Anne Frank: A Section From a Different Perspective

     I often think of my sister, and it makes me sad. Don't get me wrong, I love her with all my heart, but she has suffered in this life we live. What's worse though, is that I feel that no one else sees the side of her that suffers in silence. I look over, and my dear little Anne is curled over her books or entertaining someone with her exaggerated conversation. The others in the Secret Annex see her as a source of amusement or cruel distraction far too often, and I fear Peter, despite his quiet demeanor, is the same as them. If only I could protect her... but instead I am too weak to stand up for her, and make our parents take notice.

    However, she is strong of will, and even though I wish I could do something for my dear sister, she is more a friend then a younger sibling I can protect. Despite our age difference, we get along quite well, especially since we are the only young girls here. Alas, it is hard to confide in her, for we have always been too close to each other; not emotionally, but in proximity.

     These thoughts, though always present, have been brought forth by my sister's recent distance from me and growing affection for Peter. She expressed her worry of jealousy on my part or other troubling feelings, but I am fine. Anne though, I do worry for. What if things go wrong? Father has already been upset as a consequence of this friendship, and being in such close quarters with everyone means a terrible possible fallout should they start to quarrel. I can already imagine Mrs. van Daan's harsh words and my family's indignation. Sometimes it feels like I spend all my time worrying for others.

      It's been expressed to me that I'm seen as kind and selfless, if a little weak willed. I cannot argue these observations, but it faintly bothers me how everyone can see I have trouble speaking my thoughts, let alone forcing my ideas; even though I have many. Perhaps, I'll find spending all this time with Anne lent me some of her gusto, once we exit the Secret Annex. Until we do though, I'll avidly watch my sister and the continuing relationship between her and Peter.

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl (3/4)

Well, a lot of this section of the book was taken up with rants about Peter. At first, I was extremely annoyed and wished she would go back to her intriguing stories about life in the Annex and the world around her, but then as the infatuation she has develops, her interactions with him become more and more interesting.

Sometimes I wonder how I'd get along with someone I normally dislike if I was forced to spend time with them. Anne goes through this, and ends up discovering there were depths to this person she'd previously written off. However, I'm not sure the love she thinks she feels (at this point) would be possible in a normal situation.

Also, I feel bad for her quiet, sweet sister. Anne seems to have found comfort but Margot hasn't. Anne talks about how being around someone all the time makes it hard to share some things about yourself, and I completely sympathize with that. Sometimes it can be easier to talk to a stranger, and that's really what causes her to gravitate towards Peter.

At the same time, she's going through puberty and a sort of self-discovery. It's understandable that she's putting herself out there. I think everybody experiences similar points in there lives.

Finally--though I don't know how much I can say on the topic--I want to acknowledge the struggles Anne Frank and those around her go through. I really can't fathom how terrible living then must have been. It makes me admire the Annex's tenets even more. Every time there was a risk of discovery, I found myself anxious and scared. Going through that first hand must have been unbearable,

And as always, I'm looking forward to continuing this book.


Favorite Quotes 

“I'll spare you the rest of our conversations. I'm very calm and take no notice of all the fuss. I've reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can't do anything to change events anyway. I'll just let matters take their course and concentrate on studying and hope that everything will be all right in the end.”

"My life here has gotten better, much better. God has not forsaken me, and He never will."

"I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even after my death! And that's why I'm so grateful to God for having given me this gift (writing), which I can use to develop myself and express all that's inside me!"

Anne Frank (pgs. 67-135)

I read this book once before, and while I thought it was magnificent, there was also a lot I had yet to go through in my life. After having had the experiences I have had, it's much easier not only to connect to Anne Frank, but to appreciate how well she articulates a teenage girl's feelings. She covers such a broad range of topics that it's hard to imagine a reader wouldn't connect on at least one level.

"Really, it's not easy being the badly brought-up center of a family of nitpickers."

The longer she stays in the Secret Annex, the more you see her relationships with others develop. Some deteriorate under the pressure, but others also start to bloom as she gets to know people she previously ignores. Probably the two best examples of this are her mother and Peter from the Annex.

It's a little heartbreaking when you go through Anne's torments over losing, or at least accepting that she never had, her mother. Sometimes it can be frightening when you think of what would happen with certain people in your life if you examined your relationship a little to closely, And in this, the everyday separation our lives allow us can be a blessing. Anne Frank also had that once, but when it is torn away she is left with few comforts.

"If I'm engrossed in a book, I have to rearrange my thoughts before I can mingle with other people, because otherwise they might think I was strange."

However, she finds them in what she can. Anne is, like all of the Annex's tenants, is an ardent reader. She often finds escape in written worlds, which all readers can understand.

Overall, this is an interesting book with, at times, shocking and illuminating insights into a young girls life with the backdrop of a war that left millions dead. I'm looking forward to continuing this book.

Why Must We Remember Our Past?

A lot of people would probably say we must remember our pasts so we don't make the same mistakes in the future. Really though, isn't it more than that? What would those mistakes matter if we lost who we are? If we forget our pasts, we forget everything that has made us who we are. There are things only I know, and only I think about. If I were to forget them, then who would remember and acknowledge those things? Honestly, people who do forget their pasts, who have amnesia, scare me. I couldn't imagine many things worse. Though, one that I can is Alzheimers. Losing a bit of yourself until there was nothing left wouldn't make life worth living.