There are many variations on what an archetype is. Some say that it is a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, paintings, or mythology. Others say that it can be a pattern of behavior, or statements which others copy or emulate. Whichever you chose to side with, there are several which can be found in the novel 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Throughout the novel, three common archetypal characters are portrayed. Hannah Baker is the hero, Tony is the herald, and Mr. Porter is the mentor.
Although it may seem as if Hannah Baker is the villain of this novel, due to the fact that she committed suicide, she is truly the hero. In its simplest form, the hero is the character who must fulfill a necessary task to bring justice to the community. Within the novel, Hannah’s main goal is to “tell you the story of [her] life. More specifically, why [her] life ended” (Asher 7) and to confront the toxic people who were in her life. There are thirteen people which Hannah chooses to blame for her …show more content…
He sets the hero on the path of adventure, but with Hannah, the path is not a physical journey, rather a symbolic journey of the moments that led to her death. Tony is the one who initiates the dispersal of the tapes and follows every recipient to make sure they follow Hannah’s last wishes and keep her story alive. While the tapes are being passed along from person to person, Tony makes sure everyone complies with Hannah’s two rules “Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on” (Asher 9). Tony has a second copy of these tapes that will be “released in a very public manner if this package doesn’t make it through everyone,” (Asher 9) because Hannah wants each individual to know their wrongdoing. “You’re the ninth person I’ve had to follow, Clay,” Tony reveals to Clay, “The second set of tapes, I’ve got them” (Asher 195). We learn now that Tony is the mystery man who will expose the tapes if her rules are not followed
Although it may seem as if Hannah Baker is the villain of this novel, due to the fact that she committed suicide, she is truly the hero. In its simplest form, the hero is the character who must fulfill a necessary task to bring justice to the community. Within the novel, Hannah’s main goal is to “tell you the story of [her] life. More specifically, why [her] life ended” (Asher 7) and to confront the toxic people who were in her life. There are thirteen people which Hannah chooses to blame for her …show more content…
He sets the hero on the path of adventure, but with Hannah, the path is not a physical journey, rather a symbolic journey of the moments that led to her death. Tony is the one who initiates the dispersal of the tapes and follows every recipient to make sure they follow Hannah’s last wishes and keep her story alive. While the tapes are being passed along from person to person, Tony makes sure everyone complies with Hannah’s two rules “Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass it on” (Asher 9). Tony has a second copy of these tapes that will be “released in a very public manner if this package doesn’t make it through everyone,” (Asher 9) because Hannah wants each individual to know their wrongdoing. “You’re the ninth person I’ve had to follow, Clay,” Tony reveals to Clay, “The second set of tapes, I’ve got them” (Asher 195). We learn now that Tony is the mystery man who will expose the tapes if her rules are not followed