Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young GIrl

taken by: Lucky Febrianova.

Hi! I have just finished reading Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl and quite confused about several details and ended up getting disappointed with that book. In my first expectation, Anne's diary would help me to understand about the war situation and the impact to Anne's life. However, more than three quarters of the book were just consist of Anne's story about her daily life in hiding, her relation with family, Van Daan's family, Dussel and their helpers (Mr. Koophuis, Mr. Van Santen, Ellie, Miep, etc). Only several parts (starting from page 237, when things started to reach its crucial and climax), attracted me, because--like Eleanor Roosevelt in the introduction--(finally) we can read Anne's commentary about war and her rapid development of thinking during the hiding.

Of course I can not blame Anne. She herself said to her diary, Kitty, that even if she wrote a lot to the diary, we only know a little about her situation in hiding. In one letter, Anne also said that she did not like to explained the development of war situation. 

But here is one of my favorite part: when Anne wrote about her thought of war, the impact and how she dealt with that, in the letter dated Wednesday, 3 May, 1944. In my humble opinion, this part summed up and showed the importance of the book, as an artifacts which point out about the war and the impact, from the eye of a girl who had to hide. I will rewrite Anne's letter so you can read it below. 

PS: One of my friend, Azka Hasna, knew that I was reading this book and how I confused with the depiction of "het achter huis" (or translated as "secret annexe" in this book). Yes, I am quite fool in imagining space, even after Bantam Books, as the publisher, attached the sketch of secret annexe. Then, she--who have ever taken an exchange in Belgia few years before and took advantage of his holiday to stroll around Europe, including Amsterdam-- prayed for me, so I can go to Anne Frank's museum in Amsterdam. What a lovely friend! Now it is becoming one of my wishlist. Hope I can make it happen soon :)

***

Wednesday, 3 May, 1944

As you can easily imagine we often ask ourselves here despairingly: "What, oh, what is the use of the war? Why can't people live peacefully together? Why all this destruction?

The question is very understandable, but no one has found a satisfactory answer to it so far. Yes, why do they make still more gigantic planes, still heavier bombs and, at the same time, prefabricated houses for reconstruction? Why should millions be spent daily on the war and yet there's not a penny available for medical services, artists, or for poor people?

Why do some people have to starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world? Oh, why are people so crazy?

I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalist alone, are guilty of the war. Oh no, the little man is just as guilty, otherwise the peoples of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There's in people simply an urge to destroy, an urge to kill, to murder and rage, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, was will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated, and grown will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again.

I have often been downcast, but never in despair; I regard our hiding as a dangerous adventure, romantic and interesting at the same time. In my diary I treat all the privations as amusing. I have made up my mind now to lead a different life from other girls and, later on, different from ordinary housewives. My start has been so very full of interest, and that is the sole reason why I have to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous moments.

I am young and I posses many buried qualities; I am young and strong and am living a great adventured; I am still in the midst of it and can't grumble the whole day long. I have been given a lot, a happy nature, a great deal of cheerfulness and strength. Every day I feel that I am developing inwardly, that the liberation is drawing nearer and how beautiful nature is, how good the people are about me, how interesting this adventure is! Why, then, should I be in despair?