"Be brave! Let us remain aware of our task and not grumble, a solution will come, God has never deserted out people. Right through the ages there have been Jews, through all the ages they have had to suffer, but it has made them strong too; the weak fall, but the strong will remain and never go under!"
It is obvious that religious identity plays a key role in this text and therefore, I chose this passage as a reflection of identity in the text because it show the uniting power of identifying through religious conviction. When Frank writes this passage, she is connecting through time and space to the members of her religion. She draws on their strength and perseverance and she, in return, imbues the text with hope and optimism, even in the depths of struggle. In this passage, she solidifies her own identity as a Jew and can remain hopeful as a result. This text is especially powerful because it follows a passage where Frank laments as to why the Jews have been singled out and persecuted, and even though her religious identity is why she is being marginalized and mistreated, she still takes pride in who she is.
"Let us remain aware of our task" is an interesting part of this passage that I would like to draw attention to. Not only does it use the nominative plural "we" to indicate she is referring to her self as well as Jews everywhere, but she mentions that they have a unifying task, a responsibility that they all share. Not only are they drawn together by their identities as Jews, but in their mission to preserve their beliefs beyond this period of strife. Again, Frank takes an optimistic tone by looking favorably towards and making plans for the future, despite the dire circumstances that she has been in for so long and what the audience knows about Frank's eventual fate.
All in all, this passage encompasses many facets of Frank's perspective towards her religious identity. She draws on her core religious convictions, which remain unshaken by her circumstances, as she claims that God has never deserted her people and would soon provide a solution to their suffering. She reinforces the unifying characteristic of her religious identity by using "we" and "us" and recognizing her need to find strength in the stories of her ancestors and other Jews' need to hear her hope for the future and positivity. But all this positivity is tinged with the wisdom of knowing that she and her loved ones are suffering purely because of their religious identity. This passage shows that identity within a group can have consequences but that their is power in depending on and learning from others that you identify with.
You make a very good point about her religion being crucial to her identity. It is what connects her to those around her and helps her endure the suffering she faces. I think another point in the text that her identity is evident is in a conversation with Peter. Peter wonders whether or not he could become a Christian after the war. He points out that no one would know if he was a Jew when the war was over. Because Anne's religious identity is so important to her, she is appalled by this statement. She responds with "This gave me a rather pang; it seems such a pity that there's always just a tinge of dishonesty about him" (155).
ReplyDeleteHi Colleen,
ReplyDeleteYour response really captures an idea that is foundational to Jewish identity, which is a collective memory and devotion to their history. You do a nice job dissecting this passage as well. In future responses, I encourage you to map your thesis early on and divide your talking points into separate paragraphs, just like you would for a longer essay.