“To hurt someone who trusts you, by not giving help or by doing something morally wrong”- Merriam-Webster. In the novel, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher the antagonist, Hannah Baker, commits suicide leaving behind a set of thirteen tapes. Each tape is a recording of Hannah talking about the individuals whom all played a role in her death. The protagonist, Clay Jensen, only met Hannah twice before her death, but receives the set of tapes only to find out that one is dedicated to him. Betrayal is a careless act that is powerful enough to corrupt one’s life. The theme of betrayal is visible throughout the novel, by the use of several literary elements. The emotional setting in the novel proves that disloyal relationships have the ability to trap
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Hannah’s best friend, Jessica Davis, attacks Hannah after hearing a rumour about her boyfriend cheating on her with Hannah. “That tiny scar you’ve all seen above my eyebrow, that’s the shape of Jessica’s fingernail...which I plucked out myself. But it’s more than just a scratch. It’s a punch in the stomach and a slap in the face. It’s a knife in my back because you would rather believe some made-up rumour than what you knew to be true (68). The scar that Jessica has left behind, Hannah describes as much more than a mark on top of her eyebrow, but a mark that is far more painful and just as permanent. The scar on Hannah’s forehead symbolizes her internal pain caused by betrayal. An emotional scar is far more difficult to cover up and forget than a physical one. The symbol conveys the painfulness of betrayal, and uncovers the effect of betrayal on Hannah’s life, reassuring the reader that the pain is permanent. When mentioning Jessica on the fifth cassette tape, Hannah mentions the scar that she had given her, “I see it every morning when I get ready for school. “Good morning, Hannah,” it says. And every night when I get ready for bed. “Sleep tight”…. And what about you—the rest of you—did you notice the scars you left behind? No. Probably not. That wasn’t possible. Because most of them can’t be seen with the naked …show more content…
Hannah Baker recalls of how her bad reputation all started, when a boy named Justin decided to spread rumors based on their first kiss. “A week went by and nothing. But eventually, as they always will, the rumors reached me. And everyone knows you can 't disprove a rumor…. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and reacted to. And sometimes a rumor based on a kiss has a snowball- effect. A rumor, based on a kiss, is just the beginning” (30-31). Justin had started of a chain of rumors, that created a biased opinion towards Hannah by everyone that she had met in high school. Resulting in a conflict between Hannah and her classmates, as individuals were judging her by what they have heard, and not acknowledging her side of the stories. This rumor is what started everything of, and escalated the conflict as it had made Hannah a future victim of every rumor, resulting in poor judgment by her peers. Hannah Baker was distressed from the unfaithfulness of the people around her, and anticipated for a change. “I wanted people to trust me, despite anything they 'd heard. And more than that, I wanted them to know me. Not the stuff they thought they knew about me. No, the real me. I wanted them to get past the rumors. To see beyond the relationships I once had, or
Hannah’s best friend, Jessica Davis, attacks Hannah after hearing a rumour about her boyfriend cheating on her with Hannah. “That tiny scar you’ve all seen above my eyebrow, that’s the shape of Jessica’s fingernail...which I plucked out myself. But it’s more than just a scratch. It’s a punch in the stomach and a slap in the face. It’s a knife in my back because you would rather believe some made-up rumour than what you knew to be true (68). The scar that Jessica has left behind, Hannah describes as much more than a mark on top of her eyebrow, but a mark that is far more painful and just as permanent. The scar on Hannah’s forehead symbolizes her internal pain caused by betrayal. An emotional scar is far more difficult to cover up and forget than a physical one. The symbol conveys the painfulness of betrayal, and uncovers the effect of betrayal on Hannah’s life, reassuring the reader that the pain is permanent. When mentioning Jessica on the fifth cassette tape, Hannah mentions the scar that she had given her, “I see it every morning when I get ready for school. “Good morning, Hannah,” it says. And every night when I get ready for bed. “Sleep tight”…. And what about you—the rest of you—did you notice the scars you left behind? No. Probably not. That wasn’t possible. Because most of them can’t be seen with the naked …show more content…
Hannah Baker recalls of how her bad reputation all started, when a boy named Justin decided to spread rumors based on their first kiss. “A week went by and nothing. But eventually, as they always will, the rumors reached me. And everyone knows you can 't disprove a rumor…. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and reacted to. And sometimes a rumor based on a kiss has a snowball- effect. A rumor, based on a kiss, is just the beginning” (30-31). Justin had started of a chain of rumors, that created a biased opinion towards Hannah by everyone that she had met in high school. Resulting in a conflict between Hannah and her classmates, as individuals were judging her by what they have heard, and not acknowledging her side of the stories. This rumor is what started everything of, and escalated the conflict as it had made Hannah a future victim of every rumor, resulting in poor judgment by her peers. Hannah Baker was distressed from the unfaithfulness of the people around her, and anticipated for a change. “I wanted people to trust me, despite anything they 'd heard. And more than that, I wanted them to know me. Not the stuff they thought they knew about me. No, the real me. I wanted them to get past the rumors. To see beyond the relationships I once had, or