Cailey’s Comments (group member since Mar 31, 2011)

Cailey’s comments from the Both Books: Anne Frank and Night group.

My quotes~

"'They yellow star? So what? It's not lethal...' (Poor Father! Of what then did you die?)"

"But no sooner had we taken a few more steps than we saw the barbed wire of another camp. This one had an iron gate with the overhead inscription: Arbeit Macht Frei. Work makes you free. Auschwitz."

1. I agree too that Anne most likely would have turned to God. But her and Elie are very different and have almost opposite personalities, I think. Elie is just fighting to stay alive any way that he can, while Anne wants to do more with her life, and really believes that she might make it out after the war is over. Plus, they didn't spend anywhere near the same amount of time when they were in the concentration camp.

2. I think I might have wanted to write a book about it. I would want to inform the world about how horrible the Germans were and how bad the conditions in concentration camps were for the Jewish people. Plus, sometimes it's good to bring up all the memories, although it would be very hard and emotional. It must have been really hard to do.

3. Maybe I would have tried knocking her out at first, but I think they went to far with the maybe 'lethal blows.' Or maybe get someone to try to explain to her as best they could.

1. Why do you think some people still managed to hold onto their belief of God throughout the unimaginable things that they were put through? I don't think that I would be able to do that, even I were strong in faith.

2. Do you think that they would rather die than continue to work sometimes, even though they say they are so scared of being sent to the crematorium? Because when the air raid was happening, they said that they were not scared of dying any longer.

3. Do you think Elie was sad when he heard that the people at the hospital had been liberated? Would he have been mad at his dad that he chose to leave? Who do you think Elie blames then and now for what happened to him?

I'll post my quotes later~

1. Because everyone thought that Eliezer's friend was crazy, when the Germans came to their town, it would almost like it was reinforcing the fact that they were not as horrible as he said

2. It seems as if everything he has learned is not true. When they are put through all this hardship, and he sees so many horrid things, he must start to believe that a good God would never put him through it. Although he says that it has "ruined his faith forever" I do not entirely believe this is true, because he continues to use God's name to speak and even says a few things referring to God.

3. I do believe that it saved them. As I read, I was really wondering whether they would take his word for it or not. They would have a better chance of making it through, although I believe Elie might have been able to make it anyway because he was in good shape, but changing their ages bettered their chances.

My questions:

1. How do you think Anne felt when she first had to move into their hiding place. Scared? Do you think she realized she would be living with new people and not be able to see her friends for a while?

2. Do you think that Anne truly realized what was going on with the war? Was she able to comprehend really WHY she was going into hiding with all of her 'family'? Do you think he even knew that her family had been setting up this place long before they actually had to leave?

3. Do you think she feels very attached to the people who just visit such as Elli and Henk? Do you think he felt a large impact when Koophuis (?) had to go to the hospital for so long?

Other quote:

"I expect you will be interested to hear what it feels like to 'disappear;' well all I can say is that I don't quite know myself yet."

1. I have debated this some as I continue to read the book. I think it is quite an invasion of her privacy. She calls it 'her only friend,' and she says 'but who will be reading this but me?' and other things of the same sort as she writes. I do feel she would strongly mind. There is little privacy where she stays, and her diary is her only thing that she can keep completely private from all other people. It's not as if her diary really did help the Jewish people, all it does is help us understand a little better, which I don't think is a just compensation to what she would be losing as we read it.

2. I don't think that way that Dussel acted had anything to do with being cramped up, although I do agree that being stuck in the "Secret Annexe" would have a large impact on all the people that had to stay there. We won't really know if anyone else in there acted anyone different, because she only has ever mentioned how Dussel is supposed to be friendlier, but I think that's just how he acts when he does his job, to appeal more to people.

3. I do believe that the way her parents and the other people in their "Secret Annexe" did affect the way that she wrote, and how often she wrote. I noticed sometimes that she wouldn't write in it for around the length of a month or so, but most of the time when she wrote again, she was either very worked up, or very happy. The emotions that she can't find anyone to share with help how she writes. I've read a little farther along, and I think that she's trying to get Peter to be her friend now, because she wants someone other than her diary.

"I just saw Lies, and no one else, and now I understand. I misjudged her and was too young to understand her difficulties. She was attached to a new girl friend, and to her it seemed as though I wanted to take her away. What the poor girl must have felt like, I know, I know the feeling so well myself!"
-I liked this quote because I think it shows how she has matured and smartened up, because they having nothing to do where they are except study and sleep, for the most part, especially her, with no one to talk to. And this is the part where she really begins to feel how lucky she is to be in hiding, and not suffering like Lies and her other Jewish friends.

So far I am the only member in this group, but I hope you guys remember to log on today and accept the invitation.

Anyway, I'm going to start off the conversation with a few things I think are interesting. First of all, I've noticed the dates of when she writes. Sometimes she'll write three consecutive, but sometimes she may skip a whole month. Also, she's started to frequently call her dad "Pim" instead of "Daddy."
I also have noticed the fact that despite being in hiding, she is still a lot like us. She hides behind a smile when her parents and their 'family' are insulting her, but she still cries herself to sleep every night. I feel really sad for her; I think it would be horrible for your parents to get into fights almost every day about how stupid you are.

I am on page 100, as of last night. I'm going to try to read to 150+. What are you guys on?

This is a discussion after we have finished the book

Our first Night discussion

Here is our second and final Anne Frank discussion. The book should be finised by the day after this.

Here is our discussion we are having on Saturday. Make sure to read lots!