'The young are not afraid of telling the truth'

In the birth month of Anne Frank, we explore why the teen's diary is such an enduring piece of writing.

June 12th was the birthday of Anne Frank, who wrote perhaps the most famous diary in the world. The Diary of a Young Girl is an account of the years Anne spent living in a secret annexe in Amsterdam, hiding from the Nazis during World War II. It has sold 30 million copies and has been translated into more than 70 languages. Thousands of tweens and young teens have had their first introduction to the Holocaust with this book.

Anne has been invoked more often than usual recently, as an example of how to sit at home and not complain — “If Anne could do it, so can you.” Her circumstances and ours are quite different, and so, any comparisons stand on pretty flimsy ground; but, if she helps people cope with staying at home, then so be it.

Why exactly is Anne’s diary so famous? After all, she was just a normal teenager with commonplace thoughts and concerns. Yes, but, it is this very normal-ness that makes the reader relate to her and her situation — which, in turn, makes the horrors of the Holocaust real to us. One tends to feel disconnected when bombarded with large numbers. Over 11 million Jewish people died during WW2 — a massive number. However, it is hard to comprehend. After all, it happened years ago, in another country, to a bunch of faceless people. But, read Anne Frank and you are immediately pulled into her shoes; you are right there along with her in that stuffy little room, terrified out of your wits every time there is a knock on the door.

The human brain finds it easier to process individual stories than comprehend a massive, impersonal event. This is why, when newspapers tell you that lakhs of migrants walked back hundreds of kilometres to their homes during lockdown, you might dismiss it with a shrug; but, you feel strongly about the story of a young girl on a bicycle who, on an empty stomach, pedalled 700 kilometres to her home (standing up) with her father and belongings. You don’t pay any attention to reports of human-wildlife conflict — but, the story of a pregnant elephant eating a cracker-filled pineapple makes you lose sleep.

Documented evidence about millions of black people in America still facing racism makes you say, “how sad!”, but the image of a white policeman with his knee on a black man’s neck can drive you to rage and action. That is why an individual’s story is so effective. And that is the reason Anne Frank’s diary is such an enduring piece of writing that still occupies a vital place in literature. It awakened millions to the horrors of Nazi atrocities.

Anne remained overwhelmingly optimistic throughout her ordeals, even writing: “In spite of everything, I believe people are basically good at heart.” Maybe we are. But perhaps some of us need the nudge that such individual stories give us, to truly feel, to truly understand.

The author got a master’s degree in energy engineering and worked in the IT industry until her daughter dragged out the writer lurking inside her. She has written eight books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com

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