“People rarely bring flowers to a suicide” (Niven 382). Within her young adult novel, All the Bright Places, Jennifer Niven seamlessly weaves together the lives of two opposite teenagers who are both clinging onto a ledge, fighting to live. The main characters, Theodore Finch and Violet Markey, bond through a shared fascination over life and death, while at the same time, they both deal with their own turmoils regarding it. But, as Violet overcomes her griefs, Finch finds himself sinking deeper into his own, and eventually, cannot bring himself back to the surface. In her heart wrenching novel, Niven employs the themes of mental illness and suicide to draw attention to those commonly ignored, but overwhelming problems that plague today’s society
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In the novel, Finch feels that he is the only person in the world that feels the way he does; he thinks he is completely alone. However, the fact is that both mental illnesses and suicide are not uncommon things. Approximately 1 in 5 teenagers from ages 13–18 experience a severe mental disorder, and even more, about “2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder” (Nami Right). Likewise, Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds, and “an estimated 3-20% of persons who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder die by suicide” (University of Washington). Accordingly, those that are young and living with a severe mental disorder, like Finch, are at a greater risk for suicide. The fact is though, that these statistics aren’t entirely accurate because of people who are afraid to come out with a mental illnesses and/or say that they are struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies. This is largely due to the prejudice engulfing mental illnesses and suicide, which have been long standing in society, “Stigma is hopelessness, resulting in helplessness” (Byrne). With this in mind, a surprising fact is that bipolar disorder is a treatable disease. But many people, like Finch, refuse to be treated because they are afraid of having the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. The appalling and unnecessary prejudices against mental illness in our society are a huge contributor to the suicide toll, and the number of reported cases and suicidal deaths continue to grow higher as time progresses. The truth is that mental illnesses and suicide are both a growing commonality in our current society, but people still continue to ignore and diminish the problems. The novel demonstrates the real life issue that people would rather suffer with the terrible effects of mental
In the novel, Finch feels that he is the only person in the world that feels the way he does; he thinks he is completely alone. However, the fact is that both mental illnesses and suicide are not uncommon things. Approximately 1 in 5 teenagers from ages 13–18 experience a severe mental disorder, and even more, about “2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder” (Nami Right). Likewise, Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds, and “an estimated 3-20% of persons who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder die by suicide” (University of Washington). Accordingly, those that are young and living with a severe mental disorder, like Finch, are at a greater risk for suicide. The fact is though, that these statistics aren’t entirely accurate because of people who are afraid to come out with a mental illnesses and/or say that they are struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies. This is largely due to the prejudice engulfing mental illnesses and suicide, which have been long standing in society, “Stigma is hopelessness, resulting in helplessness” (Byrne). With this in mind, a surprising fact is that bipolar disorder is a treatable disease. But many people, like Finch, refuse to be treated because they are afraid of having the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. The appalling and unnecessary prejudices against mental illness in our society are a huge contributor to the suicide toll, and the number of reported cases and suicidal deaths continue to grow higher as time progresses. The truth is that mental illnesses and suicide are both a growing commonality in our current society, but people still continue to ignore and diminish the problems. The novel demonstrates the real life issue that people would rather suffer with the terrible effects of mental