An item of cultural expression that I believe relates to wellness is the book 'The
Diary of Anne Frank.' It is a book of real journal entries written by a teenage German-
Jewish girl from Frankfurt, Germany named Anne Frank. Anne wrote her first entry in
June of 1942 in a diary she received from her parents on her 13th birthday. She would
eventually name the diary Kitty, her confidant. Anne and her family were living in
Amsterdam, Holland where they went into hiding with other Jews who were also escaping
systematic persecution from Hitler and the Nazi's Party during the second world war.
"Frank documents everyday life, which is shaped by constant fear of being discovered,
social displacement, isolation, dependence on helpers, and profound spatial incarceration"
(Pable, 2016). Once Anne's diary was filled, she would continue to write in notebooks.
Anne last journal entry was in 1944, the year Anne and the other escapees in the Annex
were later found and arrested by the Nazis.
In this book, we learn how a young girl's coping mechanism during a time of social
and environmental pressures is the act of journaling. Anne journals in an effort to make
sense of the world around her and construct some order during a time of insecurity and
disarray. Even though she lived a life of imprisonment, she focused on optimism,
gratitude, and faith in humanity. On Saturday, July 11, 1942, Anne wrote about their
hiding place the Annex, "I don't think I'll ever feel at home in this house, but that doesn't
mean I hate it. It's more like being on vacation in some strange pension." On Wednesday,
January 13, 1943, Anne writes in her journal, "Things have gotten so bad in Holland that
hordes of children stop passersby's in the streets to beg for a piece of bread. She
continuous, "I could spend hours telling you about the suffering the war has brought, but'
I'd only make myself more miserable. All we can do is wait, as calmly as possible, for it to
end." Anne wrote on Saturday, July 15, 1944:
It's utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering,
and death. I see the world:being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the
approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of
millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will
change, for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will
return once more.
Journaling:is what helped Anne cope with her worries, struggles, and manage her mental
wellbeing. Indulging herself in her writings helped her focus on the good more than the
bad and gave her faith and hope for the future. The social message regards journaling as a
link to wellness as the act allows a person to reflect on their feelings, thoughts, and
experiences and gain self-awareness.
Anne describes a time of trepidation for the Jewish community. She writes on
Saturday, June 20, 1942, "Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish
decrees." Anne's journal speaks to several social issues we face in the world today. Issues
that stem from inequalities, hate crimes, anti-Semitism, racism, freedom to choose, social
injustice, and what it means to be human. It relates to human suffering on the basis of race,
religion, gender, sexuality, appearance, ethnicity, age, disability, and social status. It also
regards people's right to pursue happiness, and a fulfilling life without superfluous external
restrictions or discrimination; and how when one:is robbed of these justices, their
wellbeing is impacted. However, in her writings it illustrates that in light of chaos Anne
was able to reflect on and manage her situation instead of allowing it to consume her. The
University of Rochester Medical Center (2022) writes, "One of the ways to deal with any
overwhelming emotion is to find a healthy way to express yourself. This makes a journal a
helpful tool in managing your mental health." Journaling can be conducive for managing
anxiety, stress, fears, and coping with difficult situations. As well as a method for people
to set goals, for creative writing, organizing themselves, and more; these are some reasons
people choose to journal today. :
References
Pabel, A. (2016). "I want the diary to be my friend": The Imagined Friend in Anne Frank's
Diary.:Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, (36),
140+.:https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A478140512/AONE?
u=nhc_main&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=eb939f0c
Frank, A. (24, February 2020).:The diary of Anne Frank. Lebooks Editora. Retrieved from:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-diary-of-anne-frank-7
University of Rochester Medical Center. (2022). Journaling for mental health. Retrieved
from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?
ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1#:~:text=Journaling%20helps%20control
%20your%20symptoms,and%20identifying%20negative%20thoughts%20and
