Anne Frank

Anne Frank once said in her diary: "I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support" (GoodReads). In the early 1900s, a devastating war in Germany known as the Holocaust killed over 11 million people, and 6 million of these people were Jews. One of these 6 million Jews killed, Anne Frank, only lived until the age of 15. Anne Frank is known as the "human face of the Holocaust" because of her spirit and hope during a time of extreme inhumanity and violence. This demonstrated through her diary that she received on her 13th birthday and wrote in for two years while hiding with her family from the Nazis in a Secret Annexe. As shown in the quote from her diary, her diary enables her to express her thoughts and inspire others without fear of being criticized. At 15 years old, the Nazis finally found her family and took them to one of the most deadly concentration camps .Unfortunately, everyone in the family died except for her father, Otto Frank. He later found her diary, copied, and sold it all over the world. Although Anne lived a strenuous life in these few years during the war, she never lost hope. Her writings in her diary guide people to acquire positive attitudes and understanding in the hostility and danger of the lives people live in today. Anne Frank possessed optimism, determination, and bravery as she fought through the Holocaust, exhibiting the true qualities of a hero through her accomplishments and actions.

Anne Frank kept the most positive attitude during the worst of times, characterizing a great sense of optimism. Her diary inspired many because of her unfailing cheerful character; it copied and sold millions of copies all around the world: "The cheerfulness of Frank's writing in such dangerous circumstances, as well as her sensitivity and talent to describe difficult circumstances and the tragedy of her short life, made her diary an instant success. The book translated into over 30 languages, while several million copies of a United States publication of the diary were sold" ("Anne Frank"). Anne's positivity throughout her writings in her diary and living through such a horrific time makes her optimistic. She sincerely sees the best in everything which is why her story is so unbelievable, and can encourage people to look at the bright side of difficult times. Frank's father hopes to spread his daughter's overlook on others: "Otto Frank himself energetically promoted as his daughter's 'universal message' of goodness and hope...it's overarching "message" is summed up in words that have been broadly taken to constitute Anne Frank's signature line: 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart'" (Rosenfeld). Anne Frank is an extremely positive and optimistic person, thus she is unique because other people during this time of torture for the Jews were often depressed and scared. Anne Frank is considered a hero because of her optimism, inspiring people to have positive attitudes. She portrays that no one in life should waste being sad. She was living through the Holocaust, hiding for two years, barely speaking to anyone, and she was still so high spirited, humble, gracious, and therefore ultimately optimistic.

Anne Frank's determination allowed her to strive towards numerous hopes and dreams that others thought were impossible to accomplish. Frank heard people would be collecting diaries during the times of the Holocaust for a contest. She was eager to participate and does not let her lifestyle or the crimes happening around her, let her down. She wants to make her mark on the world: "This project renewed her determination to succeed as a writer. She mentioned her eagerness 'to get on with life, to become a journalist, because that's what I want! I can't imagine having to live like Mother and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten...I want to go on living even after my death!' She planned to submit an article to a magazine under an assumed name, and after the war she hoped to publish a book based on her experiences in hiding" (Wukovits). Anne Frank signifies determination because she has such positivity towards her goals and her future during a time when it's a huge possibility she will die. But she doesn't let the thought rule her mind. She inspires people to think undoubtedly about dreams and goals they wish to aspire. Frank wants her works of greatness recognized, unlike several people. "On one level, the diary chronicles the trials and adventures, yearnings and frustrations, of its precociously bright and gifted author. Yet, while it has been prized chiefly as the personal confessions of an idealistic teenager doing her best to maintain her spirits and a measure of independence in confined and severely trying circumstances, the diary is also an important historical document. For it presents, often in vivid detail, the daily reflections of a highly intelligent and keenly observant young Jew struggling against the encroaching threats of the Nazi menace" (Rosenfeld). Anne Frank possess the criteria of determined because of her perseverance to stay alive, or at least make the most of her living. Her determination is obvious throughout her thoughts and opinions. It is likely that she could die, recognizing she is Jewish. But she maintains high spirits and inspires people to never lose hope, no matter what the situation is.

Although Frank was trapped during this extremely dreadful time, her bravery revealed a sense of lack of fear and hopefulness. Anne and her family dealt with difficulties while hiding such as not being able to talk: "Anne's diary is about the struggles of Anne in hiding. Otto Frank decided to take his family along with a few other friends into hiding. For a little over two years eight people lived in an attic above Otto's factory. Some employees of Otto, aided the eight people and helped to protect them. All eight people lived in complete silence every day because the factory workers below might hear them" (Landfried). Her bravery and courage shined not only as an individual, but with her family. Her family took a huge risk by hiding during the war. They knew if they survived the war by hiding, it was worth taking the risk. This showed the tremendous amount of bravery in her family. If it weren't for their bravery, Anne's diary may not existed today to educate people about the Holocaust, as well as many life lessons. The family could have died much earlier than they did also. While some people did not believe the Holocaust actually happened, it came to conclusion that it was real, with Anne's bravery from her diary: "Anne Frank's story fills another great need to mankind. Since the end of World War 2 various neo-Nazi and other hate groups have denied that the Holocaust ever happened. They claim that the entire episode was fabricated by the individuals who hope to destroy Adolf Hitler's reputation. Anne Frank stands as a powerful answer to these groups and as such helps to prevent the occurrence of another Holocaust" (Wukovits). Anne's bravery from writing in her journal and fearlessness to share her journey through the Holocaust in her diary is proof that the Holocaust did happen. She rarely worried as she hid with her family for two years. Her diary revealed a sense of encouragement and fearlessness that against all odds they would survive.

"Think of all the beauty still left in the world and be happy" (GoodReads). While being shut off from the outside world and fighting against the Nazis with her family, Anne Frank still portrayed effective hero qualities of optimism, determination, and bravery. As she expressed in her diary, she never looked at life in a negative way. She was strong, and always noticed everything life had to offer her in a positive way. Though she and her family were placed in an arduous situation, she was capable of making the most out of every opportunity that was available to her. She got blessed to live, unlike countless other Jews during this time. Anne Frank reconstructed my perspective of the world around me. She has inspired me to now try in all ways to look at my life positively and be grateful for what I have. Anne Frank, someone who lived through one of the most horrible wars in History, and yet has inspired so many people all over the world through her diary about how crucial it is to always be optimistic, determined, and brave, is my hero.

Works Cited

"Anne Frank." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context.  Web. 5 Dec. 2013.

Goodrich, Frances, Albert Hackett, and Anne Frank. Http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3720.Anne_Frank. The Diary of Anne Frank. New York: Random House, 1956. N. pag. Print.

Landfried, Jessica. "Anne Frank: Controversy in Education." Anne Frank:Controversy in Education. University California Santa Barbara, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 05 Dec. 2013..

Rosenfeld, Alvin. "Anne Frank." Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. Biography in Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.

Wukovits, John F. The Importance of Anne Frank. San Diego: Lucent, 1999. Print.