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Janice Mirikitani Suicide Note Essay

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The poem “Suicide Note” is about an Asian American college student who committed suicide by jumping out of her dormitory window. The author is Janice Mirikitani and she writes this poem from the perspective of a young girl writing a suicide note to her parents. The New York Times stated, “‘Jan Mirikitani was one of our city’s true lights,’. Mayor London Breed of San Francisco said in a statement. ‘She was a visionary, a revolutionary artist and the very embodiment of San Francisco’s compassionate spirit’” (Sandomir, Richard). The deeper meaning of this poem is not to push people too far and not to hold such high standards for yourself. The student's death was caused by her parents because they made her feel like she wasn’t good enough and that caused her to be a perfectionist and she lost her happiness. …show more content…

In the poem Suicide Note it states, “dear mother and father/I apologize/for disappointing you/I've worked very hard,/not good enough” (4-8). Showing how the young girl felt like she was a disappointment to her parents. “Each disappointment,/ice above my river/So I have worked hard/not good enough”(27-30). These lines show her lowest point. She feels like a failure and useless. She doesn't receive any affection because she isn't perfect. “not good enough not strong enough not smart enough”(48). Throughout this whole poem, you can feel the pain that she’s going through and how much guilt she feels. As saddening as this poem is, it is a fairly typical story. Many people find themselves feeling they are not good enough, and end up dying as a result of

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