Analysis Of Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl

During World War II, the German Reich marched across the entire continent of Europe. During the Holocaust, many people became discouraged and lost hope in the future of society. However, the excerpts from “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,” written by herself, and “Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, prove that being positive and persevering is the best thing that someone can do. Whether hiding from the Nazis or already taken by them, the best response to have during conflict and chaos is maintaining a positive outlook on life and to persist through difficult times. When Anne Frank was born, she was completely unaware of the impact that she would have on the history of World War II. While she was

For example, Sophie Scholl, a German teenager growing up during the Holocaust, found herself opposing the Nazi policies, but found that she couldn’t do anything to bring about change. The author states, “Though Sophie knew the correct National Socialistic answer to every question, she soon found herself unwilling to give her teachers the answers they wanted but she felt were wrong” (Bartoletti). After Sophie’s silence, her principal became frustrated and threatened her by saying that she would not graduate if she didn’t participate in class more. Another excerpt from Bartoletti stated that “in Munich, they broke up teachers' association meetings and even smashed out the apartment windows of a Latin teacher who had given out low grades. The police were called, but the Nazi Party wouldn't allow them to arrest the Hitler Youth.” Any teacher that did not approve of the Nazi Party was punished severely. They could be fired from their position, or even worse, put into concentration camps where they would have to do manual labor in horrible conditions. Aside from the European Front, many things were happening in the United States as well, including Japanese Internment. According to USHistory.org, “the camps were often too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. The food was mass produced army-style grub. And the interns knew

For example, Fred Korematsu-- a Japanese-American-- stood up for what he believed in by bringing the Japanese Internment all the way to the Supreme Court. According to ushistory.org, The ruling was, “In KOREMATSU VS. THE UNITED STATES, the Supreme Court justified the executive order as a wartime necessity.” Even though Korematsu did not win his appeal, the impact was successful. He reassured many interns that the internment would soon be over. Later in the writing “Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow” Sophie Scholl states, “I don't like to think about it, but soon there is going to be nothing left but politics, and as long as it's so confused and evil, it's cowardly to turn away from it" (Bartoletti). In Dear Miss Breed, Louise Ogawa, the author of the letter, stated, “Her delicate work in shaping the stone mountains, the beautiful coloring of the surroundings—it seemed as if I was looking at the picture or a painting of a genius” (Oppenheim). When Louise was talking, she realized for the first time how beautiful nature can truly be. And in keeping that positive mindset, Louise was able to persevere through the days that she was interned. Although, in the same letter, Louise writes, ““In Santa Anita we were allowed to keep a bucket and