Your post today will involve two parts; respond to each topic (some prompt questions are listed) following the guidelines for what makes a 'good post' (Mostof your posts so far has been extremely good; this is just a reminder). Try and make reference to both the novel and real life situations. Further, remember to comment on two other people's posts.
Part One: Friendship
-What makes a good friend? A Bad one?
- How/Why do friendships begin? How/Why do they develop? How/Why do they end?
Part Two: Hannah
-What is your opinion of Hannah SO FAR in the novel?
-What is your opinion of people's actions towards her?
-What is your opinion of Hannah's actions? (During the events and during her tapes)
Reminder: What makes a good post
•Concise with a specific focus
•Shares thoughts, ideas, or opinions
•Opening grabs the reader's attention while introducing the point of the comment.
•Specific details support information in the comment
•Has a "So What?", theme, lesson, or specific point that attracts the readers' attention
•Demonstrates detailed understanding of the task/topic
•Positive tone engages the reader
•Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is correct
Part One: there are many traits good friends are supposed to have, but expectations tend to change from person to person. For me, the highest quality a friend should have is honesty. A friend who won't spread a rumour, or do anything behind your back. A friend who will tell you when those jeans make you look fat. A bad friend shouldn't be your friend to begin with. Because friendships start with you baring your soul, to opening up and letting one of your secrets out. Then later on, maybe another. But if you have a bad friend on your hands, you always have that inkling, a little nagging voice telling you to back away from this person. Friendships start with a leap of faith.
ReplyDeleteFriendship: People's idea of a good friend changes from person to person. In my opinion, what makes a good friend is someone you can talk to about topics that you feel comfertable in telling another person knowing that it is just between you and them. Also someone you can laugh with, and makes you happy. A good friend is also someone who you can make "Last minute" plans with. With a good friend you must have things in common or sometimes be opposites in some cases.
ReplyDeletePART ONE
ReplyDeleteow/Why do friendships begin? How/Why do they develop? How/Why do they end?
People usually become friends because of a common interest or point of view. They are able to relate to each other, so a friendship can grow through advice from one another and spending time together. They usually end after a long period of time when people's opinions and likes/dislikes change. When the friends can no longer relate to each other, they find themselves disagreeing, even fighting over things. That's usually when a friendship ends.
PART TWO
What is your opinion of Hannah SO FAR in the novel?
Hannah seems to be one of those girls with a low self esteem. She seems to take things to heart and dwells on things that happen. This makes it easy for people to push her around and get to her.
I feel bad for her though, because it's hard to be confident and proud when you are in a new town and are automatically the bottom of the heap. I can see myself feeling the same things she is, if I was in her situation. She could have stood up for herself though. Or better yet, the people who know her and know that the rumours aren't true, should stand up to help her.
It is quite unfortunate, that stuff like this happens everyday. Is youth ever going to be bully free?
Part One:Friendship
ReplyDeleteA good friend is someone who you trust with everything you have. Someone who is and will always be there for you for anything, no matter what. A good friend doesn’t judge you, even though you may not make the right decisions. You know you have found a good friend when you laugh about nothing with them and you can be your true self. A bad friend is pretty much the opposite of a good one.
I don’t think you can really explain how and why friendships begin, it’s just a special kind of connection that you have with some people. The more you hangout and get to know each other you learn you get along really well and have lots of fun. Friendships end because of lie’s, mistakes, fights, or you just drift apart. A true friendship wouldn’t end because of these things though. A true friend would forgive and fight for their friendship to workout, because they couldn’t just throw all those good times away no matter how many times things go wrong. Basically if you love something you have to fight for it, or else it just drifts away and it’s gone forever.
Danielle D
Part two: Hannah seems to have this different way of thinking. This unique and radical opinion that her peers just don't understand. In my opnion, she does tend to take things personally. But really, what teenage girl doesn't? She seems human, just going through the motions, but she was still being haunted by suicidal thoughts. Put yourself in her shoes, would you have done the same? Would you leave a suicide note, or would you make tapes?
ReplyDeleteComment on Part 1:
ReplyDeleteWhat makes a friend ‘good’ or ‘bad’?
Friends and companions provide us with a feeling of familiarity. When we get to know someone well enough to refer to them as a ‘friend’, we should have a basic understanding of their likes, friends, interests, hobbies, opinions, and even habits. When we talk about how good a friend is, we often talk about something more easily measurable: Trust. You can know someone perfectly, and still not be their friend because you don’t trust them. Sometimes, the availability of trustworthy friends are so low, that we fool ourselves into believing we can trust those previously deemed untrustworthy. By the time we realize our friend doesn’t deserve our faith, it’s probably too late.
But there is still more to what affects the greatness of your friends. After all, I know people who I can trust, and who I know very well. The last that makes a good friend is also the desirable part of friendship. There should be similarities in your likes, interests, hobbies and so on. I’m not saying you and your companion should be an exact equal, but you’re not likely to be fond of someone who is completely unlike you.
The hardest part of friendship is your own judgment. Hannah had faith in her friends, both of whom got on her list. It is hard to tell when your friendships gone sour. Sometimes the scars don’t go away. And what do you do when you see that ex-friend again?
-Justin
In response to Danielle:
ReplyDeleteI really like your line: "Basically if you love something you have to fight for it, or else it just drifts away and it’s gone forever." mostly because it's true and I definitely agree with it. Friendship is different from family. In order to have it all the time you have to work at it constantly. You need to know what is going on with them in order to have a conversation and connection with them at all times. You are there for them because you want to help them, no matter how emotionally draining it is. Friendship is always a work in progress but when you've been working at it for a while, it can be very rewarding.
~Emma-Lynn Whimtan
Part 1: friendship
ReplyDeleteFor me, a good friend is someone that I can feel comfortable around. Someone I can be myself around without worrying about what that person will think of me. I good friend is someone that you can talk to about anything and they won’t judge you.
Friends should treat you as their equal. They shouldn’t go around thinking that they are more important and have authority over you. On the other hand, they shouldn’t worship you either. They can look up to you but I don’t think that someone worshiping another will build a good foundation for friendship.
There are several qualities that make a good friend but I believe that the most important is TRUST. You need to be able to trust your friend with anything. If not, it may lead to a broken friendship. An example from the novel is when Hannah and Jessica were friends. Jessica heard rumors about Hannah and even though Hannah denied them and said that they were not true, Jessica didn’t believe her.
That is a very good example of lack of trust leading to a broken friendship.
Part one:
ReplyDeleteThere are good friendships and there are bad friendships, we've all encountered them, I bet. The two are so different, yet so alike, it takes the little details to see.
A good friend, easy, what do you see as a good friend? What I see is lots in common, being inseperable, and most of all, loyalty and no judgement. Especially for teenagers, drama is bound to reach you, things get harder, maybe you're in a bad situation. The best thing you could have by then is a friend sticking by your side, watching your back. Even if they don't agree with your situation, they'll help you through it. That's what I see in a good friend.
Then there's bad friends... if you look close you'll see things are off. There's different ways that a friendship can be bad, perhaps with no loyalty, abandonment, and more. But the tough ones I believe, are the ones involved in peer pressure. With a nice attitude covering bad intentions, you could pull yourself onto the bad side. Maybe things illegal, or just plain bad things, and stuff you really don't want to do. Maybe even, you're not getting your right respect yet you don't leave this friend. Scenarios like this are hard to get out of, they can be like a vicious circle, best way to avoid them, know who you're friends with.
I think a good friend is someone who will accept your weaknesses and embrace your strengths. As well as people who will be there for you to listen and help you when you’re down. Sometimes, friends are simply people that you enjoy being around and you have fun with. I think it is important to have both these different types of friends. A bad friend, I think is someone who lies or does not have your back and goes against you. I think friendships start by engaging with people similar to you, and progressing to spending more time together. They end, by arguments or rumors, or fading away, I think. I personally have lost many friends by arguments, and have gained back many by talking it out, so nothing is ever for sure :)
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of Hannah so far in the novel is that she is a fairly average teenage girl with some unlucky situations, and cruel rumors about her. I think guys take advantage of her, and treat her badly, but so far people just start to believe the rumors over her. Such as Jessica, losing a friendship over hearing a rumor. My opinion of Hannah’s actions is that she did not do anything wrong during her last few months, just lived an average girls life. Now that she is gone, in her tapes, she acts very resentful, and angry towards the people in the tapes. I don’t think we have enough information yet to decide if that is necessary or not.
Part 2: Hannah
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of Hannnah so far in this novel is....wow. You know so far nothing seems to be bad enough to commit suicide over (this is just my opinion mind you). Yes, there will be rumours and they suck alot. Beleive me when i say that i have had my fair share of rumours about me. I mean look at what Justin did to her. He got cocky and braggy yes, but I mean comon. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend you really like some guys will brag about it. It's just a part of life. And comon, a list saying you have the "Best ass" or whatever, who honestly gives a damn? It's one little nerd who has no guts trying to A:get your attention or B: has no idea on how to get revenge. And Tyler, the peeping-tom, just close your window. Hannah so far is just crying over spilt milk when these things are just a part of life and unfortunately we have to put up with things like this everyday.
Part one,
ReplyDeleteA good friend is someone that listens to you and respects you for who YOU are. A bad friend is someone that goes behind your back and talks trash about you. Friendships can begin by anything, from meeting somewhere unexpected to bumping into each other in the hall and maybe take the same class together. They may even begin by joining a school team or being on the same competitive team. They can develop by talking to each other after school or hanging out with each other during school. Friendships may end by a disagreement, a fight, and maybe they grow apart from one another.
Part two,
My opinion of Hannah so far in this novel is that she is trying to get away from the nightmares of school and rumors. She fights to stay above the rumors, the lies, but she is pulled underneath and drowned from the rumors she tried to escape. My opinion of people’s actions towards her is that they understand the hard truth by listening to those tapes. They are crippled and dismayed by the tapes of truth, ridding the rumors that were in the listeners mind. My opinions of Hannah’s action are mixed because she committed suicide yet she made the tapes to tell the truth. Why didn’t she just called the cops or tell the principle of the problems that are going on instead of the path of suicide.
I've seen friendships happen between the most unlikely people in the most unlikely situations. Somehow something between them sparks and they are instantly "best friends", inseparable until someone else comes along, maybe three days later. This could happen again and again, they fall into a pattern of finding a new best friend, ditching them for someone new. Why do people do this? Why can't they just settle down and stay with one person? I think its because they're afraid of their flaws, they don’t want to be exposed for who they really are so they put on an outer shell and act all perfect, when they feel they’re starting to lose that shell they find a new friend. All this effort because they are afraid of themselves, they don't want to be exposed for who they really are.
ReplyDeletePart 2:Hannah
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of Hannah so far is that she’s interesting. She seems like she’s had a pretty normal life so far and it makes me wonder why she committed suicide and why she made the tapes. I think the peoples actions towards her were wrong, so far everyone on the tapes has done something that has effected her life in some way. For example the rumor that spread about her and Justin got everyone thinking she was a slut, the list that Andrew made that said that Hannah had the nicest ass, which gave boys an excuse to grab her butt and treat her like a piece of meat, and that also lead to Jessica punching her in the face. Also when Tyler was taking pictures of her through her window. All of these people could of handled the situations differently and then maybe Hannah wouldn’t of ended her life. Hannah’s actions seem pretty reasonable so far, except for when she was looking through Tyler’s window, that was kind of creepy. Other than that I think she handled the situations pretty well.
Danielle D
in response to shelby's part 1:
ReplyDeleteI completly agree about the little voice in your head telling you to back away from the person. The important thing is that you listen to that voice. If you're hanging out with someone and your conscience is telling you that something is wrong. It's best to stay away.
I also really liked your closing sentence: "Friendships start with a leap of faith." :)
Danielle-"You know you have found a good friend when you laugh about nothing with them and you can be your true self. "
ReplyDeleteI like this line and I completly agree. Someone you can be that comfortable with means a lot, and hopefully all the other components of a good friendship are there too. The hard part I find is when you have a friend you can be yourself around, but you still cannot trust them with a whole friendhip.
Austins post:
ReplyDeleteOnce they find a person who they can be truly themselves with then they have found their bestfriend. Some people find them sooner then others, you just have to try a few times and then they will find the right person who they feel totally comfortable with.
Danielle D
In response to Justin:
ReplyDeleteAs with Danielle, I would love to bring up a line that you said because I definitely agree with the meaning behind it. The line: "Sometimes, the availability of trustworthy friends are so low, that we fool ourselves into believing we can trust those previously deemed untrustworthy" really grabbed my attention.
Trust worthy friends are hard to find and it is especially frustrating when you are one of the "giving friends". You spend all your energy, time and love towards them, just to have them not not return the favour. I've been in that situation before. They were able to tell me everything and I kept it just between me and them. But, when I told them something one day, I ended up hearing it and having to discuss it with someone that I did not want to know about it. It made me quite angry and I definitely lost the trust of that friend.
Unfortuneatly, there is no way of knowing who you can trust and who you can't until you give them a piece of information. Sometimes you might not even know something is spread about you. It's a very tricky subject.
I hope everyone has that friend that they can trust because sometimes you need someone other than your parents to talk to. Normally kids your age can relate better. :)
~Emma-Lynn Whitman
Part One: Friendship
ReplyDeleteA good friend is someone you can trust with deepest secrets no matter what they are. They have no judgment towards you and they except you for who you are. Loyalty is word that is closely linked to friendship. When Hannah, Jessica and Alex were first new to the area they were friends and shared there days with each other at the café. But things change, people change and soon your friends change. Now they have friends more compatible for each other.
A bad friend is someone that you think is your friend but it turns out that they talk to you behind your back. This proves that they are a cowardly because they don’t have the guts to say anything to your face; they fear what will happen to them. They share all your private information that you trusted them with but were betrayed. After Hannah, Jessica and Alex had there fall out and stopped spending time together at the café. Alex was the one that wanted to get in Jessica’s head and mess with her. The only person he knew that he could put beside Jessica on the list was Hannah. This was the end of their friendship.
Part Two: Hannah
So far I think that people only saw Hannah for what everyone else made her to be. Hannah was made-up, fake, and phony because everyone saw her as the rumors, nobody had an interest in learning about the real Hannah. People for that reason took advantage of her because she had this reputation of being a “slut”. And as we all know sluts are easy and give you what you want but Hannah was not like this. People used Hannah for their own sick games. Example Hannah and Justin at the park all they did was kiss and nothing more but that’s not a juice story so Justin had to add false information and created the rumor that started it all.
Part two:
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of Hannah so far in the novel hasn't changed for the four cassette tapes I've heard of her. Yes, I pity her greatly for an emotional life dealing with friends, peeking toms, rumors, it pains me to hear that her life has lead her to ending her life.
But I feel that four reasons haven't convinced me that she needed to kill herself. I won't sugarcoat my response here, countless teens deal with rumors like she had, we all have friend drama-some with the violent act like she had too, a peeking tom was very severe case that made her paranoid, but was that a reason to kill herself?
I think she has yet to use her next nine reasons to convince me that she had to swallow pills.
Part One: Friendship
ReplyDelete-What makes a good friend? A Bad one?
I think a good friend is someone who is always there when you need them. Whether your going through a break up or just want to talk, they’re there to listen. In a good friend I look for a supportive, trustworthy person. Someone who accepts you for who you are, even when you're being a butthead. I think honesty takes a big part in a friendship. I also think that having a sense of adventure and willingness to bring out the best in each other makes a great friendship.
In response to Sarah (Part one),
ReplyDeleteYes there are bad and good friendships, there are people that honestly don’t give whatever for you, and there are people that would put their life in danger for you. I agree that good friends are those people that stick by your side in hard times and help you through it. Then there are those people that would push you into the street when cars are rushing by. People don’t need friends like that. I agree with you being that a bad friend is someone with no loyalty, they leave you and yes many more things.
Jacob K.
Part One: What makes a good friend? A Bad one?
ReplyDeleteWhat makes a good friend? Well that is up to the person. For me, I want someone I can tell everything to. Someone that will let me cry on their shoulder or watch scary movies with. Or even pee my pants with at 5 o’clock in the morning… They are someone that has been there for 5 years and will be there for 500 more! They just walk into your house like its theirs and calls your parents, mom and dad. I’m one of the lucky ones because I have the best friend ever. Not gunna lie, she pisses me off sometimes. But I would rather be mad for five minutes then not have her in my life at all.
I’ve had both good and bad friends. A bad friend is someone that you hate hanging out with. Someone that doesn’t listen to your problems and that you can’t trust. Someone that constantly disregards your feelings, and puts you last.
You’re so lucky if you have an amazing friend. I’m thankful for mine! J
Part Two: What is your opinion of Hannah SO FAR in the novel?
To me she seems just like any other teenage girl. She’s had a boy she’s crazy for, had rumors spread about her, dealt with drama and silly teenage boys. Her life seems exactly like any other. Except for the suicide. I feel so sorry for anybody that has thought about or has attempted suicide. No one should have to be pushed that far. Unfortunately Hannah was. So far though it doesn’t seem that bad. Yeah, there were rumors of her being a slut and had a peeping Tom. Both are kind of things that will hopefully blow over. Maybe there is more that we haven’t heard yet. But to me she just seems like any other teenage girl.
~Becca
Part One: Friendship
ReplyDeleteA good friend is someone that listens to you, helps you with your problems, and is always there when you need them. In the novel Hannah, Jessica, Alex had a good friendship when they all hung out at Monet’s and talked to each other. But good things don’t last forever, people move on.
A bad friend is someone who you think you can talk to but they just share your private information with a bunch of other people. Or they never want to spend time with you and just use you for something…like to get closer to someone else. Sometimes they are even just mean to your face. After Hannah, Jessica, and Alex’s initial friendship they struggled to maintain it. Soon after they lost their friendship all to together, and were no longer friends. They started off by just not talking to each other, until the list came out. Alex’s list really hurt Jessica. He knew if he but Hannah’s name beside her on the list that she would be really hurt…so he did it.
Part Two: Hannah
I know Hannah was sure of one thing. She wanted the people who influenced her suicide to know why they were apart of it. So far I’m not quite understanding how these few things made her kill herself, but I know we are only at the beginning and its only going to get worse. She seemed fake because she did nothing to prove anybody otherwise. At the park Hannah and Justin only kissed, but the rumor spread said that it was more than that. Hannah couldn’t have done anything to stop the rumor because as you know it’s virtually impossible, she could have done something to prove them wrong, but she didn’t. But she did do one thing right…she believed in herself. She knew nothing more happened with Justin and that’s all that really mattered. Although if she didn’t want people to think of her as a “slut” she should have proved them wrong.
Jennifer
Shelby's post Part 1:
ReplyDeletei totally agree with what she is saying, because without honesty you can't have trust and without trust you don't have a friendship. Honesty is a huge part because a friend should never have to lie to you.
Part two:
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Hannah has not done nearly enough preventative measure to protect herself from these rumors. She let people walk all over her. All the rumors that were said about her, it didn’t sound like she really tried to make them stop, she just wanted an excuse for attention and an excuse to feel bad for herself. She's letting these things happen, it's not like she's oblivious. Hannah will reach a breaking point, she can't keep up this masquerade forever, eventually she is going to snap at someone and put her reputation beyond repair.
Emma-Lynn Part One:
ReplyDeleteWhen people change as they get older the friendship may not work out anymore. The friends usually slowly break away. Therefore i agree :)
To Luke,
ReplyDeleteHow do you know what's worth taking your life or not? Do you have this made up list of every check point someone needs before they're allowed to commit suicide? Have you ever dealt with this everyday? Girls are treated much differently than guys, so really you have no idea...
In response to Courtney (Part one),
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely, a good friend is someone that is there for you, whenever you may need them. Its great to have a friend to butt heads with knowing that you’re only joking, and being that someone to compete with. Overall I think this is a great response and a true friend is someone that you have described.
Jacob K.
Part one; what makes a good friend? A bad one?
ReplyDeleteA good friend is someone you can depend on. Someone you can talk about anything with and feel comfortable. A good friend will always help you out and get you out of the tough situations. They will be there for you when you need them, a shoulder to cry on. When someone is a good friend, they are like a sister or brother to you. I am lucky enough to have a best friend that is like a sister to me. They are someone you can share your secrets with, watch scary movies, hang out every day and not get tired of them, call each other names and burst out laughing, and just talk to about anything.
A bad friend on the other hand is someone who you don’t want to be friends with. They will often say that you can trust them. They will only be there when they want something, and after they get it, they leave and never talk to you again. Unfortunately I have been in this situation too, and it’s not fun. You think they are your friends, but really they are just acting. As soon as they get what they want, they are going to leave you. You think they are just mad about something you did or said, but it’s really that they have just lost interest and they have moved on to go lie to someone else.
A bad friend is also someone who will go after your ex even though you asked them not to. Or they will go after the guy you like, and even after you tell them that you like this guy, they continue to do so and completely ignore you. This “friend” will go and hang out with your boyfriend and flirt with him and tell him to break up with his girlfriend and go out with her. This is not the kind of friend you want to have. If you have a friend like this I would advise you to talk to them or just not be friends with them anymore because what they do can lead you to a lot of emotional pain.
Part two; what is your opinion of people's actions towards her?
So far in the tapes, Hannah has explained what a few people have done and said to her. I think that a lot of the things done to her are uncalled for and should have never happened. You don’t treat people like they are nothing. What Tyler did, being a peeping tom, was a violation of her privacy and she was smart for scaring him and chasing him off. She should have called the cops though, that is what I would have done. Some of the things people did were just plain mean. Like spreading rumors and lies about her. Those could have stuck with her for the rest of her life, if she hadn’t ended it because of them.
I bet if people had treated her better, she might not have committed suicide. It wasn’t like it was SO bad she had to kill herself, and I don’t see it as a way out, but she should have gone and talked to someone about it, it helps.
- Heather
- How/Why do friendships begin? How/Why do they develop? How/Why do they end?
ReplyDelete- They begin with in-common things and same school, classes, sports teams, activities together. Same interests and same personalities. Why they Develop is because over time because they get to know each other really well and begin to trust each other with secrets. Friendships can end from rumors and lies in between them. They can also end with people moving away, distance breaks up friendship. Some people try really hard with long-distance relationships, but it doesn’t work unless you visit or have a very strong friendship. But they can also end very easily with rumors, gossip, and jealously.
- What is your opinion of Hannah's actions? (During the events and during her tapes)
- I think it was really good for Hannah to do these tapes before she killed herself (not that it was good for her to kill herself). I think that because it was good to make the people who drove her to doing that to feel bad and change the way people act towards others in the future and to make the world a better place, To put a stop to bullying.
Amy & KIARA.
Sarahs post:
ReplyDeleteI agree, so far her life isn’t all that bad, she's really trying to make her situation sound so much worse than anyone else’s, what about the other girls in that school? Have there been NO rumors about them? I'm sure there have been but Hannah is yet to give some better reasons for killing herself.
In response to Sarah (Part Two)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. So far there isnt anything that has made me feel like a legit reason to kill herself. She seems like any other teenage girl. We have all been through the same stuff. And so far there is nothing so tragic that she would have to kill herself.
In response to Shalisa’s Part 1
ReplyDelete“Friends should treat you as their equal.” I totally agree with you so many times people see themselves as better then everyone and then you see cliques with the “leader” and everyone follows that person. They all have to look similar and act similar too.
Caitlyn B.
To Jen's part two:
ReplyDeleteThis has been my favourite part two comment so far. I agree with you when you say that she really couldn't have done anything differently. If you think about it, what could she have done to prove her innocence?
To Heather,
ReplyDeleteI agree.
Love you :)
Part 2: Hannah
ReplyDeleteI have many questions about Hannah. She confuses me.
Why did she make the tapes? Why did she feel the need to make them feel guilty and responsible for her suicide? I mean, in the story, she’s dead. Why make others feel responsible for her death if she’s already gone?? Why did she commit suicide in the first place?
I think Hannah is selfish. It’s almost like she’s trying to prove a point to those people on the tapes. It’s like she’s saying: “this is what you did to me and how you treated me and now, I killed myself because of it!”
In response to Austin Part 2
ReplyDeleteI agree with the line “She let people walk all over her.” People are just looking for an easy target they can take advantage of, which was in this case Hannah. Hannah never tried to stop anything that was going on but it would also be difficult to stop what people think and act because of something they heard.
Caitlyn B.
Response to Emma-Lynn Whitman’s part 1
ReplyDeleteFriendships are great when they last, but I agree with you about how they end. There is nothing quite as side as watching yourself drift away from an old friend. Good friends are hard to come by.
And my response to part 2…
There is no doubt in my mind that Hannah is the type of girl that gets pushed around easily. The first couple of people that got on the list only really half-deserved it, the things they did wrong were not meant to hurt Hannah specifically. They were usually meant as a joke or to improve their image.
Nobody stands up for people like her. It’s sad, but true. There are a lot of people that could go out of there way to bring a smile to a friend or even a stranger’s face, but they don’t. I can’t even count the number of missed opportunities I myself have had to do it. That being said, in the end, one of the biggest reasons Hannah killed herself, was because of Hannah.
-Justin Jordan
Response to Luke Burton’s Part 1 post:
ReplyDeleteDifferences in friendships are what make them interesting. I’ve yet to see a pair of pals who were completely and utterly opposite to one another, and I will never see a good relationship between two complete equals. Good friendships are nice to have, but great friendships, the ones that make you laugh, last a lifetime.
Response to Caitlyn Barry’s Part 2:
Justin started Hannah off on the wrong foot. I couldn’t imagine moving to a new place and being hated instantly by half my peers and stared at by all the rest. All Justin did was try and make himself look like a bit of a stud, but the unintended result of his tall tale was effectively locking Hannah out from the socially acceptable crowd. He started the ‘snowball’ constantly referenced in the novel.
-Justin
Part 1: Friendship
ReplyDeleteI think the definition of a “good friend” is different for everyone. For me, a good friend is someone that you are comfortable with. You need to trust your friend, and they should trust you. That is the basis of friendship. Everything else is just personal preference in what we want in a friend.
As well, the definition of a “bad friend” changes from person to person, but there are usually some common characteristics. A bad friend is usually the opposite of a good friend, can’t be trusted and makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. A bad friend probably wouldn’t be there for you or be sympathetic. They might be blowing you off all the time for their other friends, and might not enjoy your presence. Someone who uses you is a bad friend. In the novel, Alex is an example of a bad friend. Even though he was never really good friends with either Hannah or Jessica, they were friendly and there for each other. But then he stopped meeting up with them and he and wrote the Who’s Hot/Who’s Not list, hurting the girls and starting a domino effect.
IN response to Shalisa- Why did she feel the need to make them feel guilty and responsible for her suicide? I mean, in the story, she’s dead.
ReplyDeleteVery good point and I hope we get more details in the book! It's almost as if what's done is done, there is no point guilting everyone else over her death when it was her choice to take her own life. Good point :)
Luke Friendship:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Luke 100%. Also A friendship there has to be full commitment on both sides in order for it to work.
In response to Amy and Kiara: “They can also end with people moving away, distance breaks up friendship. Some people try really hard with long-distance relationships, but it doesn’t work unless you visit or have a very strong friendship.”
ReplyDeleteI agree with distance breaking up friendships and I can totally relate. I had a best friend as a child that I did everything with and I mean EVERYTHING! Then I moved to Victoria which is really far away from her. I don’t even keep in contact her anymore. I don’t think I’ve talked to her in over a year… As much as you want to keep your long distance relationships, it’s very difficult because your lives are completely different and you usually get busy and don’t have time to call them.
Part One:
ReplyDeleteTo me, a good friend is someone who laughs at the same things as you and is a good listener. Someone who doesn't interupt you all the time and cares about your opinion. I think a lot of friendships start by chance. Like when you meet one of your friends friends, or you end up sitting next to someone you don't know. A major cause of friendships ending is either when you get in a big fight or you just stop making the effort to hang out with them.
Marie
Part Two:
ReplyDeleteI think Hannah should let people know how she feels. When she gets upset about something, she doesn't display it the way most people would. For example, at Rosie's with that guy who was touching her leg; most girls would just knock his hand off, call him something rude and leave. Hannah made it sound like a much bigger deal than that. And she didn't deal with the problem very well at all. Infact she confused some other guy with her abnormal reaction into thinking she was ignoring him. If she reacted to events like a normal person, I don't think she would have as many problems.
Marie
Response to Sarah:
ReplyDeleteI think it's going to get a lot worse for Hannah and that events are going to get more tramatizing(for lack of a better word.) But I do think that what ever terrible thing happens to is not going to happen entirely because of bad luck. Hannah is acting really weird so it is more likely that she might do something weird that could in turn cause something bad to happen to her. Basically I think the tapes are going to get worse but that it will probably be partially her own fault, (cause she's kind of crazy.)
Marie
Response to Jennifer Part Two:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Hannah really should have done somhing about the rumors. If I heard a rumor about someone and then they came and told me it wasn't true and why, I probably wouldn't think it was true. Hannah just stood around, took it and thought less of everyone who believed it.
Marie
Part uno:
ReplyDeleteFriendships begin without notice, and I think we're all aware of that. They say you can pick your friends, which I suppose is partially true, but you don't see people somewhere randomly and state to yourself "I am going to be best friends with that person because I am chosing so." All of my friendships have been surprises. But really, who's hasn't? I don't believe there's really such thing as a "bad" friend, for if they are treating you like crap then they're not really your friend. The good qualities in friends are the obvious... trust, loyalty all that regular stuff. You could still have a friend with all the typical "good" qualities, but I think it means nothing if they're not genuine.
Part dos:
Since I'm responding to this post late, and we're finished the novel in class, I am going to state my opinion on Hannah as a whole. Personally, I connected to Hannah. I could understand what she was feeling and what she was going through, but all in the same I found her rather selfish and her reactions too large. I wish she could've seen the bigger picture and focus on the positives. The way people acted towards her was enough to make any normal person hurt the way she did. But once again, that leads me to the "bigger picture" topic. There's always more life left to go. People can be horrible, and life's full of crap. You can't let it get to you. My opinion is not going to be stated on Hannah's actions, but what her action's weren't. It would've been a lot easier on her if she ignored what was being said and kept going on with her life with a smile. Easier said than done? Trust me, I'm aware. But nothing's impossible. And for the people that try to bring you down, nothing annoys them most than a smile.
I think a good friend is someone who is always there for you. You can tell him or her everything what has happened in your life and he or she will understand you. A friend makes you laugh even if you were crying five minutes ago. They help you living your life and to master all problems. You can trust them and they can trust you. It's hard to find a good friend but it's easy to lose them. You won't find many of them, they're special and when you found somebody do everything to hold them. A friendship begins with a smile. You talk and then you see if you have the same interests and the same view of things. You start to tell them a secret and if you can trust them you will tell them more and more. A friendship can end when one of the friends wasn't true or spread rumours about you. When you can't trust them anymore it's difficult to win the trust back. It's nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteI think Hannah is a little bit to hard to the people in her environment and she sees just the bad things. I wouldn't have killed myself based on her problems. I think she took the actions to personal.
@ Marie:
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. She has a difficult personality and if she had told somebody about her feelings she maybe wouldn't have killed herself.
In response to Courtney's part one:
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't have described it in a better way. It's exactly my opinion of a good friend.
When asked what is a friend? How a friendship starts and why? I could never answer. For me things just fall in place. Especially when I don't try. A friend is just that I guess. Someone who you can sit back and have fun with when you aren't trying too. I guess if you want to get literal a friendship probably starts with an introduction.
ReplyDeleteI think of Hannah as a lost soul. She takes things to heart. Takes things too personal. Over thinks even the smallest detail. Never even leaves the most unpopular nuance alone. In her place... I know her place. It sucks being the new kid but I have always been able to drift and fit in somewhere. Maybe she just keeps walls up? Walls that she doesn't mean to keep up. How are your walls?
-Devon
Response to Julia S.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
I dont think i have ever fully understood suicide.
Such as the thoughts of those thinking of committing it.
How could someone do that to themselves, throwing there whole life away, everything they've ever worked for.
Its hurts me and how much that could effect their family and friends.
Part two: Hannah
ReplyDeleteI feel that Hannah is a normal teenager.
So far in the novel she is going through alot of which many teens are going through today.
Theres gossip and drama, with boys, family, friends.
She seems so innocent and i find it disappointing that she ends up taking her own life, in a sort of effortlessly way.
I would really like to know what really made her decide to finally end her life, since so far her stories to me havent seemed very drastic.
I also want to know how everyone she chose to send her tapes to, fit into her story and what kind of impact they had on her decisions.
I think Hannah should have reached out more, i feel she didnt try very hard to seek for help with her condition.
A good friend is someone who will support you and hear you out. They won't judge
ReplyDeleteyou on something that they hear about you, they'll verify it with you first. Bad friends
won't consider your feelings before going through with a plan and sometimes will put you
into uncomfortable situations.
Friendships begin in all varieties of ways; You could be going into kindergarten,
or you could be starting your first job, maybe going to a party, or through other friends.
They develop through experience, and they could end due to many causes; for example, you
could have a huge blow up and never want to speak to each other again. Not always the case,
sometimes you just grow apart, hang out with different people, but still remain friends to
some extent or another.
Personally, I don't like Hannah. She seems to have had a chemical imbalance that if
cured could have saved her life. I think she took too much to heart, and was too critical
of other peoples' actions; just because somebody is coming onto you and another person doesn't
stop it, doesn't mean you kill yourself. You tell those bystanders what A**holes they are and
get on with it.
I think people could have been nicer to Hannah, but it wasn't like you take into
consideration whether this person might wanna off themselves when put through too much. It
was human nature to poke fun at Hannah, I should know as an all-the-time peer roaster. Its
just to poke fun at their insecurities so that they can shrug it off and laugh about it as
well. Not purely, its partially for my own amusement, but I'm not hurtful or malicious.
And neither were Hannah's classmates and peers.
In the beginning, I had respect for Hannah, but there were a couple shady decisions
I noticed her make; one, I would never make out with a girl on my bed in the hopes of a
peeping tom catching a couple of hot shots. Nor would I have dirty sex in a hot tub with
another girl practically witnessing it. I think that in some ways she was hard done by, but
I am biased as well as I do not under any circumstances believe in suicide as a way out ever.
Her poor parents would have gone through hell and back, and I couldn't imagine if my daughter
were ever that unhappy.
By the way Ms Frodsham, this is Diana, I'm just using this account for Romeo & Juliet too.