Being a part of the Cultural Committee that is in charge of putting on an event for Holocaust Remembrance Day, I believe we should not put on the production of Albert Hackett’s The Diary of Anne Frank. Although it may be the most well known Holocaust story, it does not exemplify the severity of the Holocaust and concentration camp experiences are not mentioned. We should put on a production that portrays the horrors of World War II and the terror of what it meant to be Jewish during the time. Anne’s diary is no doubt an interesting read, but it does not accurately represent our goal of remembering the Holocaust.
While Anne’s story may be exceptional, it is not a holistic account of what it meant to be Jewish during …show more content…
However, during the time she said that, Anne was in hiding and was not able to experience or view the atrocities committed against her people. Perhaps if she was in the concentration camps to view first hand the terrors, her view might change.
The Holocaust was an exceedingly tragic event that took the lives of over six million innocent people, and the concentration camps were an integral factor that depicted Hitler’s determination to wipe out an entire race. Unfortunately, the play fails to depict the harsh reality of concentration camps. Anne was seized by the Nazi police and her story was left untold; Because of this, there is nothing that would give the viewers an understanding of life in concentration camps. “… as she hears the sound of the car, its brakes squealing as it comes to a sudden stop… the others stand rigid, waiting, terrified… there is a sound of violent pounding on the door below.” (Diary, pg 169) This describes the seconds before the Nazi Police entered their home, and seized Anne and her family. If the play were to be put on production we would be failing our goal of an appropriate Holocaust remembrance day. The Diary of Anne Frank is only a peek into one girl’s life during the time. We should focus on a story that encompasses true strength the Jews had to have in order to endure the barbarity they