Perhaps the most difficult topic to breach for writers is the question of suicide, so much so that it is sometimes even called “the Ultimate Question.” While a lot has been said about philosophers and their arguments on the question of suicide, there remains a wealth of literature in fiction that delves into suicide that remains unspoken about, or is perhaps avoided. This maybe because suicide is extremely sensitive and a very personal topic. Touching such a subject without proper sensitivity is an ethical and moral concern.

Research conducted over the years links certain media depictions of suicide with increase in suicide rates. According to Pirkis, readers can identify with the character depictions, especially if they are romanticised and can be idealised. Social contagion caused by suicidal ideation, grief, and “over-identification” with the character can lead to imitation of the act performed by the fictional character.

The earliest known example of this is called the “Werther Effect” so named after the novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther” by renowned German writer Goethe. After the book was published, there was an increase in imitational or “copycat” suicide, where young men would dress as the character Werther and commit suicide in the same manner, often leaving a copy of the book behind. This led to the book being banned in Germany, Denmark and Italy. To date, the book still remains one of Goethe’s most well known and revered works. Which, off topic, is rather ironic, given how he distanced himself from the work later due to his aversion to the Romantic movement, which he said was “everything that is sick.”

An inverse of this effect can also be observed, where sensitive portrayal leads to a reduction in rates of suicide. This is called the “Papageno Effect” after the character Papageno from the opera “The Magic Flute.” The character was contemplating suicide until other characters showed him other methods to resolve his problems. Niederkrotenthaler notes that depictions of characters seeking help when going through a rough time serves as affirmation that it is indeed possible and that there is an answer apart from suicide.

Perhaps the most famous author to exist, Shakespeare has written many characters whose fate ended in suicide. There is much debate as to whether he has a clear philosophy on the question of suicide, with John Collins of Birminghm University believing that Shakespeare’s writing on suicide show that he considered the act itself ignoble and born of weak character and depravity. This has been challenged by James Hanford of Harvard University as being an extremely narrow minded and biased understanding of the work, and that it fails to consider the fact that Shakespeare puts equal emphasis on multiple viewpoints. It must be noted that Lord Tennyson referred to John Collins as "a louse in the locks of literature."

What this shows is that regardless of what the author intended, it is entirely possible for different people in the audience to have different ideas on what the suicide means, and might have different takeaways. Thus, while depictions of suicide might cause an increase in rates of suicide, it is entirely possible for the same depiction to have the exact opposite effect or no effect at all. While it would thus be better to be sensitive in depicting suicide, a direct correlation cannot be drawn with complete certainty.

Author: Anay Samarth