TASK #1 Textual Analysis

Suicide scene

https://vimeo.com/215612874

Media Language and Forms (inc CLAMPS)

At the beginning of the scene we hear Clay's voice narrating the events that unfolded, the day Hannah decided to commit suicide- "...she went back home, put on some old clothes". She turns the bathroom tap on and pick us a "box of razor blades, that she got from her parents store". In this shot we see her examining the blade, and feeling the sharpness of it with her thumb. She stares into the mirror with a blank expression, fitting the dull/ gloomy mood of the bathroom setting. Her grey top (which appears to be worn backwards) signifies her lack of attention to her appearance and suggests that she does not want to be associated with a typical high school girl. However her brightly colored, ultramarine, nail polish reinforces the particularly feminine traits of her character. Perhaps, the portrayal of this femininity, is significant as it shows how the issues she faced were specifically associated with her gender e.g rape, verbal abuse, sexualisation of her body. 

Next, a close up is used to show her expressionless face. This creates a sense of identification and makes the audience feel guilty, as she looks directly into the camera.Her pale skin and short hair makes her appear quite lifeless and doll-like, which could foreshadow her death. She then proceeds to slit her wrists with the blade and cries out in pain. With her whole body quivering she lays in the bathtub until she bleeds to death.The size of the blade compared to the overall severity and impact of the scene is quite effective and makes the viewer feel quite distressed and uncomfortable. The connotations of this show how the discrimination shes faced has left her helpless and alone. We could also infer that she is quite hesitant as she takes her time to come to grips with the situation- this is shown by the way she sits in the bathtub for a while before using the blade. 

The significance of the scene is that its a culmination of all the mistreatment she has received in her life- the element of loneliness and solitude ultimately shows us how she feels after being hurt by others. Her body language and facial expressions change throughout the scene and reflect her attitude towards her mistreatment. When she begins to cut herself she starts to groan/cry out in pain, and then slowly begins to breathe at a steady rate and lie down in the bathtub. This transition could possibly mimic the process in which she receives mistreatment- at first she is upset or affected badly by the situation, but ends up ''bottling up'' her emotions.

The scene uses high key lighting and allows the viewer to see the severity of her cuts, which makes the scene difficult to watch. The color of the bathroom (white) connotes emptiness and innocence, all of which contribute to the depressing scene and voiceover (by the character Clay Jensen). Also the contrast between the white bathroom and the red blood is quite significant. Medium long shots of the bathtub are used to show the setting clearly and allow the viewer to perceive the bathtub as her resting place/ coffin. The scene uses the dialogue from another scene where Clay Jensen is explaining Hannah's story to the school's guidance Councillor. The words ''she died alone'' and ''you could have helped'' are effectively paired up with the visuals in the suicide scene and make the audience feel as if they are part of the narrative. The iconography of the blade and blood is relevant to the major themes of the text, as it links to suicide

Institutions

It was produced by July Moon Productions, Kicked to the Curb Productions, Anonymous Content, and Paramount TV. Anonymous Content is known for producing other popular TV shows of a similar genre e.g Mr Robot (2015) and True Detective (2014). You could argue that all shows revolve around similar themes and ideologies. Just like Hannah's character in 13 Reasons Why, the character of Elliot Alderson in Mr Robot also experiences psychological issues, however they are mostly influenced by his drug abuse. Furthermore in True Detective, the first season is seen to have revolved around themes of ''philosophical pessimism''- which explores the idea of various individuals constantly viewing the world in an ''anti-optimistic manner.'' This could be relevant to Hannah's character in 13 Reasons Why as she sees everyone in her school as unhelpful and disrespectful. 

The show was distributed by Netflix (an American entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph), which has become an increasingly popular in the last few years, with a range of shows that have gained a lot of controversy e.g Narcos, The Get Down. Therefore the availability of the show on an increasingly popular platform, like Netflix makes it susceptible to controversy. Netflix is a commercial institution as it is only available to Netflix customers. Keeping in mind the issues with piracy and illegal online streaming services, those who are not entitled to a Netflix membership may find other ways of accessing the show as it is quite popular.

There have been some debates over Netflix and how they still aired the series in the UK, even though it was restricted due to the explicit sexual/violent scenes, which could be seen as quite disturbing. However the show is said to have a ''warning'' displayed before their episodes (especially towards the last few episodes) to warn audiences of the explicit content/references to suicide. 

Genre

The show is a hybrid between teen drama and mystery. It is based on the novel, of the same name, written by Jay Asher, which was published in 2007. The major generic conventions of the text are that it revolves around high school students and their struggle with typical teenage psychological issues e.g depression and peer pressure. It also explores the contrast between ''life at home and at school'', which is often touched upon in various teen dramas such as ''Freaks and Geeks''(1999-2000) and ''My So-Called Life''(1994-95). 

The text includes typical iconography such as the use of smartphones and messaging apps. This links to themes of cyber bullying and how rumors can affect the lives of teenagers in high school. This concept is explored in various episodes throughout the series.  There are also some scenes in the show which depict rape and other sexual acts, that are only appropriate for mature audiences (hence the show being rated 17+). This could also be seen as a typical theme in teen dramas as they usually explore sexual themes, to appeal to the target demographic. 

Representation

In the clip we see Hannah Baker as a vulnerable, depressed teenager, who's only option is to commit suicide after being ''mistreated'' by the people in her school. She is represented like this to show viewers that treating someone badly can affect the person's life and may lead them to thinking that they are inferior to others and unimportant. It only follows the story of one person and essentially ''stereotypes'' victims of suicide/ depression. This links to Dyer's theory of how ''those with power stereotype the less powerful'', as the teen dramas always portray the youth as vulnerable people, who are incapable of dealing with their own problems.This essentially could lead to ideas that suggest the show is glorifying suicide or even suggesting that a victim does not have any other options when faced with mistreatment. This could have possibly been done to fit the dominant ideology of these ''depressed/troubled'' teenagers and meet the social needs of society, by convincing them that something is being done to help young people who are having suicidal thoughts.

Audience

The show is aimed at young adults (15-29), who are mostly female. Since the show is set in a high school/college, it would be aimed at people who are currently attending a school, as they show is intended to inform young adults about the issues with discrimination/ bullying. In terms of psychographics, the target audience would mostly consist of explorers as the are educated enough to comprehend the various issues and debates that the show is expressing, which is specifically aimed at a young group. 

The show assumes, that the audience have an awareness of the certain issues that are mentioned  e.g sexual harassment and bullying. They also expect that the audience are encouraged to act against any form of discrimination that may cause someone to take their life. Therefore by portraying the different ways in which someone can ''be pushed to the limit'', audiences become more aware of how they act towards other individuals, especially in a cruel way. 

Since the show is aimed at young adults, the idea of broadcasting it in on an increasingly popular platform like Netflix, plays a major role in the amount of views/streams it gets. The audience is mostly likely to consume the text on devices such as their phone, PC or tablet, as well as on TV. This could possibly impact the formal characteristics of the text as the show may just be a form of entertainment for some viewers (Uses and Gratifications). This could therefore divert the viewer away from its contextual meaning, and instead to its visual appeal.

The preferred reading of the show would be that there are many ways in which your actions can affect others. It also reflects on the lives of different individuals- we see characters of different backgrounds, some being more privileged than others. It is essentially a campaign on tackling discrimination/bullying in schools. However the oppositional reading could be that young people are vulnerable, and are easily influenced by actions of others. Some audiences have even criticized the show for ''romanticizing'' suicide,as it could possibly show someone how and why they should take their own life, based on a limited number of reasons. 

One of the audience pleasures could be that the show is quite dramatic and in turn it becomes a source of entertainment for some viewers. The narrative resolution is also another audience pleasure as, we find out in each episode why a certain individual has contributed to the death of the main character. In terms of uses and gratifications(Blumler and Katz), the show fall into all categories as it is a source of entertainment and surveillance and allows the audience to identify with the characters and provoke interaction between with other member of the audience.

Ideologies and Values

The major values and ideologies underpinning the text are that most teenagers/young adults in school either experienced or have been involved in issues such as bullying and discrimination. It also highlights the idea of the ''marginalized youth''- the adults in the show don't pay attention to the lives and actions of the teenagers, until the main character kills herself. 

The suicide scene purposely showed Hannah cutting herself, and crying out in pain to make the audience feel uncomfortable and shocked. By showing these explicit scenes, older audiences (or possibly even younger ones) could be shocked at how easy it is to harm yourself and how someone could choose to take their own life in this way. 

The current issues that the show explores, that fit into the political landscape, would be the issue of drugs, and their availability and usage amongst a young demographic. The show includes characters that have drinking/ drug problems, which affect their behavior towards other characters in the show. Another issue could possibly be the type of education, teenagers receive at school - especially regarding subjects that teach students about social issues. Usually, schools offer lectures/assemblies on bullying and other issues concerning young people. 

Narrative

The extract shows a non-linear narrative as the scene switches back and forth from the suicide scene to Clay Jensen's explanation to the guidance Councillor. However in terms of the suicide scene it is structured chronologically to show the horrifying process. The audience are positioned as the witnesses of Hannah's suicide, and at certain points maybe even the villains. The close up of Hannah looking into the camera, along with the dialogue ''you could of done something'' (even though this comment is directed at the schools Councillor) make the audience feel as if they contributed to the death of Hannah and could have essentially been one of the ''reasons why''.

The character of Clay Jensen is delineated as the hero in the narrative- throughout the series he tries to avenge Hannah's death by treating the people that ''hurt'' Hannah, the way they treated her. He also represents the audience as he tries to piece together and find out why Hannah killed herself. In the end, his monologue is essentially how the audience feel at this particular stage once all the stories have been revealed. The audience may feel quite alienated in the suicide scene as it involves the main character, Hannah in her room alone. It almost feels as if the audience are in the room with her , but cannot do anything to save her from killing herself. This use of identification in the scene makes it more gripping and intense, and essentially adds to the horror of the suicide. 

The scene uses the dialogue from another scene where Clay Jensen is explaining Hannah's story to the school's guidance Councillor. The words ''she died alone'' and ''you could have helped'' are effectively paired up with the visuals in the suicide scene and make the audience feel as if they are part of the narrative. The scene does not include music or a soundtrack, which is usually a typical convention in teen dramas, as it is intended to make the audience feel uncomfortable by hearing the ''reality'' of the situation. The major themes of the narrative are suicide and the impact it has on the victims life- it affects the people they have known for example their family and friends. It also explores issues during her life and could possibly infer that they are most vulnerable when it comes to bullying. 

Hallway scene 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ZUpyFpJHo

Media Language and Forms

At the start of the scene the school's guidance Councillor introduces Clay to the foreign exchange student. The ethnicities of the students show the diversity amongst the characters in the show and can also provide a sense of identification for viewers. Their role as foreign exchange students also mimics the role the audience play when watching the show, as we also feel as if we need an insight into what the school is like. The typical representation of high school students is shown through the characters' costume, facial expressions. Their outfits are typical of those of teenagers, and show the various personalities of each character in the school. This iconography is common in most teen dramas, that are set in high school as the characters appearance determines what kind of person they are. For example, Courtney's character wears smart-casual attire, this is because she is a member of the "honor board" and other academic clubs. When Courtney states that the tour provides "all the secrets you need to know", Clays expression, suggests that he is determined to inform everyone on the story of Hannah's death. The line essentially foreshadows Clays monologue in the clip and ironically reveals the "secrets"of Liberty High. 

Next, Clay goes on to introduce two of the main characters of the show, Justin Foley and Zack Dempsey. Clay introduces them as the ones that "own the school"- which hints at their significant role in Hannah's suicide. As the popular boys of the school, their superior status is challenged by Clay, an average student, who is portrayed as the protagonist in this scene. This fits in with the dominant ideology of teen dramas as the popular students are always seen as the stuck up and intimidating group, whereas in this clip, Clay stands up fro what he believes in an makes an intense speech about the topic of suicide. 

The medium close ups and tracking shots of Clay making a dramatic speech in the hallway, shows us how determined he is to expose the truth behind all the lies. He even stops Justin from interrupting him, as he gets louder and angrier. Clay states that "everyone is so nice until they drive you to kill yourself", in itself portrays the way in which each character contributes to the death of Hannah.

Towards the end we see Clay being told to meet the councillor in his office. The councillors costume connotes the severity of the situation. He is seen wearing a red jumper- the colour red could possibly signify the threat that Clay has imposed on himself, now that he has exposed the people in his school. It could also signify blood and in turn the suicide of Hannah- Clay feels as if he has blood on his hands, now that he knows the truth about what really happened to her.  His line at the end, " Welcome to liberty high" along with a sarcastic smiling expression, completely contrasts the mood of the scene. Indeed the name of the school- Liberty High-goes against it's own name as the students in the school are not really part of a "liberated" environment. They don't have as much freedom as they do, which could possibly be why Hannah deeply resented the school for not helping her out when she was depressed. Furthermore, the medium- long shot at the end of the main characters in the show, foreshadow the events that unfolded throughout the series. We see characters such as Zach Dempsey, Justin Foley, and Courtney, who have all been one of the "reasons why" Hannah committed suicide. The soundtrack over this particular shot is similar to that of one in a thriller (composed of string instruments). The louder the soundtrack gets the more tension that builds ups.