With exams approaching, it can be hard to remember the reality that in a month’s time, it will all be over and you can get back to Netflix, nights out and relaxing. So in that spirit, here is a Netflix series for you to binge on – but only after exams!
If you spend any time on social media at all, I can guarantee you will have heard about this series or at least have seen a meme or two about it! The hype around it exists for good reason, it really is a great program, it had me hooked from the beginning and I ended up watching it all in two days! (A mistake considering how much studying I was supposed to be doing)
The principal theme of the program is – to put it bluntly – suicide.
It follows the aftermath of the death of Hannah Baker, a witty and charismatic girl who unexpectedly took her own life at the age of 17. She left behind a box of 13 tapes, with each tape being dedicated to a different person who contributed to her suicide, with the idea that each person mentioned on the tapes will listen to the entire set of tapes, then pass it on to the next person so that they can understand the gravity of the damage they caused in Hannah’s final months. The story starts when Clay, the boy that Hannah had a mutual but secret crush on; receives the box of tapes, and his reaction to his classmates’ contribution to Hannah’s suicidal mind-set. It is set in two timelines: before and after Hannah’s death, as the viewer we are shown both the events detailed in the tapes and the aftermath of the tapes that is spreading throughout the high school.
The tragic reality of teen suicide is that its cause is often rooted in school, whether that be in the form of bullying, drama with friends, family problems, loneliness, relationships and the list goes on. This was certainly the case for Hannah – as she reveals in her own personal form of a suicide note. It also sheds light on the fact that we don’t always know when somebody is having suicidal thoughts or is suffering depression.
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