Blog #5 Title: Behind the Screen:
(Confronting the Cost of Online Identity)
In “Suicide, Watch,” Nafissa Thompson-Spires uses symbolism, irony, and imagery to show how the pressure of online personas can twist the understanding of identity leading to an increase in emotional distress, disconnecting individuals from reality in a way of hiding their identities so the feeling of acceptances isn't so hard.
Throughout this blog series I explore how Thompson-Spires uses symbolism like Jilly's dependence on "likes" to represent the emotional weight of online validation. We explore the use of irony, mainly when Jilly attempts to express her feelings through social media leaving her feeling even more isolated. In the end we looked at imagery, such as the focus on her appearance, to reveal the emptiness behind a seemingly perfect persona. Together, these literary devices work to expose how the draining effect of trying to please others brings an emotional weight onto your life, while hopes for connections often add on to identity struggles and emotional disconnection.
