Suicide Note Analysis

1330 Words6 Pages
Reader Response Analysis of “Suicide Note” The poem “Suicide Note” describes the emotions and true feelings of a young girl student who thinks that suicide is the only way left for her to please her parents and others and escape the pressures of student life. The note has an apologetic quality to it, which is her way of acknowledging her imperfection and not fulfilling her parent’s expectation of a perfect 4.0 grade. Whatever effort she puts in, she can never satisfy her parents for their expectation are unreasonably high. Her parents’ words repeat in her mind – “not good enough not pretty enough not smart enough”(Mirikitani 750). At that moment she genuinely wishes she were born a son, which would have equipped her better in dealing with the challenges of her life. The words “Each disappointment, ice above my river” indicate that she is fully sapped of enthusiasm after those ‘perceived’ failings (750). She feels that she will never find success in school, and she is never able to please her parents. Perfection is something that we as humans often strive to achieve. Additionally, it is human nature to try to please those that we care about. This poem strongly conveys the stress many adolescents undergo in order to please others, instead of pleasing themselves and in turn cracking under the pressure. The suicidal girl has a perfectionist streak in her, which compels her to be highly critical of herself. The Speaker also seems to have set unreasonable standards for herself. The reoccurring line in this poem, “not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough”, is to emphasize this aspect of her mind. The poem also mentions how the girl failed to get high grades in exams. This also suggests that her parents were more concerned about the grades she acquires and not truly very supportive of their daughter. The speaker feels weighted down by expectations. As she

More about Suicide Note Analysis

Open Document