Essay Sample: Self Vs Self in Dear Evan Hansen

Mental health is defined as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. Mental health has been seen differently by people and society over time. This could be part of the reason why this book is controversial. In the award-winning novel Dear Evan Hansen, by Val Emmich, the main character Evan learns the value of self-worth. After Connor Murphy commits suicide Evan goes from being a homebody to talking in front of the entire school at an assembly. Unfortunately, everything he is saying about Connor, and them being friends, is a lie. Val Emmich’s novel reveals to readers that mental health recovery is a process, one without an instant outcome; all through the developments of character, conflict, and symbolism. It should be kept for the curriculum because it allows young readers to realize the merits of mental health.

To start, Evan’s character realizes over time that he needs to be more self-aware, helping readers learn the importance of a good mental state. At school, Evan sat alone in the computer lab and deleted everything he had written that same morning about being true to himself, because after all, “[Evan] just wrote it because [he] thought it sounded good” (Emmich 30). Evan knows he just writes what he thinks his therapist wants to hear, he doesn’t actually use the letters to help himself feel his feelings. He knows what he feels but ignores it because he thinks it is better to ‘be okay’. Later on, at the end of the story, Evan revealed to the Murphy family his lie, realizing “the truth hurt to much” (Emmich 308), and that is why he lied in the first place. After this conversation with the Murphy’s, he looked inside himself and started to recognize he needed to work on himself before attempting to help others. Evan now understands why he lied and knows that being in the right headspace is the only way to fix his problem. He comes to the conclusion that he needs to be honest with himself, in order to continue to feel good.

On top of Evan realizing he needs to be honest with himself; he learns that he does not know how to deal with issues he faces in life, leading readers to understand how important mental health is. It’s the first day of senior year, and “[Evan is] finished at [his] locker, but [he is] still standing [t]here, pretending to look for something” (Emmich 16). Evan is pretending to be busy at his locker because he is overwhelmed by the swarms of people in the hallway, but he also does not want to go into class early and interact with anyone there. His mind is racing because he does not know how to simply walk through the hallways and deal with his peers. Later in the novel, Evan has grown a lot; he is posting a few things online and interacts with many people due to the Connor project. One time he and Alana are talking about the Connor Project, a mental health awareness project in Connor’s name, and she calls him out for not doing his part. This conversion with Alana struck Evan, “[His] chest is pounding, sweat on [his] brow”, as he jumps to the conclusion that he does not know what to do (Emmich 286). The connotative meaning of ‘his chest is pounding’ suggests that he is panic-stricken by Alana’s comment. He feels that he has twisted himself into a mess and does not have the confidence to face the truth. Evan now knows that in order to face his issues in a typical way, he needs to be kind to himself first.

Finally, Connor’s never used baseball glove symbolizes the massive impact a bond can have on a person, showing the audience how impactful a single person can be to one's mental health. Evan's father lives in Colorado with his new family and Evan dislikes the bringing up of this topic. He is in his room watching a movie but, “[He is] too busy ruminating on what Dr. Sherman brought up at [his] session” (Emmich 175). At his session, Evan had brought up the awful thought of everyone forgetting Connor, and then Dr. Sherman quickly recollected how Evan shut down at the mention of his father leaving. Evan feels forgotten by his dad and does not desire the same to happen to Connor. Further into the plot Evan is with Mr. Murphy in the Murphy’s garage, they are talking and sorting through old things when Mr. Murphy offers a baseball mitt to Evan. Evan refuses the first time before Mr. Murphy insists and “Only now does it sink in whose baseball glove this is” to Evan (Emmich 249). Evan then takes the glove, talking more with Mr. Murphy, thinking about how significant this moment is both for Mr. Murphy and himself. He recognizes how lucky Connor was to have a dad like him, but he also thinks about his own father, and the ways he influenced him. Since Evan’s dad left him he feels abandoned, making him overthink every little thing he does. Evan worries he will be forgotten again and is guarded. Evan's dad has a huge impact on Evan's mental state, constantly weighing him down.  

Some readers believe that it would be best if the book Dear Evan Hansen was banned. Many guardians and parents see the book as controversial and inappropriate. A school district in Texas has Dear Evan Hansen on pause along with many other titles as of 2021. Book removal and book pauses are in response to community members from this district stating that the books contain, “issues related to race or gender, including racial discrimination, LGBTQ+ relationships, mental health, and sexual assault and violence” (PEN America 2). The novel may contain sensitive topics like suicide, but it is important for young viewers to understand the importance of a healthy state of mind.

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich teaches readers that mental health recovery is a process without a forever result; all through the developments of character, conflict, and symbolism. It must be kept inside our schools because it allows young audiences to recognize the value of mental health. At one point in time dealing with issues like anxiety and depression was seen as a weakness when not automatically ‘fixed’; but now we acknowledge the importance of proper mental health and the rehabilitation it takes to maintain it. Let Evan Hansen be an example of how mental health is a forever battle, but not always uphill.