Tarnished Reputations
Andrea Basile
Authors Note: This essay is about how reputations affect everything. Please let me know if my thoughts and ideas are clear.
Everyone has a reputation. Everyone. Reputations separate people, make them different. The actions, appearances, and rumors of people affect everything that happens in the future. Some reputations are good …others are horrible. The characters in Speak and 13 Reasons Why are often victims of reputation.
In the captivating book Speak, Melinda is a victim of reputation. She is known as “girl who called the cops.” Melinda got this reputation because at horrible and haunting party, she called the cops. Now this was a radical, fun, and awesome party. Melinda calling the police ruined everything, and some people got caught for underage drinking. After Melinda called the cops, everyone hated her. Next thing she knows, she has no friends, no one to talk to, no one to hold her, no one to take care of her. No one. Now she is an outcast. Everyone knew Melinda Sordino as the girl who called the cops.
Besides Melinda being a victim of reputation so is the one and only Andy Evans. Now Andy Evans is known as two people. Some people think of him as the gorgeous, rich, jock. On the other hand other people think he’s a heartless jerk, and it would be best to stay away from him. On page 185 of Speak, Melinda finds herself in a bathroom stall full of writing about Andy. The stall said “Stay away!!!…He’s a creep…He should be locked up…He thinks he’s all that…Call the cops…” and lots more comments. All these girls share the same thoughts about Andy. And most of those thoughts scream He’s a perve! It even states loud and clear in the book that Andy Evan does have a big reputation. On page 175 of the book Speak, Ivy says to Melinda “He has such a reputation. He’s only after one thing, and if you believe the rumors, he’ll get it, no matter what.” What Ivy is trying to say is that Andy Evans never loses. He always gets what he wants. He is a victim of reputation.
Hannah Baker has a different reputation then Melinda or Andy. In the amazing book 13 reasons why, Hannah is known as “the girl who has the best butt.” This rumor or “list” that Alex Standall made started everything. People started treating her differently: guys starting checking her out in the hallways, and girls didn’t want to talk to her out of jealousy. Also, that list caused a man at a liquor store to grab her butt. Because of the list, that man felt like he had an excuse to grab her…even when he didn’t. Eventually, the list led to rumors about Hannah like her “going to third base” with a guy named Justin, even though it was only an innocent kiss. When that rumor got out, other incidents happened. Marcus Cooley, thinking Hannah would do anything with a guy, started to inappropriately touch her knee. All these events that happened in Hannah Baker’s life end with her suicide.
Hannah’s reputation is that she’ll do anything with a guy...on the other hand, Clay Jensen has a reputation of being “the shy, nice, good guy.” Clay could never be seen with a person like Hannah. She would ruin his reputation. Clay is nice to everyone. He doesn’t annoy or bother anyone; he just sharpens his pencil like any mama’s boy would. While Clay was listening to cassette number 2, he goes to a shop called Monet’s. When he arrives there the girl behind the counter says, “We went to school together two years ago…I thought you were the nicest guy in school, everyone did.” This quote proves that everyone thought he was the sweetest guy. Now this reputation isn’t bad, but the cause of it made Clay hesitant about going for the girl of his dreams…it kept him from following his heart…it kept him from Hannah.
As you can see, reputations can cause many things to happen in the future. In particular the reputations of the characters in 13 reasons why and Speak. Even though these characters aren’t real, it could happen to anyone in the real world. Their reputations cause what happens next in their lives. Everyone has a reputation, but remember don’t judge someone on their reputation. Get to know the person first, because you never know what’s hidden behind a smile, or a frown. The characters in Speak and 13 Reasons why are often victims of reputation.
