Anne Frank Response

It is an amazing thing to read about a young women who was trying so hard to obtain and keep her independence in a period of history when many people were losing their basic freedom. In Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, we are given a firsthand account of what is was like to be a Jewish resident of Holland during World War II. The author, Anne Frank, takes us through her family’s experience of hiding from the Gestapo in the secret annex of an office building. In this unlikely setting, where several people’s basic freedoms have been taken from them, the idea of personal independence is a prime focus. Independence plays a very strong role throughout the entire work as Frank discusses her views on independence, shows her need to be allowed
more independence from her parents, and demonstrates her independence through the use of her diary.
Anne’s views on independence are presented in both a highly personalized manner and at times a much generalized manner. Anne’s drive for personal independence is an overarching theme throughout the work, and it can easily be seen that even at her young age Anne already felt quite independent. While talking about how she views herself as opposed to how other view her she states “Although I'm only fourteen, I know quite well what I want, I know who is right and who is wrong. I have my opinions, my own ideas and principles, and although it may sound pretty mad from an adolescent, I feel more of a person than a child, I feel quite independent of anyone” (179). Her views of her own inner-self show a great deal of self-examination for a person as young as she was at the time she wrote this. Her continuing need for personal independence mirrors the need for physical independence that many people at this time in history were so desperately seeking. When speaking in a more general way Anne shows a wisdom beyond her years. Her views on the general ideas of what it is to be independent come across as a philosophical study on the idea of independence more than just the diary entries of a young girl. There are many quotes that can help represent Anne’s ideas of what it means to be independent, but her statement that “People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion.” (163) really helps the reader to get a clear picture of how strongly she feels about the ideals of personal independence.
Secondly Anne expresses an ever growing need for independence from her parent, who she believes treat her as if she were much younger than she is.
In the beginning Anne shows a bit of jealousy toward the fact that she believes her parents allow Margot, her older sister, much more independence than her, but as time progresses her feelings about her sister begin to change. In the entry for March 17, 1944, Anne discusses how “Margot and I are getting a bit tired of our parents” and “when you are as old as we are, you want to decide just a few things for yourself” (178). At this point Anne is beginning to show a certain kinship with her sister in their simultaneous pursuit of their independence. These feelings of independence seem to stem directly from her upbringing. She quotes her father as saying “All children must look after their own upbringing” and analyses his quote by writing “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands” (Frank, 260) . Anne’s explanation of how she interprets her father’s words show the basic foundation upon her reasoning for trying so hard to gain independence from her parents. It is a fairly simple process to link Mr. Frank’s ideas concerning how the upbringing of a child should be undertaken and why Anne believes so highly in having control of her
independence.
Finally the truest proof of Anne’s independent nature is shown by her diary as a whole. Anne would rather write her feelings into her diary then discuss them with anyone around her. In her third entry, Anne describes that even though she has a family and many friends she doesn’t believe she has a real friend and so she names her diary Kitty and makes it into her real friend (3). Anne’s description of not having a real friend is done in a particular way that shows she is not upset by the fact, but done more to show a reason why Kitty is important to her. Her personification of her diary allows her a way of discussing her feeling without actually having to admit her feelings to anyone else. One of the best examples of Anne using her diary to maintain her happens when Anne is on the verge of a breakdown and she writes, “they mustn't know my despair, I can't let them see the wounds which they have caused, I couldn't bear their sympathy and their kind-hearted jokes, it would only make me want to scream all the more” (65). Anne’s ability to internalize her feelings instead of letting them out at those around her allow her to keep her independence even in the face of extreme pressure.
Frank’s show of her personal independence is evident throughout Anne Frank: The Diary of a young Girl. From the very beginning of the work where she personifies her diary and its use as a real friend to show her independence even at her young age. Anne’s independence continues throughout the book to the very end when she states she will, “keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and what I could be, if … there weren’t any other people living in the world” (268). As the final statement Anne’s writes in her diary this is a powerful representation of how strongly she feels about her independence.