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Europe during World War Two had many major world events happen in the 20th century such as the Blitzkrieg over London, the Battle of Stalingrad, and Nazi Germany’s European domination, but one girl’s story tells the struggles she went through during World War Two. The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Anne Frank follows the story of a Jewish teenager named Anne Frank and her family hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Nazi invaded Amsterdam. Anne Frank has told us her hardships of being a lonely teenager and hiding from the Nazis while still trying to live a normal life.
First of all, Anne Frank’s perpetual feeling of being lonely and misunderstood provides the impetus of her dedicated diary writings and colors many of the experiences she recounts. Even in her early diary entries, in which she writes about the many friends she had, and her lively social life, Anne expresses gratitude that the diary can act as a confidant with whom she can share her inner most thoughts. This might seem as an odd sentiment from such a playful, amusing, social young girl, but Anne explains that she is never comfortable discussing her inner emotions, even with her close friends. Despite her excitement over developing into a woman, and despite the specter of war surrounding her, Anne nonetheless finds that she and her friends talk only about trivial topics.
After that, we learned that in her diary that neither Mrs. Frank, nor Margo offer much advice to Anne in the way of emotional support. Though Anne feels very connected to her father and derives strength and encouragement from him, he is not a fitting confidant for a thirteen year old girl. Near the end of the story, Anne shares a quotation she once read with which she strongly agrees. “Deep down, the young are lonelier than the old.” Young people are less able than adults to define or express their needs clearly, they are more likely to feel lonely, isolated, and misunderstood. Living as a Jew in an increasingly Anti-Jewish society, in cramped deprived circumstances, heightens the isolation Anne feels and complicates her struggle for identity.
Next, I learned Anne occasionally turns to the cats that live in the annex for affection. Noticing that Peter Van Daan also plays with the cats, Anne speculates that he must also suffer from a lack of affection. Anne’s observation softens her view on Peter whom she once considered obnoxious and lazy, and these thoughts caused her to think that they might have something in common. Their ensuring friendship and budding romance stave off their feelings of loneliness . Margot, who like the other members of the annex witnesses the changing nature of Peter and Anne’s relationship, expresses her jealousy that Anne has found a confidant. Evidently, Anne is not the only one suffering from a deprivation of friends and attention.
The author also used figurative language to illustrate the theme of the book. She talked about having to be as quiet as a mouse to survive during the day while people were working downstairs, being quiet could have made her lose interest in everyday activities that she did before the start of the war. Also, when a woman named Miep brought up books for Anne, she said that the amount of books Anne wanted “weighed a ton”, this sounds like Anne is worried about her education and well being by reading a lot of books. Lastly, Anne said that, “A loud clap followed immediately. It sounded like a bomb had fallen aside my bed.” This could symbolize her life imploding on itself from lack of attention and being worried 24/7 about being found and killed by the Nazis. Although it could be argued that survival is the theme the text states that she felt lonely throughout the book by telling her point of view from the lack of attention.
Lastly, feelings of loneliness and isolation also play out in the larger scheme of the annex. All of its inhabitants feel anxious, fearful, and stressed because of their circumstances, yet no one wants to burden the others with such depressing feelings. As a result, the residents become impatient with one another over trivial matters and never address their deeper fears or worries. This constant masking and repression of serious emotions creates isolation and misunderstanding between everyone in the annex.
As you can now see, Anne was lonely for the two years in the annex. She tried to live a normal life, but became isolated. Overall, I thought that throughout the book Anne suffered a lack of attention and became isolated the time she lived in the annex.
Anne Frank had a hard time living her life life in hiding. She faced many life problems throughout her life in the attic. Her life was rough due to the attic living conditions. Many meals were served more than once, day after day, unable to get their own rations. Sleeping schedules were swapped, because of the office below being populated during the day. They had from 8am to 6pm to be still and quiet, or sleep. When Anne slept, she was disturbed by nightmares of being found and killed by the Nazis, she also felt lonely because she didn’t have many people to socialize with. But in order to survive the Holocaust, she must first survive the attic.
Anne was lonely, due to only have two children around her age to converse with, and the other four being adults. She had lost her best friends when she had to call the attic her home. In the story, Anne writes: “I kept wishing Peter was a girl instead of a boy. Then I would have someone to talk to.” Not only is she limited to Peter, but her sister Margot. Anne’s only problem with her is that she is “too serious.” Of course, Anne has the ability to talk to the adults, but she doesn’t have a connection or like them. She writes in her diary that Mrs. Van Daan flirts with her father, and that she doesn’t have a connection with her mother. She feels safer around her father and opens up to him the most out of the others.
Not only does Anne deal with loneliness, but also the repeating of meals due to the inability to get their own rations. Alongside the rest of her roommates, she complains about this, and the fact that Miep cannot always bring them their rations and other asked for items. It may seem slightly miniscule to some, but to the ones in hiding, its a big thing.
An obstacle Anne faces frequently is her nightmares. One night, Anne awakes screaming due to her sleep being filled with thoughts of the Nazis finding and killing them. Dussel, her roomate, reacts by yelling at her to be quiet, and complains that someone, other than the others in the attic, could have heard her. Anne’s mother enters her room and tries to comfort her, but ends in Anne backing away and asking for her father.
Yet, nightmares aren’t her only sleeping problems. During 8am to 6pm, Anne must either sleep, or be still and quiet. She mustn’t move to change her position, get up to use the restroom, or leave her room due to the walls being thin and every noise has the ability to be heard. She mustn’t speak or breathe to loud for a simple noise could become a giveaway for their hiding spot. Anne could be compared to calm waters, quiet and still, and any noise to her is like a bomb sounding beside her.
Diary of Anne Frank
ReplyDeleteEurope during World War Two had many major world events happen in the 20th century such as the Blitzkrieg over London, the Battle of Stalingrad, and Nazi Germany’s European domination, but one girl’s story tells the struggles she went through during World War Two. The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Anne Frank follows the story of a Jewish teenager named Anne Frank and her family hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Nazi invaded Amsterdam. Anne Frank has told us her hardships of being a lonely teenager and hiding from the Nazis while still trying to live a normal life.
First of all, Anne Frank’s perpetual feeling of being lonely and misunderstood provides the impetus of her dedicated diary writings and colors many of the experiences she recounts. Even in her early diary entries, in which she writes about the many friends she had, and her lively social life, Anne expresses gratitude that the diary can act as a confidant with whom she can share her inner most thoughts. This might seem as an odd sentiment from such a playful, amusing, social young girl, but Anne explains that she is never comfortable discussing her inner emotions, even with her close friends. Despite her excitement over developing into a woman, and despite the specter of war surrounding her, Anne nonetheless finds that she and her friends talk only about trivial topics.
After that, we learned that in her diary that neither Mrs. Frank, nor Margo offer much advice to Anne in the way of emotional support. Though Anne feels very connected to her father and derives strength and encouragement from him, he is not a fitting confidant for a thirteen year old girl. Near the end of the story, Anne shares a quotation she once read with which she strongly agrees. “Deep down, the young are lonelier than the old.” Young people are less able than adults to define or express their needs clearly, they are more likely to feel lonely, isolated, and misunderstood. Living as a Jew in an increasingly Anti-Jewish society, in cramped deprived circumstances, heightens the isolation Anne feels and complicates her struggle for identity.
Next, I learned Anne occasionally turns to the cats that live in the annex for affection. Noticing that Peter Van Daan also plays with the cats, Anne speculates that he must also suffer from a lack of affection. Anne’s observation softens her view on Peter whom she once considered obnoxious and lazy, and these thoughts caused her to think that they might have something in common. Their ensuring friendship and budding romance stave off their feelings of loneliness . Margot, who like the other members of the annex witnesses the changing nature of Peter and Anne’s relationship, expresses her jealousy that Anne has found a confidant. Evidently, Anne is not the only one suffering from a deprivation of friends and attention.
The author also used figurative language to illustrate the theme of the book. She talked about having to be as quiet as a mouse to survive during the day while people were working downstairs, being quiet could have made her lose interest in everyday activities that she did before the start of the war. Also, when a woman named Miep brought up books for Anne, she said that the amount of books Anne wanted “weighed a ton”, this sounds like Anne is worried about her education and well being by reading a lot of books. Lastly, Anne said that, “A loud clap followed immediately. It sounded like a bomb had fallen aside my bed.” This could symbolize her life imploding on itself from lack of attention and being worried 24/7 about being found and killed by the Nazis. Although it could be argued that survival is the theme the text states that she felt lonely throughout the book by telling her point of view from the lack of attention.
ReplyDeleteLastly, feelings of loneliness and isolation also play out in the larger scheme of the annex. All of its inhabitants feel anxious, fearful, and stressed because of their circumstances, yet no one wants to burden the others with such depressing feelings. As a result, the residents become impatient with one another over trivial matters and never address their deeper fears or worries. This constant masking and repression of serious emotions creates isolation and misunderstanding between everyone in the annex.
As you can now see, Anne was lonely for the two years in the annex. She tried to live a normal life, but became isolated. Overall, I thought that throughout the book Anne suffered a lack of attention and became isolated the time she lived in the annex.
Anne Frank had a hard time living her life life in hiding. She faced many life problems throughout her life in the attic. Her life was rough due to the attic living conditions. Many meals were served more than once, day after day, unable to get their own rations. Sleeping schedules were swapped, because of the office below being populated during the day. They had from 8am to 6pm to be still and quiet, or sleep. When Anne slept, she was disturbed by nightmares of being found and killed by the Nazis, she also felt lonely because she didn’t have many people to socialize with. But in order to survive the Holocaust, she must first survive the attic.
ReplyDeleteAnne was lonely, due to only have two children around her age to converse with, and the other four being adults. She had lost her best friends when she had to call the attic her home. In the story, Anne writes: “I kept wishing Peter was a girl instead of a boy. Then I would have someone to talk to.” Not only is she limited to Peter, but her sister Margot. Anne’s only problem with her is that she is “too serious.” Of course, Anne has the ability to talk to the adults, but she doesn’t have a connection or like them. She writes in her diary that Mrs. Van Daan flirts with her father, and that she doesn’t have a connection with her mother. She feels safer around her father and opens up to him the most out of the others.
Not only does Anne deal with loneliness, but also the repeating of meals due to the inability to get their own rations. Alongside the rest of her roommates, she complains about this, and the fact that Miep cannot always bring them their rations and other asked for items. It may seem slightly miniscule to some, but to the ones in hiding, its a big thing.
An obstacle Anne faces frequently is her nightmares. One night, Anne awakes screaming due to her sleep being filled with thoughts of the Nazis finding and killing them. Dussel, her roomate, reacts by yelling at her to be quiet, and complains that someone, other than the others in the attic, could have heard her. Anne’s mother enters her room and tries to comfort her, but ends in Anne backing away and asking for her father.
Yet, nightmares aren’t her only sleeping problems. During 8am to 6pm, Anne must either sleep, or be still and quiet. She mustn’t move to change her position, get up to use the restroom, or leave her room due to the walls being thin and every noise has the ability to be heard. She mustn’t speak or breathe to loud for a simple noise could become a giveaway for their hiding spot. Anne could be compared to calm waters, quiet and still, and any noise to her is like a bomb sounding beside her.