Diary of Anne Frank the Importance of Term Paper

Diary of Anne Frank

The importance of Anne Frank's diary lies not in the fact that it is an eyewitness to the terrors of the Holocaust, for this is but one in thousands, it lies in the fact her writings reaffirm man's faith and hope in his fellow man and demonstrate that even under the most depressing of circumstances one can live, love, dream, and experience the entire spectrum of human emotions. The book is about survival, prejudice, the nobility of human compassion. It is also about young girl during adolescence.

This work has maintained its popularity for a number of reasons. This diary is an important historical document. It was written contemporaneously with the events. Anne was born in 1929 and receives her diary on her 13th birthday; just weeks before her family were driven into hiding in Nazi occupied Amsterdam. The dairy recounts twenty-five months of confinement in a limited space with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged intolerant bitter dentist. It is a journal of a journey of constant anxiety, hunger, and oppression.

The story also serves as a great educational tool. Written by a young girl who was experiencing all of the horrors of Nazi anti-Semitism, the book touches the audience deeply and appeals to a wide range of ages. Young people can identify with the ideas, thoughts and feelings expressed in the narrative, as can adults who were once young themselves. Anne's attitudes and reactions feel familiar. The book is honest.

Additionally, it is a good story. It relates an engrossing tale of survival during one of contemporary history's darkest hours. The universal appeal stems from the details of the plight these people were subjected to, a scarce and unreliable food security, insufficient clothing, and their indomitable will to survive. Anne's ultimate demise, despite her optimistic outlook, further contributes to the feeling of loss and the senselessness of the time provoked by the work.

November 7, 1942

The November 7, 1942 entry, made less than six months into the ordeal at the annex testifies to the youth and immaturity of Anne at the time. She and her sister argue over a book and Anne reacts as a victim.

"I cling to Father because my contempt of Mother is growing daily and it's only through him that I'm able to retain the last ounce of family feeling I have left. He doesn't understand that I sometimes need to vent my feelings for Mother. He doesn't want to talk about it, and he avoids any discussion involving Mother's failings. And yet Mother, with all her shortcomings, is tougher for me to deal with. I don't know how I should act. I can't very well confront her…