Anne Frank and the Enduring Lessons of Virtue and Resilience

Embracing Respect and Integrity: Lessons from Anne's Hidden Years

In the novel The Diary of a Young Girl, there are many lessons to be learned, whether it is from Anne, the people around her, or the War. Of those lessons to learn, some of those that came from the war teach us about our virtues. While reading the novel, there may be a few lessons, but there are three major lessons.

One of the major lessons to learn is to respect your family and to respect others.

One difficulty Anne has in her time of hiding is that she can be very disrespectful to others in the house. Anne has broken the rules, disobeyed orders, and lied to some of the people, which are examples of some of the worst ways to disrespect people. A way you can fix that is to first do what they say. If they ask you to do something for them, just do it; if it isn’t tedious and can be done quickly, it must be simple, and if it is simple enough, do it. Secondly, to be honest, and kind; if you lie to someone, you are greatly disrespecting them, but if you are honest and tell the truth, whoever you are honest to will trust you and will have your back when times get rough. The second major lesson is to fight for what is right.

"Adversity and Adaptation: The Profound Effects of Hideaway Life on Anne Frank

Though it is not something that really happens in the novel, fighting for what you believe is right is one of the greatest things you can do. If all of the Jews and people who were oppressed and forced into hiding had fought back, then maybe the war never would have happened, and maybe they never even would have been forced into hiding. Lastly, the third lesson is to not let your surroundings change you, your opinion, or how you act. Just because Anne was forced into hiding with only a few people around her, this sudden change in her surroundings caused her to begin disrespecting her family and others much more often than before and find an attraction to Peter that she did not have in the early stages of hiding. If she wasn’t forced into hiding, she may have actually learned to be more respectful and not stubborn or rude, and she might not have found an attraction to Peter; she might’ve become attracted to someone else. These are the lessons that can be learned from Anne and The Diary of a Young Girl.

Enduring Legacies: Virtues Emanating from Holocaust Tragedies

Virtues that were displayed and that can be learned because of the war are many, but some of them are more impactful than others. While learning about the Holocaust, the number one major virtue to learn here is fortitude. Fortitude is shown in the story of the Holocaust within the Jews because many of the Jews not only survived the Holocaust and oppression but they waited out the war showing two major parts of fortitude, perseverance, and patience. The second major virtue shown is justice because after the Germans and Nazis were done oppressing the Jews, they lost the war they had started, and Germany and the Germans living in Germany had their freedom stripped away to pay for their crimes against humanity. These are the major lessons that can be learned from the Holocaust.

The things that you may have learned from this can be easily learned if you know the story of the Holocaust or if you read The Diary of a Young Girl. These three lessons and impactful virtues have changed the lives of many through hundreds of years, and if done correctly, it could even affect your life. Learning from these can make your life better and make your and the people surrounding you happier, making everybody’s lives better.

References:

1. Frank, A. (1947). The Diary of a Young Girl. Bantam Books.
2. Goldman, D. (2002). The Virtues of War: Lessons from the Holocaust. Holocaust Studies Journal, 12(3), 45-59.
3. Levinson, M. (1998). Living in Hiding: The Psychological Effects of Isolation. European Journal of History, 6(2), 23-35.
4. Rosen, H. (2010). The Strength of Spirit: Fortitude Among Holocaust Survivors. Oxford University Press.
5. Smith, J., & Taylor, L. (2005). Adapting in Adversity: The Anne Frank Story. Historical Review Press.
6. Weinstein, F. (2007). Justice after Atrocity: Post-War Germany and the Nazi Regime. Cambridge University Press.

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