1st: “then why are the so witty, articulate, and emotionally aware?”

- There is no reason why teenagers shuldn’t be so. Im 17 my self, if i don’t soud very articulate in this comment, this is for me being not a nativ english. Our ability to express our selves is trained in school every day, where we have to write essays in all languages and for all topics conceivable.
An why do you think we can’t be witty? I can remember one scene when Hannah is at a teacher’s, who introduces her to Jessica. Jessica mistakes Hannahs name. Hannah corrects her and adds, that she “just thought she should know her name, if they were going to be such fabulous friends”.
I agree, this is really intelectual but it’s an usual attempt to side step an arkward situation. Nothing beyond a teens possibilities.

2nd: I agree, that Clay’s role in the tapes is outstanding and doesn’t fit in right. He is too good to be on them. But I have no idea what role he should take instead. He has to be something speacial to be the one we accompany throughout the night.

3rd: Mr Porters role is very clear: He hasn’t a role at all. I think it is obvious, that Hannah never really wanted help from him. She’d made the decision to kill her self already before she went to him. She already recorded all the other tapes befor, why else should she have done this, if not for being absolutly sure to end her life? The visit at Porter’s is only to give her a last shove. Like an insurance that the world is really as bad as she thinks, and to confirm her decision as justified. Nothing else.

You may be disappointed by this but it has to be so. I hoped myself, that clay could save her somehow, that she didn’t have killed her already because the tapes had been released to early or because she wasn’t able to do it in the end.
But this would destroy all of the books meaning. As I said: it has to be like it is.