The part of Anne's heart-wrenching quote that just guts me every time are these words: "In spite of everything..." To me, this signals her fight to live and to believe that the horrors would end. That word "spite" shows her fiery spirit. But then that word "everything" just brings me to my knees. What a reminder that what we're going through in the US right now is not even close to what she went through just trying to live another day. And her overall idea of hope is what overwhelmingly resonates today. We still have that, so not all is lost. Yet.
That take is such a powerful one, Denise. I know that this quote is often debated and I could swear that I read that one of Anne's friends who survived believes she wouldn't have felt that way about people had she survived, but I can't find an interview or clip of where I might have heard that.
Dara Horn's chapter from her book "People Love Dead Jews" is also food for thought as I examine my relationship to Anne as a gentile.
Wow. Thanks for the article link. What insight to realize that Anne's take might have been totally different had she lived. I think that's why the word "spite" really speaks to me. And I knew nothing about Zalmen Gradowski. Reading his words just made me 😭. How can we still live in a world where we can be so barbaric to one another. Does that mean that at the end of the day we are basically honed down to the beasts and animals that we truly are. Is there any hope for us?
The part of Anne's heart-wrenching quote that just guts me every time are these words: "In spite of everything..." To me, this signals her fight to live and to believe that the horrors would end. That word "spite" shows her fiery spirit. But then that word "everything" just brings me to my knees. What a reminder that what we're going through in the US right now is not even close to what she went through just trying to live another day. And her overall idea of hope is what overwhelmingly resonates today. We still have that, so not all is lost. Yet.
That take is such a powerful one, Denise. I know that this quote is often debated and I could swear that I read that one of Anne's friends who survived believes she wouldn't have felt that way about people had she survived, but I can't find an interview or clip of where I might have heard that.
Dara Horn's chapter from her book "People Love Dead Jews" is also food for thought as I examine my relationship to Anne as a gentile.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/becoming-anne-frank-180970542/
Wow. Thanks for the article link. What insight to realize that Anne's take might have been totally different had she lived. I think that's why the word "spite" really speaks to me. And I knew nothing about Zalmen Gradowski. Reading his words just made me 😭. How can we still live in a world where we can be so barbaric to one another. Does that mean that at the end of the day we are basically honed down to the beasts and animals that we truly are. Is there any hope for us?
😞