"Suicide Note," by Janice Mirikitani

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The poem, "Suicide Note," by Janice Mirikitani, depicts an Asian-American female college student who committed suicide by jumping out of her dormitory window. Her last words, thoughts, and feelings were left behind in a suicide note, describing why this had to happen.

This was a tragic accident that should not have happened, in fact, it should have been prevented. What drove this college student to kill herself? Was it her fault, or was she pushed so far that it became too much for here to take? It is revealed throughout this suicide note the many reasons why she decided to end her life.

The suicide note begins with the phrases, "not good enough," "not pretty enough," and "not smart enough" (3). These phrases are repeated over and over again, to prove to the reader that she was never appreciated or complemented for what she had to offer.

No one had ever brought it to her attention that she was doing a good job, or that she looked pretty, or that she was smart. It showed that she was smart, she was just shy of a perfect four-point grade average.

2 The note goes on to state an apology to her parents. She felt as if she was disappointing them, by not working hard enough, and also "not good enough to please her parents" (7-9). Everything she had done seemed to be the best she could do, but to her parents, it wasn't good enough. She begins to fantasize about what it would be like if she were a son, "shoulders broad as the sunset threading through the pine" (10-11). Would she have gotten more attention? Would she then be praised for the jobs she has accomplished? Would it be good enough for her parents? Since she was...