The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank as a Bright - Minded Feminist
Introduction
Heinous battles occupy a large segment in the history of mankind, and so does World War II. Men from all corners of the world were pushed into the battlefields and were expected to prove themselves as martyrs or conquerors. “We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph, and from both we have learned there can be no turning back. We must go forward to preserve in peace what we won in war.” (Radio broadcast after Japan’s surrender officially ceased World War II) (Wallacker & Griffith, 2008). However, the magnificence of such battles is celebrated throughout the world, but history has turned a blind eye to the sufferings of the innocent victims. “The war was not only a bloodbath; it was a deliberate strategy to suppress and crush the people who were fighting for freedom. And history tells us that the victors are the ones who write the history, not the victims.” (Howard Zinn, social activist) (Cotter, 2010). Keeping aside the celebrated narratives of war and delving into the lives of the Jews instead can tell us how they were dreadfully affected by the Holocaust, especially women and children. The Holocaust dealt with the brutal genocide of the Jews across the world, and approximately six million Jews were killed. While, on one hand, mothers, sisters, and wives feared losing their men, on the other hand, the Jewish women feared for their own lives. Among them was an inspiring teenage girl, Anne Frank, and her diary, which recorded daily experiences of the war and her own life. Since the beginning of mankind, women have been treated as domiciliary and passive creatures that are emotionally gullible but have remarkable cherishing qualities. They are hopeless ornamental beings, lacking agency of their own and who fully depend on men to find comfort, safety and assurance; but several feminist movements and eminent figures like Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Simone de Beauvoir and many others challenged the gender norms, raised their voices against the act of excluding women from public life and contested women’s’ education. This gave shape to a new perception of femininity. Anne Frank and the contents of her diary give us the idea that she too had a strong feminist spirit embedded within her, which was gradually emerging until her life was cut short. Her diary gives an account of the struggle of a young Jewish girl and her family when they went into hiding in an abandoned building when the Holocaust massively broke out and how she dealt with the challenges daily.
Combating Gender Roles: The Contrasting Personalities of Edith, Margot and Anne Edith Frank vs. Anne Frank – A battle between docility and resistance
Anne Frank’s mother, Edith Frank was a submissive and unresisting woman who depended entirely on her husband for support. It is from Anne’s diary entries that we can infer that her mother was both culpable and prone to pessimism. Unlike Anne Frank, she was liable to embrace defeat easily. Anne writes in her diary (Oct 3, 1942), “I’ve got a mother who is incapable of taking any kind of action, who is quiet, unassuming, and on top of that, somewhat soft.” With each passing day, Anne’s mother became more traumatized and began displaying symptoms of claustrophobia. Soon after the family went into hiding in the Secret Annex, Edith Frank’s hopelessness intensified; from living in a spacious and beautified home, they had to survive in a place where space and movements were restricted. Not to mention the mental and physical toll it took on them. However, Anne was decidedly more optimistic and was unhappy with her mother’s anxious behavior. Her perception of life was in stark contrast with her mother’s and sister’s. She longed for a mother who could have replaced her diary and become a ‘living diary’ instead, but destiny had a rebellious plan for her. Determined not to be influenced by the negative atmosphere that prevailed in the Secret Annex. "Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again." (Oct 9, 1943), Anne’s ability of finding peace within chaos, and meaning in desolation is evident from these lines. She lived in a time when days and nights were replaced by the sounds of fighter planes and bombing. She could sense the apprehension and waited for the doom with utmost optimism, positivity and a strong ray of hope. "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."(July 15, 1944). This is a remarkably ironic statement which Anne wrote in her diary. Her efforts to remain buoyant even in the darkest of times are rather admirable. Although this statement might sound performative, her intentions were not; she did not have any idea that her diary would be published as a classic one day. The irony lies in the fact that the ‘people’ whom Anne believed to be ‘good at heart’, demolished her and her family’s lives. Yet, her words can be viewed as a distinguished form of resistance against the tumultuous Nazi regime, and she continued embracing humanity, giving herself a better podium over the others. "Anne Frank was a remarkable young girl. She lived through a period in history which challenged all the values of human beings, and in her diary, she records her thoughts, her desires, her fears, and, above all, her will to survive."— Eleanor Roosevelt (Former First Lady of the United States) (Abramson & Harrison, 2007).
Margot Frank vs. Anne Frank – A battle between obedience and rebellion
Anne had a complex relationship with her elder sister Margot; sometimes they were very close to each other, while at other times they were full of distinctions. Their unstable companionship often sheds light on how Anne was a figure who incidentally resisted succumbing to the typical gender norms that have been constructed by societal expectations. Margot, on the other hand, was embedded with extreme femininity; she was reserved and calm with a tolerable disposition, and she never raised her voice or showed discontent with her elders, even when she was miserable. Thus, Margot was more socially accepted and preferred to Anne. According to her, “Margot has always been the 'good' child, praised for her obedience, calmness, and studiousness. It seems that everything she does is flawless, and no matter what I do, I can never live up to her." (May 29, 1943). Margot obediently abided by the gender roles, and she was celebrated as the better sibling. Women in the 1940s were expected to remain within the domestic boundaries, and society pressurised women to maintain their femininity and to uphold their modesty and nurturing nature. Patriarchy, however, exploited their femininity; they were paid less compared to the labour they provided in the commercial world. They worked in unsafe workplaces and often encountered sexual harassment. However, Anne raised her voice against injustice and resisted calumnies, which she faced within her world in the Secret Annex; she was honest and straightforward. "At school, the teachers always ask me why I can't be more like Margot. But I don't think I can ever be like her. She’s always so well-behaved, so calm, so everything that I can never be. Sometimes, I wonder if it's my fault that everyone sees her as the perfect one, while I get into trouble all the time. But Margot never complains. She just takes everything in stride." (March 29, 1944) – This statement shows the idea that not only her family but also society rebuked her for not being the “perfect” female. Anne was born as a free bird, but the world wanted to cage her; this further reinforces the idea that anyone who shows signs of deviation from the accepted norms of the society is usually forced into being someone who they are not. Anne wrote about her sister in her diary: "I often have the feeling that I am a different person from Margot. I have my own opinions, my own ideas, and yet everyone expects me to be just like Margot, who is so sweet and docile and quiet. People love her for being so calm and composed, but they are often too hard on me. I am not like her, and sometimes it’s hard for me to live up to that ideal that everyone has set for me." (July, 1942). Anne, just like any other girl, wanted a favourable reputation, but her sense of justice and righteousness held a higher position for her. The situation, however, changed when her diary was published; only then was she posthumously welcomed and embraced by society. "Anne Frank was, of course, a feminist. She had the mind of a modern woman, and she understood the oppressive role that gender played in her life." – Doris Lessing (Nobel Prize-winning author) (Song, 2021).
Rebellious Sexuality, Love and Adolescence in the Secret Annex: Anne’s emerging Feminism
Anne stepped into puberty when she was in the Secret Annex and thus, began facing new issues under the extraordinary conditions. Adolescence is a period where one struggles to construct one’s identity, tries to adapt with the mental and physical developments, come across love for the first time and explore the world. Contrastingly, her life was totally different and she was forced to be confined within the Secret Annex, away from the rest of the world. She wrote in her diary on May 3, 1944 - "I sometimes think about the good old days when I could run around with my friends, without a care in the world, and I feel so lonely now. But I can’t dwell on the past; I have to keep moving forward." Her friends were snatched away from her, some were taken to the Auschwitz camp and some were killed. In spite of her considerably healthy adolescence, she was deprived of falling in love and experiencing the butterflies of infatuation. Instead, she was in a constant struggle with her inner turmoil and the desire to break free. Coming across the utter confusion of grappling with the mystifying nature of puberty and questioning the difficulties of womanhood, she writes, "I feel like I am becoming someone else. There’s a certain part of me that’s changing, that’s growing up, but I don’t know who that is yet. Sometimes I don’t like this new person, and sometimes I do." (June 20, 1942). Anne blatantly wrote about her physical changes and mentioned the uneasiness she felt while passing through this stage of her life. Several passages from her diary include parts where she wrote about how her breasts were growing in size, how her figure looked different and she even eventually brought up the topic of menstruation as well. In the diary entry of 5 April, 1944, she wrote about the perplexing idea about her identity and whether she should consider herself as a woman or a girl. "I am not quite sure what it is about my body, but I know that I have changed. My breasts are growing, my figure is changing. My face looks different, too. And yet, I don’t feel like I can talk about it with anyone here. I think they see me as a child still, and I have to keep up this appearance, even though I know deep inside that I am becoming a young woman." Her feminist ideal was gradually taking the surface and she did not feel ashamed to talk about these challenges, even when they were regarded as taboos in society.
A new chapter unfolds in her life when the Van Daan family arrives in the Secret Annex. Van Daans’ son, Peter soon becomes Anne’s romantic interest. Peter Van Daan, who was a seventeen year old Jewish boy, lived with the Franks and soon established a romantic relationship with Anne. Since both of them were isolated from the rest of the world, they sought to find comfort with each other. Anne initially fails to comprehend whether her feelings for Peter were constituted by love or were simply a symptom of her loneliness. She was keenly aware of society’s expectations of women. Although women were somehow conditioned and manipulated to be resigned creatures, her desire to explore sexuality with nobility in the curbing circumstances further reflected her feminism. She defies the taboo of female sexuality by writing in her diary and proclaiming her romantic feelings for Peter, which, in general, girls rarely do. Her rebellious and outspokenness was subject to judgment by all the other adults living in the Secret Annex but it was Peter, according to her, who understood her and never judged her; instead, sympathized with her. Anne wrote in her diary, about her love for Peter, where she mentioned, "Peter and I have a special understanding. He listens to me, and he doesn’t judge me. I feel so comfortable with him. When I am with him, I feel safe and understood, like I can say anything without fear of being criticized." (May 3, 1944). The portrayal of her outspokenness to Peter is defending the fact that she found her strength in him. She encountered situations later, where she was detained from meeting him and she found out that her sister, Margot also had a soft corner for him but Anne’s authority and explicit claims gave her a better position in Peter’s heart. "Anne's attraction to Peter was an emotional milestone. It was a poignant reminder that even in the direst circumstances, young people experience the universal feelings of longing, confusion, and curiosity about love." – Helen Woodward (Scholar of Anne Frank’s Legacy) (Wiik, 1973).
Both her parents and her sister worried that she might give in to her brewing sexuality thus she was detained from meeting Peter. She, however, had a better control on her feelings and wrote them down instead. She penned down her dislike for such restrictions as a way of resisting passively against her parents and sister - "I can’t see Peter when I want to, and it’s so frustrating. I have to sneak around just to talk to him for a few minutes, but even that is so limited. It feels like our whole relationship is built on secrets, and I hate it. I just want to be free to be with him." (April 1, 1944). Those boundaries however could not keep her away from him for much long, they were able to reconcile and spend more time together. She was determined to be with him, and though their love was progressing smoothly, she did not fail to manage her mastery over her sexuality.As a teenager, she wanted to explore physical intimacy more freely, but her obscurity of the situation and her sense of awareness compelled her to stay away from it. The act of constraining her freedom by her family was an act of suppressing her growing sexual identity but she depended on diary writing as a form of therapy and to derive strength to fight back."Anne’s love for Peter was a typical youthful love. She was young and inexperienced, and her feelings were complex. It was not just about romantic love, but about her yearning to be understood and her exploration of herself." – Otto Frank. (Anne Frank’s father) (2021).
Independence and Aspirations: Anne’s Feminist Legacy
Anne desired to create an identity of her own, distinct from her mother and sister. She wanted to be a writer or a journalist. Both disciplines involve the right to form and produce one’s own opinions and ideas, and Anne Frank was gifted with these capabilities. Women, during the 20th century were largely excluded from public life and were expected to be immersed in domestic responsibilities. Since World War II had called most men to fight, women were left alone in their households. Some maidens and mothers required financial support to run their family and they had to step into the commercial world. Initially, patriarchy had severely limited the opportunities for women, confined to the fields of nursing, telephone operations, teaching and agriculture. However, as the war progressed, women started working in ammunition industries, shipbuilding, aircraft industry, military nursing, fire department, locomotive driving, social activism, scientific research and even as entertainers for the soldiers. Anne Frank, on the other hand, desired to be something more than the conventional women. Her diary writing defended her desire to achieve something beyond the conventional jobs. "I want to go on living even after my death! And that's why I am so grateful to God for having given me this gift of writing, which I can make use of to express myself. But I want to be free to live as I please. And for that, I need independence. It’s not easy, but I will fight for it. I will go my own way." (March 29, 1944) – Anne aspired to fight through the storm and achieve her dreams, in fact she did; her legacy is still being celebrated, even after so many years. From the above statement, it is evident that she was proud of her “gift of writing” and wanted to make use of it to bring further changes in the world. Her words sound like a divine warrior who is no less powerful than a soldier. Since women were often restricted from raising their voices and agitating patriarchy, the act of writing became a powerful and essential way to demand autonomy. "Anne wanted to be free, not just from the physical imprisonment of the annexe but also from the constraints that society and her parents imposed upon her. Her diary shows the restlessness of a young woman who wants to make her own decisions, have her own thoughts, and live her own life." – Miep Gies (patron to the Frank family and the preserver of her diary) (Anne Frank Diary Guardian Miep Gies Dies Aged 100, 2010)
Fate was in favour of her dreams because her writing, in reality, inspired other women to share their opinions and raise their voices against oppression. Through her diary, she not only rekindles the extinguished fire of feminism in many hearts but also taught others a way to discover the better half of the world, even in the darkest tunnels of life; after all, every dark tunnel ends with an illuminated path. Anne has added valuable evidence of her legacy through the establishment of a museum, Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, as a tribute to her juvenile yet feminist struggles and making a brutally honest account of World War II. The establishment is still an honorable place because thousands of people visit and pay homage to her courage and autonomy. “I don’t want to remain a child forever, and I want to be my own person. I want to live freely, without being bound by rules and conventions." (April 11, 1944). The act of diary writing as a weapon of rebellion was not only confined to her struggles as a feminist, but served as an act of rebellion against the war and the loss of humanity itself.
Case study of the Diary: Anne’s ‘Dear Kitty’
Anne Frank had named her diary Kitty and started each entry with “Dear Kitty.” Fortunately, her diary was left behind when they were taken into custody of the Nazi regime. On August 4, 1944, the Frank family was ultimately discovered and taken into custody. Later, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl found her diary among the scattered mess in the Secret Annex and decided to return it to her if she came back. Unfortunately, Anne died in 1945 at the Bergen - Belsen Concentration Camp (Zapata, 2024) in Germany. Only her father, Otto Frank survived the war and returned to Amsterdam. He found Anne’s diary and got it published. Thus, ‘Het Achterhuis’ came into existence on June 25, 1947. It was originally published in Dutch language by Contact Publishing (The Complete Works of Anne Frank, 2022). Later it was translated into English in 1952 and was published in the United States by Doubleday & Company (Frank et al., 1947) and the United Kingdom by Vallentine Mitchell (Frank et al., 1947), under the title – ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, making it a best-seller and eventually, a world classic.
Conclusion
Thus, Anne Frank’s diary unknowingly demonstrates her resilient and strong disposition, which made it a classic. Her diary is a powerful commentary on feminism and the daily struggles of a young woman who wanted to “be responsible” for herself. Her diary provides an insight into her conflicts with family and acquaintances, highlighting the stark differences in their personalities, where she craved for optimism while her family was drowning in fear. Further into the diary, she talks about her relationship with Peter Van Daan and how she surpasses all obstacles to be by his side. Furthermore, she also writes about her keen desire to use her writing to bring about change in the world and entertain its people. Despite being a firsthand witness to World War II and the Holocaust, she did not fail to assert that people are good at heart and that this war will bring about a hopeful revolution toward goodness. Being a girl of the 20th century, her ideas and desires outshine what many men could never think of. Within a realm of perfect ladies and patriarchy, her diary stands as a form of resistance against a conventional world where masculinity had control over femininity–and where she fought and made herself an eminent figure, not just as a feminist but as a symbolic female martyr, in the war against patriarchal tyranny and the sinister boundaries of gender roles. Her diary continues to inspire millions of hearts and reinforces the spirit of feminism, adding to the collective struggle for freedom.
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