Focusing on the Wrong Things – A Defense of Jay Asher’s/Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why

There has been a great response to this post in one day. I want to bring people's attention to the post on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 by Susan James. She mentions 13 reasons why in her post as well. Her post deals with how readers might learn lessons form reading YA. She also reference Crutcher's work. He has been dealing with teens in crisis for a long time. Both the post by Susan and Michelle have me thinking about Joan Kaywell who reminds us that books save lives. They do but as educators we need to help lead the way.

Like many of you, I have been following the media buzz around 13 Reason Why as it was realized as a series on Netflix. I was surprised how people and commentators tended to turn on the story. I don't think this happened during the first few years of the novel's appearance in 2007 or in July 2011 when the paperback edition climbed to number one on The New York Time best-seller list. Social media was buzzing and, frankly, for me it was a bit confusing. In fact, the author has gone out of his way to advocate against bullying and its results. A quick check at his website reminds us that he conducted an anti bullying campaign, making a stop in all 50 states.  When I noticed that a colleague and fellow graduate for The University of Georgia Ph.D in Literacy Education, Michelle Falter, had posted a comment, I asked her to address this issue in a guest post. Thanks Michelle for providing a thoughtful post that includes student voices.

What I am about to say is not a popular opinion. And, I am okay with that. After spending the last two weeks reading the same narrative in social media, I felt compelled to offer a different perspective on the young adult novel and the subsequent Netflix series 13 Reasons Why that has been getting a lot of pushback and negative criticism. I can offer this perspective both as an English teacher of adolescents, and as someone who has firsthand experience with depression. I can offer my perspective as someone who has read and taught the book and now also viewed the entire Netflix series. Note: there are some spoilers…

Let me first acknowledge that I am someone who suffers from depression. I have not shied away from letting other people know this about me. In my 20s I was diagnosed, and I have, for the last 15 years, been treated off and on for the symptoms of depression and anxiety. When diagnosed for the first time, it was fairly clear to my psychologist that I most likely was suffering from depression as a teenager and was undiagnosed. Emotionally and mentally, middle and high school was hard for me, although I didn’t fully understand why. Despite having supportive parents, making good grades, and having friends, I was not okay. I sure was good at faking it though.

I choose to disclose this about myself because this is part of a larger systemic issue around mental health and illness—people 1) are afraid to talk about it 2) don’t want to talk about it or 3) are shamed when they talk about. So, then, conversations do not happen. Dialogue is not started. Thus, understanding is not happening. It can’t happen. And, I don’t want to be a part of a social construct that supports the silencing of my life, my narrative, because it is an uneasy topic. My role in the academy, as an assistant professor of English Education, I feel, affords me that privilege to speak on behalf of those who cannot. So, I talk about it. When we are afraid to talk about these issues, all people suffer. For me, mental health and support for mental illness is a social justice issue, and I have written about it before. Like other social justice topics, talking about it is uncomfortable. People do not know what to say or how to act. They sometimes say stupid, uninformed, or hurtful things. Even my own parents, who I love dearly, do not always understand how my depression operates within my life. 

Okay, so now that I have acknowledged this, let’s talk about 13 Reasons Why and why we should not just dismiss this book or TV series. While I certainly will not dismiss the real concern that psychologists and mental health professionals have issued around the graphic nature and potential for the series to trigger people (as I think this is a valid concern), I will push back on the idea that because of this we (parents, children, teenagers, schools, teachers, students, etc.) should not watch it or read it. I think this would be a huge mistake and waste. The story of Hannah Baker and the tapes she leaves for her classmates is a fictional story. Let’s remember that first and foremost. It is not real. But, despite its fictional storyline, it is one in which millions of teens can and do relate to on a daily basis. The backlash against this series demonstrates to me that a lot of people, with good intentions, are either blind, unaware, or willfully ignorant about what is happening in their children’s, friend’s, or student’s lives. And, this is so completely ironic because that is kind of the whole point of Jay Asher’s young adult novel.
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When I first read that people felt the series (and book) glamorized suicide, I am pretty sure that you would have seen a confused look on my face. I have read this critique over and over on just about every news outlet and magazine. I thought to myself, “Are we watching or reading the same thing?” I have several issues with this characterization. One, the story is not about suicide. The story is one of bullying and the consequences of our actions whether we are aware of them or not. This is also not a story of revenge. I lot of people argue that Hannah Baker’s tapes are a twisted fantasy of getting back at those who hurt her. However, if we think about the story from a literature perspective, we can see that the tapes are just a plot device tool that Jay Asher has used within the story to provide a narrative thread and to keep suspense. In order for it to be revenge, one has to be able to get satisfaction, and it is impossible to do so when one is dead. The Netflix series also does not shy away from the horror of suicide. And it is stated throughout the series (and in the book) that it is Hannah’s choice and hers alone to commit this act. This act has devastating consequences on all that knew her. Neglecting to hear that or gloss over this fact leads to believing her suicide and cassette tapes as potentially a fantasy. But, the final death scene is not fantastical. When Hannah slits her wrists, it is horrific. It is not pretty. It is real. It hurts. It is depicted this way on purpose.

​Even if I did think (which I do not) that this piece glamorizes suicide, and therefore should not be watched or read, then we need to do some serious examination of ourselves and why we feel 13 Reasons Why  is more damaging than the suicides in Shakepeare’s Romeo and Juliet? One might claim that when you read the story it isn’t as real or vivid or visceral. But most middle and high school students at least see clips from Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation in conjunction with reading the play. In the movie, we see Romeo, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliet, played by Claire Danes, in one of the most glamorous and beautiful death scenes I have ever witnessed. 

Or how about Ophelia’s death in Hamlet often depicted as serenely beautiful?

Or even Edna Pontellier’s death, in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, which also might be considered a glamorous, or at least calm and inviting, suicide scene. She simply walks into the water and Chopin describes it with beautiful prose: “How strange and awful it seemed to stand naked under the sky! How delicious! She felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known. The foamy wavelets curled up to her white feet, and coiled like serpents about her ankles. She walked out. The water was chill, but she walked on. The water was deep, but she lifted her white body and reached out with a long, sweeping stroke. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”
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Why do I bring up these classic texts and the strong graphic representations within them? To make a point. Young Adult literature is often thrown under the bus as overly sentimental, overly controversial, overly ________ (insert any negative word here). Yet, classic literature inhabits all of those same qualities without the uproar. And, the movies that stem from them are afforded that same positive view too. I am not, and let me be clear, suggesting we stop teaching any of these aforementioned critically acclaimed texts. I am suggesting, however, that we reframe our view of what 13 Reasons Why is.  It is a tragedy. It is in the genre of tragedy, just as much as the plays and stories I just described. We do not consider the canonical texts or films as glamorous stories of suicides because that is not what the stories are about. Neither is 13 Reasons Why.

When I read the negative or cautious reviews of the series, I also worry about the false correlation and conclusion people are drawing between the show and what is happening in real life. Three days ago, on one of my area’s major news websites, it was reported that since the debut of 13 Reasons Why, calls into Raleigh's suicide prevention hotline nearly tripled. Here is the problem with this correlation. There is an assumption here that people have become more suicidal because of the television show. However, what this number is actually indicating is that more teens are using helplines and resources after this show has aired than before it aired. This is not something to be scared about. This is absolutely something to celebrate! More kids are getting help, rather than silently and individually attempting to deal with their problems and potentially making an irreversible and life-ending decision. Rather than issuing statements to parents telling them that schools do not recommend students watch this Netflix series (see this letter from my local school district as one of many examples), I firmly believe that instead we should be watching this series in school, with English teachers and counselors together. We need to first investigate this series as an extension of the novel itself, and talk about it as a literary piece with literary conventions to promote a particular message. Using critical analysis skills, we can see that Hannah Baker is a flawed character. That suicide was a poor choice. By having guidance counselors as co-teachers of the novel, we can have real conversations about the events depicted, which include drug use, alcohol, rumors, social media, bullying, depression, rape, and yes…suicide. 

​We need to be brave. Braver than we ever have been. Brave because our students are braver than us, and are ready to talk about these things. Kids will be watching this Netflix series with or without their parents. They will. And we can either ignore this, or we can acknowledge it.  As parents, as teachers, as friends, we can and MUST have these conversations about the topics this book/series presents. Parent, educator, filmmaker, and social worker, Nina Rabhan, offers 13 insightful questions, in her review, as a starting place for this dialogue. We also need to give a little bit more credit to kids. As a middle and high school English teacher, I have witnessed my students tackle all sorts of difficult topics in my classroom as we read literature. I have put into their hands hundreds and thousands of stories over the years that some might consider too difficult, too controversial, or too “adult.” But, you know what? I have never had a kid come back to me and say, I can’t handle this. Usually, they want to talk to me about the book. And I leave my door and my ears open to doing this. Suicide and depression are still very much taboo topics. But, as someone who has been treated for depression, I know firsthand how important it is that teens have a place to talk about it. Literature and film can be a powerful springboard to do so, if we rise to occasion, and answer the wakeup call. If it isn’t 13 Reasons Why, then there are many other Young Adult texts that might also be used to present the same topics to our youth. Some that have similar content to 13 Reasons Why include: All the Bright Places by Sara Niven, I was Here by Gayle Foreman, My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga, The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand, The Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff,
Falling into Place, by Amy Zhang, By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters, and Hold Still by Nina LaCour.

As I end this post, I want to draw on the reviews of adolescents who have read and watched 13 Reasons Why because, honestly, I am most interested in what they think.  Missing from the mainstream media’s response are their voices. Although, I just found one recent high school student’s excellent review here speaking back to the critiques. I have also not heard from English teachers in the media either who have successfully taught this book and had powerful conversations about it and the Netflix series. I urge my English teacher family to share these positive stories, because they need to be heard just as loudly as the critics. But, I want you to read firsthand what kids have to say, and let it sink in.  These quotes, and many more, are taken from Common Sense Media’s page. As an interesting aside: If you haven’t used their webpage before, I would point out that the kid reviews are almost always more insightful and positive than the adult/parent ones.

•  “I found myself glad to have seen "13 Reasons Why". It was engaging, addictive and emotionally direct in many complex ways that made me give this show my respect. Even if it is intended to be a story that is about teen suicide and bullying, it feels more like an exploration, a complex tale about regret, loss, unhingedness, mistakes and recuperation, even though its bleakness can be a bit too much for viewers. There are people like Hannah Baker in the world that need support now and it's important to help them so that they won't have to be through the events that Hannah have been through. We owe them that respect, that integrity, that care, all as much as this show do. So, for one last time, go see the show and understand why. You won't regret it.” ~ 17 year old.
• “Anyone who is offended by the content here, or who seriously thinks that no one under 17 should be watching this, needs to actually TALK to a high school student. If you're offended by the language (which isn't that bad outside of the occasional F-bombs), walk through a high school hallway sometime. I've heard more F-bombs in one five-minute passing period then the entirety of this show. Another complaint I've heard is about the vivid detail of the suicide scene. Yes, it is quite graphic, but it's not tasteless or gratuitous. Netflix and the producers worked closely with actual psychologists who decided that the impact of the scene was important for the viewer to see. It doesn't glamorize suicide or make it look appealing in any way.” ~ 15 year old.
• “Overall, I think this show was very well put together. First, it sparked many conversations with my family and friends about suicide that I think wouldn't have had come up otherwise. Second, the show is very realistic, unlike shows like Gossip Girl, and really highlights some high schooler's experiences. (notice that I say "some" as this show is fiction and can not be related to everyone's experience.) They do this by showing that teens do not usually go to their parents for help and often curse. Secondly, the show is very eye opening. Kids often cyberbully/bully each other and this show really shows the effects that can have on kids and teens. This show also puts a spotlight on the effects of suicide and makes teens see that words can hurt. Lastly, many people are saying that this show is too graphic. However, I think many people forget that this show is rated MA (mature). The show also has warnings before some of the episodes that tell people that there will be graphic situations in this episode. Putting warnings is not mandatory but the makers of the show went out of their way to put them there. I know this review is getting long, but please listen to your kid if they want to watch this show. Kids are actually very smart and know if they can mentally handle something.” ~ 13 year old.
  

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• “Not only does it portray serious issues in the world, but there is a lot of drinking, some make out scenes, and language. I am quite outraged, I saw a news report saying that "13 Reasons Why should not be shown without parental advisement," etc. The fact that it is realistic should be enough reason to let a 13+ teen watch it. Many parents believe that kids in middle school are innocent, 8th grade 13 year olds. And well, that is not true. I guarantee a vast majority of 13 year olds, maybe even 12 year olds, know about drugs and sex. 13 Reasons Why is a beautiful book and show. It reveals all these issues in the world, such as rape, drugs, and violence. As a 13 year old girl, I hope this shows people what school is REALLY is” ~ 13 year old.

I close this post with some thoughtful commentary by another highly acclaimed Young Adult author, Jacqueline Woodson. As I attended a local book talk that she was having at one of our independent book stores this past fall in Raleigh, NC, I asked her about the advice she would give to teachers who were afraid to tackle tough topics in their classroom. She offered three pieces of wisdom that I think apply here. Here is a summary of her response: 

1. There is no such thing as tough topics-- just real topics that happen to real people.
2. Never assume that you don't have students in your classroom who haven't experienced these real issues or don't know people that have.
3. You have to confront your own issues about race, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, mental health etc. before you can begin to open up your classroom to the world of others.

It’s time we start becoming comfortable with our own discomfort. It’s too important to just put our blinders on.

Need to talk?
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) anytime if you are in the United States. It’s free and confidential.
Find more resources at http://13reasonswhy.info
Find out how you can help someone in crisis at http://www.bethe1to.com

​Michelle M. Falter is an Assistant Professor of English Education in the department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University. Previously, Michelle worked for over 15 years as a middle and high school English teacher both in Wisconsin, and abroad in Germany and the Dominican Republic, and also as a high school instructional coach in Georgia. Michelle’s scholarship focuses on the role of emotion in the English classroom, and helping educators co-construct knowledge with their students using participatory, critical, and dialogical teaching practices. Michelle can be contacted at [email protected] or on twitter @MFalterPhD.