Jessica is the third name on Hannah’s list. She and Hannah form a bond thanks to their guidance counselor’s suggestion that they buddy up, and though Hannah never thinks of her as a friend, she’s one of her first companions at school, and Hannah admires her boldness and beauty. After finding her name under “Worst Ass” on Alex’s list, Jessica believes the rumors about Hannah being sexually suggestive with Alex (with whom Jessica had a brief relationship) and scratches Hannah on the face, leaving a scar—a physical reminder that Hannah can’t control what other people think of her. Hannah witnesses Bryce raping Jessica at a party in their junior year. Her inability to help Jessica is one of the major contributors to her decision to end her life, which means that Jessica represents Hannah’s loss of control both in the face of rampant rumors and under pervasive misogyny.
Jessica Davis Quotes in Thirteen Reasons Why
The Thirteen Reasons Why quotes below are all either spoken by Jessica Davis or refer to Jessica Davis. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Cassette 2: Side A
Quotes
For Jessica, it was easier to think of me as Bad Hannah than as the Hannah she got to know at Monet’s. It was easier to accept. Easier to understand.
For her, the rumors needed to be true.
Related Characters:
Hannah Baker (speaker), Jessica Davis, Alex Standall
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Cassette 5: Side B
Quotes
The bedroom door opened again. But again, you pulled it shut. And you tried to make a joke of it. “Trust me,” you said, “she won’t move. She’ll just lay there.”
And what was his response? What was it? What was his reasoning for you to step aside and let him in that room? Do you remember? Because I do.
It was the night shift.
He told you he was working the night shift and had to leave in a few minutes.
A few minutes, that’s all he needed with her. So just relax and step aside.
And that’s all it took for you to let him open the door.
Related Characters:
Hannah Baker (speaker), Justin Foley, Jessica Davis, Bryce Walker
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jessica Davis Character Timeline in Thirteen Reasons Why
The timeline below shows where the character Jessica Davis appears in Thirteen Reasons Why. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Cassette 1: Side B
...list, Hannah finds her name under “Best Ass.” She looks across the room to see Jessica Davis looking upset—Jessica’s name is under “Worst Ass.” She thinks Jessica is actually much prettier...
(full context)
...list, he left the people on it open to ridicule. That’s what he did to Jessica, too—and the next tape is all about Jessica.
(full context)
Cassette 2: Side A
...puts the next tape into the Walkman. Hannah tells the listeners that she, Alex, and Jessica relied on one another for the first few weeks of freshman year. Before the year...
(full context)
Hannah continues the story of being buddied up with Jessica. Neither she nor Jessica want to be matched as friends—they tell the counsellor that they...
(full context)
Hannah continues her story. She remembers sitting with Jessica at Monet’s and noticing a boy watching them. It’s Alex. Jessica asks him which of...
(full context)
When Hannah arrives, Jessica is already sitting at a table. Jessica slaps the “Who’s Hot/Who’s Not” list down on...
(full context)
On the tape, Hannah explains to the listeners that the scar is a reminder that Jessica would rather believe a rumor about her than the truth, and that the other people...
(full context)
Cassette 2: Side B
...flips to September, where he finds the sentence, “Everyone needs an olly-olly-oxen-free,” followed by Hannah’s, Jessica’s, and Alex’s initials. He takes the book back to his seat where he opens it...
(full context)
Cassette 5: Side A
...doesn’t name the people they sat down beside, but Clay remembers they were Justin and Jessica, and they were kissing each other. He also realizes that Hannah couldn’t escape the tangled...
(full context)
On the couch at the party, the girl (Jessica) next to Hannah keeps drunkenly bumping into her, so Hannah and Clay get up to...
(full context)
Cassette 5: Side B
...start of something good. Soon after Clay leaves, the couple from the couch (Justin and Jessica, though Hannah doesn’t name them on the tape) come in, the girl so drunk she...
(full context)
Hannah stays crouched on the floor. She thinks Justin will stop soon, given that Jessica is so drunk she’s unresponsive. He keeps asking her if she’s awake or needs to...
(full context)
Hannah’s story continues. That night, after Justin leaves Jessica in bed, Hannah sees his shoes outside the door and can tell he’s standing guard....
(full context)
...says she’s not blaming Justin completely: she and he had one chance each to protect Jessica, and they both failed her. But she’s addressing Justin on this tape, not the boy...
(full context)
...it, Hannah addresses Justin by name, asking him whether he hates his friend who raped Jessica (who she still doesn’t name). She expects they’re still friends: Justin is probably in denial...
(full context)
