• Dec. 13, 2006
Anne Frank
I enjoyed reading Anne Frank's diary, but several things jumped out at me that I found rather annoying and showed me just how unlike her I am.
Her diary reveals that she had a major obsession with guys, yet had little regard for their feelings. She writes several entries that mention Harry Goldberg, a 16 year old boy who liked her. But right after that, she mentions Peter Wessel, (Peter Number One), and says that she was pleased, because he'd talked to her for the first time in ages. Yet just before, she'd been saying how wonderful Harry was! Then she goes and "falls in love" with Peter van Pels, (Peter Number Two) Before, she described him as "frightfully touchy and lazy", a "rather soft, shy, gawky youth", despite his being 3 years older than her. His attempts to be friendly only irritated her, and to me, it almost seems hypocritical of her to suddenly like him. I understand that she wanted to have a closeness with someone, and her strained, distant relationship with her mother, (More on that in the next paragraph), meant she couldn't confide in her. I also understand that Anne having the personality that she did -- she could be a bold flirt who greatly enjoyed the attention of boys -- meant that she must miss the company of young guys, and so turned to the only one there.
Her relationship with her mother was, like I said, strained and distant. They never really got while she's in hiding. But she does not like him till they've been hiding for over a year. along, and after moving into the Secret Annex, their fights became worse. She identified better with her father. Who was a good man, yes. A good father, I guess. But his relationship with his wife does not seem to have been the perfectly-ever-after type, the sweep-her-off-her-feet kind of romance. More of a satisfy society, have a friendly and polite marriage, but never have that love that every girl wants someday. I feel sorry for Otto and Edith Frank.
All in all, I feel that although Anne's diary is touching, tragic and incredibly real, I have trouble identifying myself with her. She seems to have been very opinionated and quite immature in some of her thoughts and feelings.
I love learning and reading about WW I and II. Her diary is one of the greatest insights to that time. But I also think that her diary should be read with the understanding that she isn't exactly someone to be idolized, if you will.
