Revised Synthesis Page

Focus: Symbols that symbolize suicide and Hannah’s death

Symbols:

The Tapes: Thirteen Reasons Why, is all based on these tapes that Hannah made. This is one way, that Hannah chose which represents suicide. She decides to explain everything, where in one tape, talks about one person. In these tapes, she showed how she felt and how they all had something to do with her death, but while reading the book, I had mixed feelings about this decision. Throughout the beginning, it sounded like she was blaming the thirteen people but still had a point when she was talking. This all connects to suicide because these people were the reason of her death.

The Map: Before she passed on the tapes, she gave the thirteen people a map just in case they wanted to understand the situation. When Clay, the main character was following the map, he was interested and kept imagining her being at that specific location. For example, she said “Find B-3 on your maps. Blue spot liquor.” Which was one of her favorite spots to go. The thirteen different locations are similar to these thirteen reasons because it was where they happened.

Ms.Strumm’s Classroom: This classroom is a specific spot placed on the map. In Cassette 1: Side B, most of the conflict was taken place in the room. Basically, there was a list being passed around where people agreed on the best looking and worst looking girls in the class. From knowing what she said in the tapes, Hannah wondered about the fact that her classmates judged her. “You probably thought you did a good thing…you voted me best ass.” Its not this that made her upset, it was the idea that so many people agreed on judging other people and her, herself. 

Monet’s: This is a coffee shop in the book, which was also Hannah’s safe spot. After being put down at school, she would go there with her two best friends at the time and talk. One of her best friends was actually one reason why she killed herself. This place actually isn’t a reason why she killed herself but a place where she could relax after being in a place that terrified her. For example, it said, “A table at one time, was Hannah’s other safe place.”’