The Suicide Note By Janice Mirikitani - 1283 Words

TOPIC There are times when we feel like we must be perfect in other to please others. No matter if we did the best we could, if it isn’t perfect, we felt like a failure. We want the approval that comes with perfectness but perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be our best. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth; it s a shield. Perfectionism is refusal to accept any standard short of perfection. â€Å"Suicide Note,† by Janice Mirikitani, is about an Asian American college student who commits suicide by jumping from her dormitory window. This poem is read as the suicide note that was left behind by this young woman to apologize to her parent s for having received less than a perfect four point grade average and not being perfect in life. Her last thoughts and feelings were left on this note, describing why she did what she did. The pressure to succeed that this student felt from herself and her parents was far too much to overcome. Even though t he girl worked really hard and did her very best, it wasn’t good enough in her mind and maybe in her parents’ minds to be worthy of her parents’ love or life itself and so her only option was death to atone for her sin of imperfection. Sometimes pressure to succeed that a student feels from herself and her parents is far too much to overcome. This poem begins by describing some of the harsh feelings associated with failure. She starts by writing, â€Å"How many notesShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Suicide Note By Janice Mirikitani1081 Words   |  5 Pagesof mental illness, and views of suicide. It has been estimated that almost 50 distinct Asian American ethnic groups speaking 30 different languages reside in the United States alone,† (Hapa). Many Asian Americans are very traditional family’s â€Å"Asian Americans are more likely than other Americans to value marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success† (Saw) . The poem Suicide Note by Janice Mirikitani, is a poem about a young Asian-American who commits suicide by jumping out of her dormitoryRead MoreAnalysis Of Janice Mirikitani s Suicide Note1266 Words   |  6 Pagesfamily, and even from friends is inescapable. People can tear themselves down in many ways, such as through school, not feeling they look good enough, and even just not feel ing like they’re ever good enough to be living on Earth. In Janice Mirikitani’s poem â€Å"Suicide Note,† it talks about an Asian-American student currently in college. She tries her hardest, she wants to succeed and make her parents proud. 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Although, both speakers are oppressed the way they end the oppression and the cause of it are very different. Patriarchy has always existed, and it affects women all over the world. For example, banned bride abductions in Central Asia have continued to occur, and the women who resist abduction, risk death, or becoming ostracized from their country (Werner 2). â€Å"Suicide Note† by JaniceRead MoreSuide in The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and Dreams of Suicide by William Meredith 1062 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Suicide Note† by Janice Mirikitani, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, and â€Å"Dreams of Suicide† by William Meredith are the three poems that connect together in several different ways. Not only do the poems link together, but the authors do as well. This paper will present biographical information about the authors, symbols throughout the poems, and the literary elements the authors chose to use in the poems. It will also explain how the symbols and literary elements that are used help emphasizeRead MoreAnalysis Of Mirror Vs. Suicide Note1222 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Mirror† vs â€Å"Suicide Note† Poetry is a type of literature that uses rhythmical composition to implement the reader with beautiful, imaginative or elevated thoughts (dictionary.com). Two of the finest poems during their time wereâ€Å"Mirror†, by Sylvia Plath, and â€Å"Suicide Note†, by Janice Mirikitani. Sylvia Plath was a troubled poet; throughout her life she had dealt with major depression. During college she attempted to put an end to her life by taking sleeping pills; she was placed in a mental instituteRead MoreWhen Things Fall Apart By Janice Mirikitani987 Words   |  4 Pageseveryone should take. â€Å"Suicide Note† by Janice Mirikitani talks about a girl who committed suicide just because she didn’t have kindness for herself. I choose to compare the reading by Mirikitani with chapter number five â€Å"It’s Never Too Late† of the book â€Å"When Things Fall Apart† by Pema Chodron because this chapter talks about how people should start having kindne ss for themselves. This is a part of the book that Asian-American girl who committed suicide, which Mirikitani talks should have read itRead MoreWomanhood and Failures through the Burden of Self Esteem Essay1302 Words   |  6 Pagesparents can be intimidating and emotionally draining. For most parents, having their child succeed is a top priority, and children want to exceed parents’ expectations by achieving good grades and a high standard in school. In the poem â€Å"Suicide Note,† by Janice Mirikitani, a female Asian American college student is struggling to live up to her parents expectations. She does not receive a perfect grade point average that her parents are expecting, and she does not have the strength to face them in personRead MoreAn Annotated Bibliography Of Writing881 Words   |  4 Pagespersona/speaker of the poem. For example, in the poem titled â€Å"Suicide Note† by Janice Mirikitani, the poet takes on the persona of an Asian American tee nage girl who committed suicide due to her inability to live up to her parents educational expectation they had for her. Mirikitani writes, â€Å"I apologize. / Tasks do not come easily. / Each failure, a glacier† (684). In this line of the poem, Mirkitani takes on the persona of the girl who committed suicide by using a tone that is solemn and heartbreaking. From