13 Reasons Why;Character Analysis + writing in role: Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker

 13 Reasons Why; Character Analysis + Writing in role :

    Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker

     “Hello, boys and girls. Hannah Baker here. I hope your ready, because I’m about to tell you the story of my life.” – page 7

       I was a junior in high school and was an only child living with my parents who were both busy store owners. But that was me before I took my own life. Although this, I didn’t just commit suicide without making sure certain people understood why I did it, and how they did their part in my death. I recorded 13 tapes; each tape about 1 person, describing their involvement in an event(s) that led up to my decision to commit suicide. I was the new girl in town, just before freshman year. I was once voted best ass in freshman class, and let me tell you, its nothing to be proud of at all. Through out the years, the people I called my “friends” described me as a courageous, brainy, pretty, and honest girl. Little did they know about how one event led to another, or one rumor that led to an unwanted snowball effect.  I wanted the 13 people to realize that every single thing they do affects someone else, in ways they never imagined or even knew. That is what I hoped to accomplish with these tapes.

“The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one; you listen. Number two; you pass it on. Hopefully neither will be easy for you.” –page 8

   When I discovered the connections between all of those on the tapes, I was more hurt than shocked. All coming together during one night.  The night of the party.

“A string connecting all your stories, that party would be where everything knots up. And that knot keeps growing and growing, getting more and more tangled, dragging the rest of your stories into it.”

–page 239

    Hi everyone, my name is Clayton Jensen, but everyone calls me Clay.

I am currently a junior in high school, and I take my academics pretty seriously. Doesn’t mean I’m a zombie without a social life, I just prefer to put the studies first. You know what I mean. One night I went to a party, I could read the expressions on their faces when they saw me, “What? Clay Jensen at a party? Unheard of.”

“ I study on weekends. In most of my classes, we’re tested every Monday. Its not my fault.” – page 203

     If you were to ask anyone what they think of me,( I did once), they’d say good natured, nice, easy going, a great listener, and really smart. I’m not being arrogant, just honest. You cant blame me to aim for next year’s Valedictorian. If there was one person in the past I wish I could talk to and get to know, it would be Hannah Baker. I did know her at one point, but once we were finally talking, she started pushing me away. Then before I could try again, she took her own life.

“It was wonderful. I couldn’t believe Hannah and I were finally talking. Really talking. And I did not want it to stop. I loved talking with you, Hannah.” –page 210

 My whole time knowing Hannah Baker, I’ve always ignored the rumors and refused to hear the words others  had said about her. I’ve always wanted to know the real Hannah Baker. I cried when I heard what had happened to her. I am not afraid to admit it.

“We didn’t get a chance [to really ask “Who are you”] because I was afraid. Afraid I had no chance with you.” –page 207

  I was afraid because, what if I finally got to know you, and you turned out just like they said. I couldn’t handle that. I really loved Hannah, when I heard she worked at the Historic Crestmont Cinema, I applied. Hannah was the one and only reason I wanted that job. We talked from time to time, but often it felt as though we had a glass wall between, preventing us from understanding one another. I longed for the day the wall shattered.