We've all heard that it's the rough times in life that make us strongest. It's unfortunate that it's true. Punch-in-the-gut life experiences enable us to learn a lot about ourselves, build our character, have epiphanies about the world. True, we can do this by not getting the wind knocked out of us throughout life, but the learning seems to be at a slower pace.Anne Frank was put into a real awful situation at an extremely horrible time in history, making her learning curve very steep. Sure, her diary is filled with the normal fare of a 14 year old (e.g., disliking peeling peas or thinking about boys), but very often she fills the pages with neat insights, thoughts on the workings of the world, and constructive criticism of her character. One of my favorite passages:
How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the whole day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then, without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that: "A quiet conscience makes one strong!"
This book is good because it was the real life of a young girl who was dealing with a rough situation the best way she could, and all the while trying to become better. How would each of us deal with such a situation? How do each of us deal with what we've got? This book makes you think about it.
4 comments:
I've totally been meaning to read this book. I'm re-adding it to my list!
Good review Ash. If I was in Anne's situation I think I would feel pretty powerless and frustrated hiding while the Nazis were taking and killing other Jews.
Off-topic question: I'm planning a trip to Europe and wondering about a good walking-all-over-the-place shoe. Since you just experienced the place yourself, do you have any suggestions?
Tricia,
A trip to Europe? Sounds wonderful! Where are you off to? I took my Dansko clogs and they worked great because they were comfortable to walk in but looked good with mostly everything. However, they did prove a bit difficult to walk in on cobblestone streets (however, maybe that's just the nature of cobblestone streets). As for wearing sneakers, they seem to immediately signal that you're a tourist, so I would suggest a comfortable yet not white or terribly thick-soled shoe. I have some in mind, but can't for the life of me remember the brand or find a picture of them on the internet. Sorry about that, but I hope this helps somewhat.
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