passionate plea: the diary of a young girl

When an atrocity such as the attempted annihilation of an entire group of people occurs in our global community, there is a duty to respect that grave injustice. The Holocaust is an example of such a program of hate that has marred the course of human events. History is unforgiving, and humanity must take what it can from the misdeeds and misfortunes of those who have gone before us.

Among the accounts that we have about the Holocaust today, Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl gives us great insight into the life of Jews in hiding during World War II. It is difficult to imagine being confined to cramped quarters with seven other people for the duration of over two years. The residents of the secret annex at times had to deal with impoverish, unpleasant living conditions, with the lurking fear of being discovered and killed by the Nazis. It wrenches my heart to think of anyone having to be subjected to such an ordeal.

Here lies the significance of Anne Frank's diary: through her insight and observations, at heart she is still a regular teenage girl. Anne writes about her opinions of her classmates before going into hiding much like I would have described mine in middle school or junior high. Struggles with her parents exist, as well as the pangs of living with the van Daan family. Anne also experiences love for Peter, and reaches a maturity (both physically and emotionally) during her exile in the back quarters of her father's office building. This book is not just an account of the Holocaust - it is the account of the life of a young woman who is experiencing the life lessons & emotions that all other teens will feel. The universality of The Diary of a Young Girl makes it a book that teaches adolescents that there are things everyone will go through, regardless of their circumstances.

I hope you will vote for this monumental book. Anne Frank's diary deserves the honor of such an award, and today's youth deserve to be exposed to it.