“At such times Daddy, Mummy, and Margot leave me cold. I wander from one room to another, downstairs, and up again, feeling like a songbird whose wings have been clipped and who is hurling himself in utter darkness against the bars of his cage. ‘Go outside, laugh, and take a breath of fresh air,’ a voice cries within me, but I don’t even feel a response anymore, I go and lie on the divan and sleep, to make the time pass more quickly, and the stillness and the terrible fear, because there is no way of killing them.” (pg. 113) This passage is very graphic and dark and made me feel so sad for Anne and her situation. She’s been cooped up for over a year now and she has no idea when she will be able to get out. She feels trapped and can’t be the person she wants to be. Actually, she begins to even doubt that there will be any life after the annex: “I simply can’t imagine the world will ever be normal for us again. I talk ‘after the war’, but then it’s only a castle in the air, something that will never really happen.” (pg. 115)
Anne is starting to be depressed which I think will make her current situation worse. Living in hiding is already difficult enough, but Anne’s ability to stay positive and see humor in situations has helped her until now. This text is unique because you see Anne’s attitude shift and I’m beginning to wonder if she is starting to lose hope and give up. Earlier in the book, Anne was able to see the bright side of things. Her attitude will probably spread to the other people in her family and those living in the annex. One’s mental and physical state matters especially when you are going through tough times in life.
