I need everything to stop. People. Life.” (pg.272), key words being “stop” and “life”. Although, yes, Hannah goes on to say she doesn’t want to end her life (last sentence of pg. 272), Mr. Porter - as a counselor - should have been able to tell when something was wrong and try a harder to find out what the problem was about. Instead he went on to ask, “are we talking about a boy” and although the question may have been correct, it seems as if he’s judging her. The fact that he starts off with asking Hannah if this is over a boy instead of something like friend drama, or alcohol, or drugs, etcetera, is rather judgemental and could be seen as Mr. Porter calling Hannah a “slut” just like the rest of the students at the school, just by simply accusing that Hanna’s problems are due to a guy.
Hannah had been marked as a slut since freshman year (pg.23), and now she was in junior year looking for help, only to walk out and have no one come after her to help her. Yes, a slut, in freshman year. All because a boy, Justin Foley, - who was her first kiss - created a rumor that she and him had done other things the night of the kiss. Then - as the book states it - the snowball effect keeps going. Alex Standall, creator of the “Who’s hot/Who’s not” (pg. 39); a list that Clay Jensen read after hearing some of the rumors about Hannah. Those rumors, and that list, and everything else that floated around about Hannah, not only made Hannah’s life a living hell, but made Clay Jensen - one of the people that could have helped Hannah - stay away. So yes, in a way he could have helped, but not helping doesn’t mean he deserved to be on the tapes, he doesn’t deserve to be on the tapes because he did nothing. In fact he didnt even ¨not help¨; he was sent away by Hannah. Hannah also never told him anything, so how could he know to reach out.
Mr. Porter let Hannah slip when he knew what she was feeling; guilty. Clay Jensen knew nothing about Hannah’s emotions, and in fact tried to be her friend in the end; not guilty. Someone who’s not guilty should not be mentioned on a blame laying tape.