Here's Why Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" Comes Across As Trivial
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Here's Why Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" Comes Across As Trivial

No, she wasn't just "butt-hurt"

16
Here's Why Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" Comes Across As Trivial
Netflix

Let me start by saying that bullying or suicide are in no way, shape, or form, trivial. That's not the message that I am trying to convey.

What I want to talk about is how 13 Reasons Why made the awful mistake of undermining the fact that Hannah Baker suffered from a mental illness. She did not take her own life simply because the kids in school bullied her. It was a culmination of the trauma she felt and experienced in high school, her inability to successfully find help for her serious problems, and the excruciating lack of the very help that Hannah so desperately needed.

From what I understand, the novel did a much better job of explaining how Hannah felt. It dove deeper into how the words and actions of the 13 affected Hannah. In the Netflix adaptation, on the other hand, it felt as if the tiniest step in the wrong direction could earn someone a tape. This made Hannah seem like a girl who would just get her feelings hurt way too easily. And that's why she killed herself. Because she got her feelings hurt.

No. No. No. No no no no no. No.

Everyone on this planet has gotten their feelings hurt, but that did not drive them to be suicidal. It is the way in which Hannah internalized these highly alarming situations that drove her to take her own life. Do not misinterpret this crucial piece of information. The constant abuse she faced inside and outside of her high school's hallways played a MAJOR part in her permanent decision-- but it was her depression that ultimately made Hannah feel hopeless, alone, and like she had no other option.

In my eyes, 13 Reasons Why failed to thoroughly explain the complexity of the feelings that people who suffer with depression and other mental illnesses experience.

On a side note, let's stop minimizing the horrid significance of mental illness in today's society and let's start taking it seriously! It took a book/movie for the wider-spread of empathy? Cmon.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

56978
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

36746
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958519
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

189849
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments