Carrie Stark Hugus
CROSSING 13
Educational Themes
Coming of Age
Carrie’s life is instantly altered after finding her father dead from suicide at the age of thirteen. She is dogged by the angst and social awkwardness attendant to the middle school years. She berates herself for her selfishness, agonizes over fitting in at her new school and struggles with the emotional waves of, shock, guilt, confusion, shame and the obsession with why. This coming-of-age story is memorable because the character comes to grips with the reality of a parent’s suicide-- while others her age deal with family, friends, or community issues.
Identity
Carrie asks herself questions about the type of person she is: “Why didn't’t I have the courage to enter the garage and try to stop him sooner? How could everything I grew up thinking and believing about my father be a lie? Will I suddenly become crazy like my father? What will people think of me? Am I normal?” Although Carrie finds no easy answers to these questions, she uses them to define who she is and who she wants to be. Carrie’s quest for her identity and the coming-of-age theme are the most significant themes of the book.
Suicide
The stigma attached to suicide is further magnified for early teens; who are already achingly self-conscious in general. Carrie says, "I hated the way everyone kept looking at me, their faces full of pity, concern and judgment. There was nowhere to escape." This family responds in a largely defensive way, refusing to discuss the tragedy with most outsiders, and as rarely as possible amongst themselves, though Carrie’s mother does see that they all meet with a counselor. Few acquaintances are of help; a number mention the Catholic notion that those who take their own lives go to Hell. A psychic tells the family that their loved one is angry and trapped in the house where he died.
Grief
This story follows the days leading up to the suicide as well as after, demonstrating the turbulent journey that Carrie and her family were faced with. This story is a detailed account of the anger, heartache, self-blame and guilt that surrounds the loss of a parent by suicide, and some practical advice to those dealing with a grieving survivor. Amazing but true: even in the twenty-first century some folks don't know not to say insensitive things to the suffering like "It was God's will," or "Aren't you over this by now?"
Suicide Prevention Resources
American Association
of Suicidology
5221 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 237-2280
www.suicidology.org
American Fdn for
Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 363-3500
www.afsp.org
Baton Rouge Crisis
Intervention Center
4837 Revere Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 924-1431
www.brcic.org
The Compassionate Friends, Inc.
877-969-0010
Friends for Survival, Inc.
(800) 646-7322
www.friendsforsurvival.org
HEARTBEAT
2015
(719) 596-2575
www.heartbeatsurvivorsafter
suicide.org
Hope for Bereaved, Inc.
(315) 475-9675
National
Illness (NAMI)
Colonial Place Three
(888) 999-NAMI
Suicide Prevention
and Aftercare
www.thelink.org
Prevent Suicide Now
1-800-SUICIDE
1-800-273-TALK
SA/VE (Suicide Awareness/
Voices of Education)
(612) 946-7998
Sibling Survivors
Suicide and Mental Health
Association International
www.suicideandmentalhealth
associationinternational.org
Suicide Prevention Action
Network
Suite 1066
(202) 449-3600
Suicide Prevention
Coalition of
http://suicideprevention-
colorado.org
Suicide Prevention Resource
Center Education Development
Center, Inc.
Suite 350
877-GET-SPRC
Surviving Suicide
Yellow Ribbon
Suicide Prevention Program
www.yellowribbon.org
IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE HELP,
please call
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Suicide Information & Facts
The World Health Organization estimates that each year approximately one million people die from suicide. A global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000. One death every 40 seconds.
The WHO further reports that in the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 (both sexes). Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.
Although suicide rates have traditionally been highest among elderly males, rates among young people have been increasing to such an extent that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of all countries.
Mental disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide. However, suicide results from many complex sociocultural factors and is more likely to occur during periods of socioeconomic, family and individual crisis (e.g. loss of a loved one, employment, or honor).
In the
Statistics about suicide are difficult to collate, and may be inaccurate because of the sensitivity of the issue, particularly in countries where suicide is an absolute taboo. You can find suicide statistics in the following English language sites:
International Statistics:
World Health Organization www.who.int
American Association of Suicidology
www.suicidology.org
http://www.nzhis.govt.nz
Living is for Everyone www.livingisforeveryone.com.au
UK Statistics
