At the exhibition Anne Frank The Exhibition In New York there is a letter in English, which father Otto Frank wrote on April 20, 1973 to a group of school children from New York. A sympathetic letter in which he thanks them for their -addressed letters. A remarkable letter also because he elaborates on the relationship between Anne and her mother, also his wife.
Otto notes that some letter writers strongly identified with Anne, but that others with her sometimes disagreed, for example in the case of her relationship with her mother. That way they could not understand that Anne hurt her mother so rough by refusing to pray with her. Otto also rejects that in his letter, but at the same time asks understanding for her because a person sometimes reacts emotionally without thinking. He adds: “You will have noticed that Anne later writes in her diary that she realizes how often she has treated her mother wrongly. In hiding in hiding, she developed a very strong self -criticism. “
This was completely correct, I wondered. I had read the diary too long ago to be able to judge, so I had to book again The diaries of Anne Frank consult from 1986; It contains the three versions of Anne’s diary. The compilers casually note that Otto Frank left a number of comments from Anne about his deceased wife in his version.
What already struck me with volatile re -reading was the large number of times that Anne’s a certain aversion to her mother. On October 3, 1942, she writes this typical passage in her original version: “I can’t stand mother, and I have to force myself, not always snarling her and stay calm, I would like her in her face like that Being able to beat, I don’t know why I have such a terrible antipathy against her. “
And yes, there are also some passages in which Anne shows some repentance, as her father writes, but those are hardly out against the apparent rejection that continues to return. I note: “I understood that I can miss mother, completely and complete, that hurt …” (March 7, 1944), (…) except that I am cooler and more contempt for mother every day “(March 16, 1944),” If I love someone, I must admire him in the first place, admire and respect and these two requirements I completely miss with mother! ” (March 17, 1944), “I am not allowed to let me go too far in my indifference and contempt.” (March 20, 1944). “Mother is against me and I against her, father closes his eyes for the silent struggle between mother and me. Mother is sad as she still loves me, I am not at all sad, since she has taken off for me. ” (March 28, 1944.)
In short, the image that Otto Frank sketches of Anne’s attitude towards her mother seems too positive to me. Here the wish is a thought of the father. Anne was certainly not a mother’s child.
That diary is worth a thorough re -reading. Anne had a look at people and a lot of language feeling, she would have become a good writer. “Dear kit, can you might tell me why it is that people are so fearfully hiding their inner self?”