Liam Throm from Slippery Rock Middle School wrote eloquently about how Anne Frank inspires him today, and took home first place.
Anne Frank was an amazing young woman. Although she never intended to be famous for her accomplishments, generations of people have been influenced by her character and achievements. Anne Frank inspires me because she was a young teenager like myself going through everyday struggles when suddenly she had to grow up quickly and deal with such an extreme situation. Anne Frank's diary reveals so much about the atrocities of war and how humankind can be so cruel. The amazing thing is she kept such a positive attitude through it all. This has inspired me to find inner strength and to look on the bright side of things no matter what the day might bring.
Anne goes into hiding with her beloved diary "Kitty" which I strongly believe helped her cope with the tortuous ordeal. She is in very close quarters with her family, the Van Daan's and Fritz Pfeffer whom she shares a room with. Sharing a room with a fifty year old man would be quite awkward for a young girl, but Anne endures and always makes the best of it. When the book begins Anne is a rambunctious child, but over the two years she lives in the Secret Annex she becomes a self-reflecting teenager. Anne serves as a role model for me for one reason throughout this story. No matter how belittled she feels or how humiliated she is, she remains true to herself. She insists that she will do things her way. I think that for the sake of survival she really went along with what others wanted, but in her heart she stayed self reliant as much as she could. Teenagers desire independence and often struggle to gain it. She could not do this for safety reasons, but I think she fell if they could just make it through that she would truly become the free, strong-willed woman she wanted to be. These are thoughts that any person should learn and carry with them through trials and tribulations.
Anne's diary is more than just a timeline of the brutality of World War II. It is a reflection of the growing pains that take place during adolescents. This is why the book is read in so many middle schools and high schools. Anne is dealing with the exact same things that I deal with daily-the relationship with my parents and brother, the longing to make close friendships and meet new people, the desire to date, and the list could go on and on. Also, Anne wants a career as a writer. I am always thinking about what I want to be in the future. I enjoy making Bucket Lists of things I hope to accomplish. Although this story has a very sad ending, I will carry it with me and remember that life is a gift. I will honor Anne Frank by living life to its fullest and working hard to reach my goals.