Anne Frank Discussion Reflection

"In her diary Anne opined: “…if you’re wondering if it’s harder for the adults here than for the children, the answer is no…Older people have an opinion about everything and are sure of themselves and their actions. It’s twice as hard for us young people to hold on to our opinions at a time when ideals are being shattered…” (July 15, 1944.) Do you agree or disagree with this quote? When was the last time that you experienced the “shattering” of an ideal?"

My Response: I disagree with Anne Frank's opinion for a few basic reasons. First of all, it was harder for the adult victims of concentration camps like Auschwitz simply becuase they had to preform backbreaking phsyical labor, and provide food for themselves and their children. However, Anne Frank only deals with the psychological half of a concentration camp, not the realistic part like manual labor or the twisted version of natural selection they had to endure. On the topic of psychology of a prison camp, it probably was harder for the children. It is very tough to adapt to completely unfamiliar and dangerous surroudings as an adult, but as a kid, where you cannont know nearly as much about the environment, the difficulty level goes through the roof. The thin and flimsly notions a child may have of the world can be shattered by the commonest thing at Auschwitz; Death. In fact, that is what first shattered my ideals, watching how James Bond shot down anyone in his way. So overall, I have conflicting opinions on the above quote. It may have been harder for the adults physically, but it was unrealisticially hard for children psychologically.