Thirteen Reasons Why Throughout Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons

Alex Standall in Thirteen Reasons Why Throughout Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons Why, he has demonstrated to the reader how one’s inability to make rational decisions can lead to another individual’s suicide. Over the course of the novel, the reader follows the events in the life of the protagonist, Hannah Baker that have led to her tragic suicide. One can argue that secondary character, Alex Standall plays a significant role in the story, and in Hannah Baker’s suicide, as none of the events would have occurred had it not been for Alex’s list. To begin with, like Hannah Baker, Alex Standall is a new student at Crestmont high school. The two immediately become friends, alongside Jessica Davis. Arguably, Alex can be described as a cruel, sneaky boy, who is very close-minded. The reason why Alex is on Hannah’s list of people, who contributed to her suicide is because of a list he created in their freshman year. Alex’s “who’s hot/who’s not” list was supposed to be a way of getting back at his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Davis.

Alex placed Hannah’s name for the “best ass in freshman year.” This shows that Alex will do anything to get revenge making him a very vengeful, impulsive decision maker. As Hannah states “Okay. I just looked over every name- every story- that completes these tapes. And guess what. Every single event documented here may never have happened had you, Alex not written my name on that list” (Asher Page 41). This clearly shows that Alex contributed to all that occurred in Hannah’s life. Hannah believes that if Alex was capable of seeing the impact of the list on her life, he would not have created the list and as a result none of the tragic events (including her suicide) would have occurred. Additionally, as Hannah Baker said herself “It gives people- some people- the go-ahead to treat you like nothing but that specific body part” (Asher Page 44).

By putting her name on that list it allows people to think it is okay to take advantage of them, and that is exactly what people did. In the story a guy came along and smacked Hannah’s behind while she was at the cash register in a store and then says “Best Ass in the freshman class, Wally. Standing right here in your store!” (Asher Page 48) That guy had no right to do what he did, and maybe he would have done it otherwise but that list gave him an excuse to take advantage of the situation. However, not only did this list give a guy an excuse to take advantage of Hannah Baker but it broke a friendship, a friendship between Hannah Baker and Jessica Davis, the other new girl in town. The list didn’t only have Hannah’s name on it but on the opposite side was Jessica Davis’s name under “Who’s Not”. Later on in the novel the author makes it clear that Alex was making the list to get back at Jessica because of their complicated break-up. Alex needed a name to put opposite of Jessica’s and he knew Hannah’s name would bother Jessica more than anything. Therefore Alex made the immature decision without thinking rationally. Jessica accused Hannah for their break up and left a scar of her fingernail above Hannah’s eyebrow.

As Hannah said herself “It’s a knife in the back because you would rather believe some made-up rumor than what you knew to be true” (Asher Page 68) and Jessica did believe that rumor because of Alex, leading to the end of Hannah Baker and Jessica Davis’s friendship. Furthermore, the list gave Hannah a bad reputation in her school. Like most teenagers Hannah grew tired of all the rumors and accusations. Eventually, Hannah let the reputation people gave her catch up to her. The night before Hannah Baker killed herself she went to an after party where she was sexually harassed, but this time she didn’t stop it.

The boy mentioned the list again, but instead of putting a stop to it she let him say it and touch her inappropriately. She was just too fed up with everyone. “I let my reputation become me-” (Asher Page 265). This shows how dramatically a list can change the way people perceive you. According to Charles Cooley’s “looking glass self” theory, “we become what people see us as”. In Hannah’s case, she also did the same as she eventually gave up in the end and became what people saw her as. Hence, it is evident that although Alex Standall is a minor character in Thirteen Reasons Why, he plays a significant role in the story and in Hannah Baker’s life, as he is arguably the reason why she was sexually harassed twice, and lost a close friend.