Hannah Baker Quotes

Hannah Baker (from the tape): But parties have a weird magic. They’re like an alternate universe. They can make you believe that maybe anything is possible. Maybe you do fit in after all.

Hannah Baker (from the tape): I was going to cut away the past… and leave it all behind. I was going to work harder. Be smarter. And be stronger. Because you can’t change other people, but you can change yourself.

Hannah Baker’s poem:

Today I am wearing lacy black underwear

For the sole purpose of knowing I am wearing them

And underneath that I am absolutely naked

And I’ve got skin

Miles and miles of skin

I’ve got skin to cover all my thoughts like Saran Wrap

That you can see through to what leftovers are inside from the night before

And despite what you might think

My skin is soft

And smooth

And easily scarred

But that doesn’t matter, right?

You don’t care about how soft my skin is

You just want to hear about what my fingers do in the dark

But what if all they do is crack open windows

So I can see lightning through the clouds?

What if all they crave is a jungle gym to climb

For a taste of fresher air?

Hannah Baker (from the tape): Some girls know all the lyrics to each other’s songs. They find harmonies in their laughter. Their linked elbows echo in tune. What if I can’t hum on key? What if my melodies are the ones nobody hears?

Hannah Baker (from the tape): See, I have this theory, Zach. I have this theory that you’re lonely too. Could that be possible? What kind of lonely could the great Zach Dempsey possibly feel? Maybe that kind where you think no one truly sees you. I know that kind of lonely. Do you?

Hannah Baker: What if the only way not to feel bad is to stop feeling anything at all, forever?

Hannah Baker (from the tape): It happened after Valentine’s Day… when you really feel that lack of human contact. Especially when you make contact with the wrong human. That’s a whole new level of lonely. But through it all… you still want to believe there are good guys in the world. You were kind that night. You just sat there, letting me ignore you… until it was almost comical.

Hannah Baker (from the tape): The kind of lonely I’m talking about is when you feel you’ve got nothing left. Nothing. And no one. Like you’re drowning, and no one will throw you a line.

Hannah Baker (from the tape): You’re going to tell me this one’s no big deal… but let me tell you about being lonely. Humans are a social species. We rely on connections to survive. Even the most basic social interactions help keep us alive. Statistics prove the subjective feeling of loneliness can increase the likelihood of premature death by 26%. If it sounds like I’m quoting from a school textbook… I am. Too bad nobody bothered to read it. And let me tell you… there’s all kinds of ways to feel lonely.

Hannah Baker (to Courtney): I want to be your friend, Courtney. I have been a friend to you, and this thing you're scared for people to know about you doesn't matter to me. Okay, it doesn't f*cking matter. And I'm sorry if you're scared, but I'm not your shield, okay? You don't get to hide behind me. You don't get to f*ck with my life because you don't like who you are.