What are those cassette things again? Rather than keeping in time with the novel and now show, I am going to stick to what I do best; writing down a reason you should log onto our Netflix accounts right now and start listening live and in stereo to Hannah Baker's life. It is what she would want you to do.
For those of you just tuning in, 13 Reasons Why is the story of Hannah Baker, and the reasons why she committed suicide. 13 reasons to be exact. A novel that brought on wondering how our actions can affect others around us.
This young adult novel, while touchy to some, is important for adolescents to read and experience even now than it was when I first picked it up freshmen year of high school. A novel that should not have made it onto the banned books list, but that's another argument for another time. Jay Asher does not shy away from the big words like suicide, rape, or sexual assault. The entire novel is narrated by Hannah, giving her a voice into the novel of why she decided to end her life and gave responsibility to the 13 people on each cassette tape.
The show is even more important, pressing into and not shying away from showing the big words. It is giving the audience 13 episodes to get to know each character and their families surrounding Hannah Baker's decision and the repercussions of their actions far after Hannah that will continue to haunt each of them for the rest of their lives.
Still listening? I am about to tell you a reason you SHOULD watch, well two to be exact, and why Hannah's story and each characters surrounding the tapes should be seen. To talk. Talk about it in a way that does not sugar coat, in a way to understand what is going on. To just talk and learn. We live in a society where we question what went wrong but we do not understand the reasoning why.
Bonus reason, to be good people. We never know when our actions can change another or what our words, how simple they can be, can affect others. Words can change a person's perspective in an instant. Be careful with how you use them.
So log onto your Netflix accounts, start Hannah's story and listen. Talk about what is going on, but do not let the conversation fade.That is what she would want you to do.
