Contesting Kurt Cobains Suicide: An Unwinnable Fight - Research Paper Example

Contesting Kurt Cobain’s Suicide: An Unwinnable Fight Introduction Since the 8th ofApril, when the body of Kurt Cobain was discovered, the media attention has progressed from the drug addicted rock star with a gun on his head to the mourners: the huge number of supporters who purchased Nirvana’s album. The music industry has proclaimed suicide an ‘unexpected scandal,’ as though the reality that suicide is one of the most common killers of young adults is an unusual phenomenon (Martin 2005). There were ample precursors to Kurt’s ultimate deed to render his suicide practically a letdown. He declared he would not reach 30, and he killed himself at the age of 27; he would overdose repeatedly, and attempt suicide. And yet, many still question the cause of Kurt’s death. This essay discusses compelling findings about Kurt’s suicide: (1) negative early experiences; (2) marital problems; (3) drug addiction and health problems; and (5) loss of passion for music. There are claims that Kurt’s sudden death has to be investigated further because the 1994 investigation was inadequate when his death was declared a suicide. But it is the contention of this essay that it would be best to dispel other theories about Kurt’s death permanently, and just trust the convincing evidence that he really did commit suicide. The Suicide of Kurt Cobain More than a decade after the death of Nirvana’s lead singer, many remain uncertain whether Kurt Cobain killed himself or was murdered. On the 8th of April 1994, Kurt was discovered lifeless in his Seattle abode. His death was officially proclaimed a self-inflicted gunshot to the head (Clarke 2006). The nature of Kurt’s death has triggered a great deal of controversy and debate. One of the strongest aspects about his death was the suicide letter that he had written. According to Wallace and Halperin (2004), the final words on the letter—“I love you, I love you” (p. 129)—were publicly disclosed by the person who found him. Nowadays, numerous people judge him as nothing more than a suicidal punk who put the whole lot to waste, abandoning his family to continue their lives without his support. A lot of people held heroin responsible for his death. Some, like Krist Novoselic, confirmed that “smack was just a small part of his life” (Sandford 2004, 227). Roddy Bottum, keyboardist for the pop group Faith No More, remarked, “I think drugs tampered with his life, but they weren’t as huge a part of his life as people make it out to be” (Sandford 2004, 228). It did not take long before other theories emerge. Richard Lee, a Seattle reporter, was the first person who openly stated that Kurt was killed (Burlingame 2007). The theory, according to Burlingame (2007), was widely ignored until Tom Grant, a private investigator paid by Courtney Love to search for Kurt when he escaped from rehab, publicly stated that Courtney herself was involved in her husband’s murder. But all these theories will be put to naught once all the doubters see the credibility of the findings revealing that Kurt Cobain really did kill himself. Proving Kurt Cobain’s Suicide Even though conspiracy theories have compelling evidence on the alleged murder or accidental drug overdose of Kurt Cobain, it remains quite compelling that he in fact did commit suicide. And the evidence to support the suicide report event goes back to his childhood and teenage years. Analyzed in depth, the evidence on suicide seems credible. Growing up in a Broken Home The child of a waitress and a repairman, Kurt Cobain was raised in a simple home. His parents’ divorce in 1976 evidently threw the first serious damage to his happiness, which was worsened during his teenage life by being continuously dragged between homes and the repressive, depressing setting of his learning environment (Clarke 2006). Brought about by the pressures of a premature marriage, the divorce profoundly distressed the nine-year-old Kurt, and he started to isolate himself psychologically. His mother got his custody, but after several months he demanded to move to his father’s home. His father promised that their father-son relationship will remain dear and strong (Cross 2001). However, even though neither of his parents ever completely deserted him, he still felt deceived. Although teen years are normally characterized by fear of rejection and isolation, and self-awareness, as an adolescent, Kurt seemed to estrange his own self. He started creating short movies that portrayed his own death (Clarke 2006). Moreover, he conversed nonchalantly with peers about suicide—a usual subject of his artistic work. He wrote long pieces in note pads, describing dreams and narrating visions that were well-expressed and sketchy (Burlingame 2007). According to Burlingame (2007), his personal hymn was, “I hate myself and want to die” (p. 94)—he frequently wrote it in his journals, and spoke of it in his conversations, and later on, in his interviews. Maybe as expected, he began abusing alcohol and drugs. Marital Problems Kurt’s affection for Courtney Love was strange and brutal. They hurt each other every time they meet. In time, they got married and had one child. Courtney and Kurt were having problems with their marriage because Courtney thought she was not getting the fame she ought to have for her pop group Hole (Wallace & Halperin 2004). She thought of this because Kurt was well-known. Kurt did not want prestige. He even thought of ‘disbanding’ Nirvana and giving their band a new name so as to stay in the subversive side of music. When Kurt declined the invitation to play a part in Lollapalooza, Courtney went mad because that event was worth millions (Wallace & Halperin 2004). Because of marital conflicts, Kurt decided to file a divorce against Courtney. But the idea of divorce profoundly affected Kurt, both emotionally and psychologically. He feared that his daughter Frances will confront the same difficult struggles that he went through since his parents divorced (Martin 2005). This deep fear is enough to warrant a suicide. Drug Addiction and Health Problems Kurt Cobain was previously a lifelong victim of ‘hyperactivity’. He was a Ritalin patient. Ritalin is a drug that functions as a sedative in children. This drug falls in the group of morphine, cocaine, and opium (Sandford 2004). According to Cross (2001), very addictive, separation from Ritalin can result in suicide. Moreover, Ritalin is more powerful than cocaine and clinical research reports that it can push a child to later substance abuse (Cross 2001). Kurt’s fight with drug addiction would become notorious far and wide over the years, while he continuously attempted and failed to relieve his addiction. Aggravating this were untreated chronic health problems that distressed him for too long- such as a spine curvature and a very painful stomach disorder that habitually pushed him to thoughts of suicide. Stomach ache is Ritalin’s side effect (Clarke 2006). Kurt overindulged in heroin because it eases the abdominal pain (Clarke 2006). In his suicide letter, according to Sandford (2004), Kurt mentioned two reasons for his final, mortal action: the abdominal pain that had troubled him all his life, and his misery over his music. Loss of Passion for Music Similar to Hendrix, Kurt eventually became exhausted of the need to mock himself before a live audience, embellishing an increasingly flashy pretense while personally struggling to restore the simple life. Kurt said, “We’ve gone to the point where things are becoming repetitious. There’s not something you can move up to” (Sandford 2004, 361). Kurt’s image of himself as a hardened eccentricity inflicted an unreasonably high expectation of him and added greatly to his final demise. According to Martin (2005), realistically he was defiant enough, but Kurt could not see himself living with an identity that was famous and lucrative at the same time. Refuting the Murder and Accidental Drug Overdose Theories Assumption is widespread on potential falsification in the letter discovered at the scene of the crime. According to Wallace and Halperin (2004), some think the initial phrase ‘To Boddah’ (p. 146), could have been falsified. No effort has been exerted to confirm this, except the unscientific claim that it does not resemble the letter’s body. Of course Kurt may have put the letter’s receiver bigger than the other, and if he was under the influence of drugs this may explain any sudden alterations in handwriting (Clarke 2006). The fact that Kurt was under the influence of drugs, and it consequently significantly changed his emotional and mental state should not be overlooked; more notably, no expert analyst has presented him/herself and confirmed the presence of any falsification. According to Martin (2005), an analyst said there were ‘signs’ of forgery, but stated that the copy of the suicide letter was quite unclear to officially confirm the allegation. With regard to accidental drug overdose, the morphine level in Kurt’s blood was declared to be 1.52 mgs per liter. The main reference of this finding is the piece of writing of a Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Sandford 2004). Even though this source trusts that this finding is precise, every one of these odds should be taken into account: the source obtained an inaccurate, inconclusive copy of the findings; the source was not given any copy of the report and was informed verbally, and the stated figures may have been unintentionally inaccurate; and the figure was reported mistakenly for several other causes (e.g. unclear copy of the report) (Sandford 2004). It is important to bear in mind that the Washington State constitution prohibit the disclosure of this information (Wallace & Halperin 2004), thus the manner of obtainment was unlawful except if Courtney purposely permitted it to be disclosed. Conclusions Critics can give several motives for Kurt Cobain to have committed suicide, but no particular explanation. With a background of substance abuse and manic depression, Kurt fits the sketch of a suicidal individual. There was his constant experience with guns as well, and a family defect. Good intentioned comrades and willing drug dealers in Seattle appropriately provided him with drugs, eventually creating a fatal cycle of drug addiction, abdominal pain, and manic depression. Plus success, wealth, and prestige—the tempting forces Kurt condemned—and the sole startling feature of his suicide is that it must have taken place quite behind in his gradual collapse. Works Cited Burlingame, Jeff. Kurt Cobain: Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind. New York: Associated Press, 2007. Print. Clarke, Martin. Kurt Cobain: The Cobain Dossier. Plexus Publishing, 2006. Print. Cross, Charles R. Heavier than Heaven: a Biography of Kurt Cobain. New York: Hyperion, 2001. Print. Martin, Michael. Kurt Cobain. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2005. Print. Sandford, Christopher. Kurt Cobain. New York: Carroll and Graf Publishers, 2004. Print. Wallace, Max & Ian Halperin. Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain. New York: Atria Books, 2004. Print. Read More