“People Rarely Bring Flowers to a Suicide”: A Study of Suicide in the Young Adult Novel

Abstract

The current thesis researches which strategies authors deploy to represent the theme of suicide in Young Adult novels by American authors. By analysing and comparing the novels Looking for Alaska (2005), Thirteen Reasons Why (2007), and All the Bright Places (2015), this thesis gives an overview of the different strategies used by the authors. The most important factor for differences proves to be the point of view of the narration, as different points of view cause a different viewpoint on the theme of suicide. Furthermore, reader-response and critical reviews are taken into account as these show how the strategies used by the authors are perceived.