Thirteen Reasons Why Chapter Summary & Analysis - Prologue Summary

Prologue Summary

This novel for young people explores the issue of teen suicide by telling the stories of two people - freshmen Hannah, who kills herself after enduring what she sees as months of torment by her fellow students, and fellow freshman Clay, attracted to Hannah but unable to help her ease her suffering. As its intertwining narrative lines explore questions related to the causes of teen suicide, it also considers related questions such as the nature of personal responsibility and the impossibility of truly knowing another person.

"Prologue"

Narrator Clay Jensen posts a package addressed to "the next name on Hannah Baker's list." As he goes through the process of paying for its shipping, he muses on how that person, Jenny, doesn't deserve "one final day of peace" and wonders how she'll react when she sees the package (see "Quotes", p. 2). He also wonders how the other people...
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