Anne Frank - “Coming of Age”
“Coming of Age”
In life most people just cannot wait for the chance of becoming a “grown up”. Anticipating the chance to have more independence and the opportunity to do things that were perceived as being mature and cool. While growing up, the people suffer through a set of changes as they develop a sexually mature adult body. While these changes are primarily physical in nature, profound mental, emotional and social, changes also occur as youth adapt to their maturing bodies. A young Jewish girl who had to go into hiding during the Second World War to escape from the persecution of the Nazis suffered a lot. Although rejected and isolated, she didn´t stop showing signs of coming of age as a normal girl such as having an imaginary friend, entering puberty and having sexual curiosity.
First of all, Kitty, Anne´s diary, came to help to deal in the time of transition. Young children often have imaginary friends. Anne Frank, after she followed her family into hiding, never enjoyed this luxury. Her diary became Anne´s friend, her retreat from a microcosm imposed upon her and the seven other Jews imprisoned in the loft because of Hitler’s master plan of genocide against Jews and other groups. Even before the Franks entered the loft, Anne had named her diary “Kitty.” (Shuman). Kitty helps Anne deal with the huge change and the reader sees it when she writes to her about the Annex. “I’ve probably bored you with my long description of our house, but I still think you should know where I’ve ended up” (Frank 25) and when how her world turned upside down because of the sudden change. “It seems like years since Sunday morning. So much has happened it’s as if the whole world had suddenly turned upside down. But as you can see, Kitty, I’m still alive” (Frank 19). In these two quotes, Anne is telling Kitty that a lot have happened and she doesn’t feel comfortable being in hideout but at least she is still alive and has a friend who can tell everything.
In life most people just cannot wait for the chance of becoming a “grown up”. Anticipating the chance to have more independence and the opportunity to do things that were perceived as being mature and cool. While growing up, the people suffer through a set of changes as they develop a sexually mature adult body. While these changes are primarily physical in nature, profound mental, emotional and social, changes also occur as youth adapt to their maturing bodies. A young Jewish girl who had to go into hiding during the Second World War to escape from the persecution of the Nazis suffered a lot. Although rejected and isolated, she didn´t stop showing signs of coming of age as a normal girl such as having an imaginary friend, entering puberty and having sexual curiosity.
First of all, Kitty, Anne´s diary, came to help to deal in the time of transition. Young children often have imaginary friends. Anne Frank, after she followed her family into hiding, never enjoyed this luxury. Her diary became Anne´s friend, her retreat from a microcosm imposed upon her and the seven other Jews imprisoned in the loft because of Hitler’s master plan of genocide against Jews and other groups. Even before the Franks entered the loft, Anne had named her diary “Kitty.” (Shuman). Kitty helps Anne deal with the huge change and the reader sees it when she writes to her about the Annex. “I’ve probably bored you with my long description of our house, but I still think you should know where I’ve ended up” (Frank 25) and when how her world turned upside down because of the sudden change. “It seems like years since Sunday morning. So much has happened it’s as if the whole world had suddenly turned upside down. But as you can see, Kitty, I’m still alive” (Frank 19). In these two quotes, Anne is telling Kitty that a lot have happened and she doesn’t feel comfortable being in hideout but at least she is still alive and has a friend who can tell everything.
Cited: ▪ Frank, Annelies Marie. THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL ANNE FRANL. THE DEFINITIVE EDITION. United States of America: Penguin Books, 1995. 341. ▪ Shuman, R. Baird, . "The Diary of a Young Girl." Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n.d. Web. 29 May 2012. ▪ Furst, Lilian R. "The Diary of a Young Girl." Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n.d. Web. 30 May 2012. ▪ Shauman, R. Baird. "Anne Frank." Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n.d. Web. 30 May 2012.