PROTAGONIST’S SUFFERING IN JAY ASHER’S NOVEL THIRTEEN REASONS WHY

Abstract

This study examines the protagonist's suffering in Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons Why, focusing on identifying the types of suffering and their effects on her life. The research employs a descriptive qualitative method to analyze Hannah Baker’s suffering, presenting the findings in an in-depth narrative. This study is based on the theory of suffering proposed by Quilao (2018) which categorizes suffering into five types. The analysis reveals that Hannah primarily experiences three types of suffering: psychological, social, and ethical. These suffering have a profound negative effects on her life, leading to feelings of regret, dissapointed attitude, despair, desire to suicide and anti-attitude toward life. Hannah's inability to cope with these overwhelming emotions ultimately drives her to take her own life. The findings highlight the severe consequences of unresolved suffering and emphasize the importance of emotional support and intervention in preventing similar tragedies. Keywords: suffering, psychological, social, ethical, suicide.