Anne Frank
Response to Novel
As I was reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, I had mixed emotions about Anne and the last years of her life. I feel like Anne was probably your average teenage girl, just she was put in a strange, unfamiliar situation and did not know how to handle herself. Most of the things that she talked about were normal for a girl of her age. She talked about boys, arguing with her family, etc. There were times as I was reading that I felt like Anne was talking about the strangest things, but then I came to my senses and remembered that people probably think the same thing about the things I talk about. I have wanted for a while now to learn about Anne Frank and her life, and I am glad that I got to. In my opinion, her story did get a little dull at times, but for somebody who was in hiding for over two years, it was incredibly interesting. I enjoyed hearing about her relationships with the other people in hiding with her. I know that she lost her temper occasionally, but I would too if I had to be stuck in small quarters with the same seven people, four not being in my family, for over two years. I found the fact that she died so close to the end of the war heartbreaking. However, Anne Frank kept on living after she died, and her story will forever be one of the most life-changing ones I have ever read.
One of the main subjects in the novel is virtue. Anne's parents want for her to be more like Margot, her sister. Throughout the book, Margot stays peaceful and humble. Anne wants to be well-behaved like her sister, but she also wants to do things her own way. I feel like a relate to this. I am constantly arguing with my parents, but my brother hardly ever does. While I do want to be better behaved, I do not want to be just like him. As I was reading Anne's diary, I really felt like I related to her when she talked about virtue. She was a good daughter, she just lost her temper at times and said things she did not mean. That being said, I did feel like I had something in common with Anne when she talked about other subjects, but every time she talked about virtue, it really struck home with me.
I learned a lot from reading Anne Frank's diary. It really taught me just how terrible the war was for everyone involved. I do not think I really realized what going into hiding meant for Jews, and this gave me a taste of what it was really like. Intolerance does still go on today, just in a much more mild form. People do still judge others because of their religion or appearance, and I am afraid that they always will. However, I know that after reading this novel, I will not. I learned what racism and other forms of judgement can do to a person, and I would not wish that upon anyone. In the end, appearance does not matter. All that matters is what kind of a person you are. Do you tease people because of how their hair looks or what they believe in, or do you stand up for those being teased? Or, on another topic, are you a bystander? I know that I will definitely start standing up for people more often. If you are a bystander or a teaser, put yourself in the shoes of the person being teased. Think about what Jews had to go through during World War II. Is it really worth it? I can tell you right now that it is not. If you still do not understand where I am coming from, I would strongly recommend that you read The Diary of a Young Girl. It will not only inspire you, it will change your life.
As I was reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, I had mixed emotions about Anne and the last years of her life. I feel like Anne was probably your average teenage girl, just she was put in a strange, unfamiliar situation and did not know how to handle herself. Most of the things that she talked about were normal for a girl of her age. She talked about boys, arguing with her family, etc. There were times as I was reading that I felt like Anne was talking about the strangest things, but then I came to my senses and remembered that people probably think the same thing about the things I talk about. I have wanted for a while now to learn about Anne Frank and her life, and I am glad that I got to. In my opinion, her story did get a little dull at times, but for somebody who was in hiding for over two years, it was incredibly interesting. I enjoyed hearing about her relationships with the other people in hiding with her. I know that she lost her temper occasionally, but I would too if I had to be stuck in small quarters with the same seven people, four not being in my family, for over two years. I found the fact that she died so close to the end of the war heartbreaking. However, Anne Frank kept on living after she died, and her story will forever be one of the most life-changing ones I have ever read.
One of the main subjects in the novel is virtue. Anne's parents want for her to be more like Margot, her sister. Throughout the book, Margot stays peaceful and humble. Anne wants to be well-behaved like her sister, but she also wants to do things her own way. I feel like a relate to this. I am constantly arguing with my parents, but my brother hardly ever does. While I do want to be better behaved, I do not want to be just like him. As I was reading Anne's diary, I really felt like I related to her when she talked about virtue. She was a good daughter, she just lost her temper at times and said things she did not mean. That being said, I did feel like I had something in common with Anne when she talked about other subjects, but every time she talked about virtue, it really struck home with me.
I learned a lot from reading Anne Frank's diary. It really taught me just how terrible the war was for everyone involved. I do not think I really realized what going into hiding meant for Jews, and this gave me a taste of what it was really like. Intolerance does still go on today, just in a much more mild form. People do still judge others because of their religion or appearance, and I am afraid that they always will. However, I know that after reading this novel, I will not. I learned what racism and other forms of judgement can do to a person, and I would not wish that upon anyone. In the end, appearance does not matter. All that matters is what kind of a person you are. Do you tease people because of how their hair looks or what they believe in, or do you stand up for those being teased? Or, on another topic, are you a bystander? I know that I will definitely start standing up for people more often. If you are a bystander or a teaser, put yourself in the shoes of the person being teased. Think about what Jews had to go through during World War II. Is it really worth it? I can tell you right now that it is not. If you still do not understand where I am coming from, I would strongly recommend that you read The Diary of a Young Girl. It will not only inspire you, it will change your life.
Above you see a movie poster I made as part of my project. Below is the radio advertisement I wrote for the movie.
Behind the Bookcase is a five-star worthy movie that will leave you speechless. It is a touching story based on The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. For those of you who do not know, Anne Frank was a Jewish teenage girl in hiding during World War II. She was with her family and four other people in what Anne liked to call the “Secret Annex” for over two years. Behind the Bookcase is based on her diary. It includes Anne’s relationships with the other people in hiding, details of the war and other political problems, Anne’s feelings, and so much more. Her story will change your life. You should definitely go see Behind the Bookcase this summer.
Sources:
Frank, Anne, B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Pocket, 1984. Print.
"The Story of Anne Frank: The Hiding Place." Anne Frank House. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Frank, Anne, B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Pocket, 1984. Print.
"The Story of Anne Frank: The Hiding Place." Anne Frank House. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.