nichtkunst

I’d been planning on reading this book for many years and I’ve finally come around to doing it. As the descendant of genocide survivors myself (the Armenian Genocide in my case), I had never actually considered the day-to-day aspects. We’ve all heard and read the atrocities committed against the victims, whether it be massacres, death marches, sexual and physical abuse and an endless list of crimes against humanity. But I had never considered the situation of those in hiding. Even contemplating the life of Anne Frank and her family and friends in the Annex made me feel claustrophobic. I can not imagine living in such closed quarters for two years with virtually no contact with the outside world, except for the few who were in on the secret. At some point, Anne says: “I've asked myself again and again whether it wouldn't have been better if we hadn't gone into hiding, if we were dead now and didn't have to go through this misery, especially so that the others could be spared the burden. But we all shrink from this thought. We still love life, we haven't yet forgotten the voice of nature, and we keep hoping, hoping for . . . everything.” I can’t help thinking that I would have preferred death over the constant fear and agony, over the dread of discovery. And yet this young girl, barely a teenager, somehow managed to stay cheerful most of the time and even optimistic about her future. The reader can see her growing up over the years of their confinement and maturing into a young woman. There were instances however, that made me wonder if she was truly as mature and grown as she was coming across; or was she simply a little girl acting tough in an attempt to inspire herself and instill the strength she needed to survive? She was probably somewhere in between, that awkward stage when we feel misunderstood by all and especially our parents..when we just want to be left alone..when we pretend to be independent but still crave the approval of our parents. I can't grasp how hard it would be to go through that journey of self discovery shut out from the world with only seven other people for company! I can't believe she was considered spoiled. Any teenager from my generation would have thrown a tantrum every five minutes in that place! Although a little monotonous at first, this was really an incredible book. She had an amazing talent and makes me wonder what she could have been if given the chance to live and realize her dream of becoming a journalist and even a writer. I realize this is more me ranting than a formal review, but there are enough of those around for whoever's interested. The most unfortunate conclusion I made after reading Anne Frank's diary is that nothing has really changed. We haven't learned from our mistakes and history is repeating itself. In Anne's own words: "Why are millions spent on the war each day, while not a penny is available for medical science, artists or the poor? Why do people have to starve when mountains of food are rotting away in other parts of the world? Oh, why are people so crazy?" Why indeed? :/

2022-10-29 03:21