The Figure of the Counselor in "13 Reasons Why"

Marina Guglielmi

First

2018-01-01

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Abstract

The Netflix series "13" (2017), adapted from a novel by Jay Asher, is a particular kind of teen series. The story of the protagonist, Hannah Baker, the high-school student who commits suicide, is proposed by the television production with the professional aim of preventing suicide among teenagers. My research investigates the character of the school counselor, Mr. Porter, as a crucial figure in the plot. He fails in preventing Hannah's suicide and, at the same time, should have been able to convey a positive message. The thematic approach to the figure of the psychotherapist on screen is based on the idea of the possible failures of therapeutic work, as proposed by Sigmund Freud and André Green.