The Emotional Comparison of Ann Frank and Elie Wiesel

The emotional transformation of Ann Frank was different in some ways and same in others from the transformation of Elie Wiesel. To start off, Ann Frank’s changes weren’t very unique to her situation, while for the most part, Elie’s changes were for the most part unique. Ann Frank’s changes were for the most part slow and over time while Elie Wiesel’s transformation was faster and more pronounced, but there are points in the book when you can identify that a change has taken place. In addition, Ann’s changes were less permanent, and she would often go back and forth, however as time progresses, she tended to stay forward more. On the other hand, they both bonded with other people that might not have been so strong had they not gone through what they went through. In addition, they both became less spoiled as they were before. One of Elie Wiesel’s main changes was his diminishing belief in “god”. In the beginning, he wanted to study to become a rabbi, and was an intense devote of religion, however as he started to feel the full wrath of the holocaust, he started to question the supreme justice of god. On page 68, it truly shows how deeply he had questioned god when it says “On the contrary, I felt very strong, I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes had opened, and I was alone.” While this isn’t very explicitly unique to his situation, the degree that he changed was. Under normal circumstances, it would take many years to go as far away as he did during the last years of his teenage years. In addition, while he grew closer to his father in general, he would start to view his father as a burden when he was close to dying. Even though he tried to bury that deep within him, as his father grew weaker near the end, they started surfacing more and more, but for brief periods of time. One example would be on page 107 when it says “But my heart was heavy. I was aware that I was doing it grudgingly.” Another example is on page 111 when he writes “He was right, I thought deep down, not daring to admit it to myself. Too late to save your old father … you could have two rations of bread, two rations of soup.” Out of all of his emotional changes, this was perhaps the most unique change he went through. During the holocaust, he also became less spoiled and started to appreciate whatever he had. On page 42, he says “I was terribly hungry, yet I refused to touch it. I was still the spoiled child of long ago.” Later, he started to cherish the food and readily eat it as that was all he had. In addition, he seemed to have pushed family and immediate justice onto the back burner as time went on. He stopped questioning why there was no justice around slightly past halfway into the book, and on page 115, he said “That’s all we thought about. No thought of revenge, or of parents. Only of bread.” Both of these changes are very unique to his situation, as he was put under excruciating circumstances. Ann Frank’s belief in god on the other hand stayed the same. She started off as a moderate Jew and stayed that way for pretty much the whole book. On Page 164, she said “I felt calm and happy. Oma seems to be in the candle and it is Oma too who shelters and protects me and who always makes me feel happy again.” This quote shows how she continues to believe in god and how her faith remains strong. Throughout the time that she is in hiding, Ann Frank also started to appreciate the things that she once took for granted more. On page 250, it shows how she changed in regard to nature where it says “I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to poke my nose outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy with nature?” In the beginning, she didn’t care about nature, but as time went on that she was deprived of it, she became more and more fascinated about it. While not exactly unique, this change is not experienced by most people. It is only experienced by a few people, and is normally a sign of wisdom. Relations between Ann and the other people in the “Secret Annex” improve, especially with Peter. In the beginning of the book, it is clear that Ann doesn’t like him as shown in a quote on page 29 where it says “In a typical way parents have, they asked if I couldn’t get found of Peter, because he certainly liked me very much. I thought “Oh dear!” and said: “Oh, no!””. Later on, as you progress further, she started to open up to Peter as shown in page 131 where it says “My longing to talk to someone became so intense that somehow or other I took my head to choose Peter.” That was when relations really started to change. Just 27 pages later she writes “Whenever I go upstairs now, I keep hoping that I shall see “him.”” This change in particular is practically the opposite of unique as it happens to almost everybody at one point or another. Ann Frank and Elie both experience many emotional changes as they experienced the holocaust. Ellie was sent to a concentration camp, while Ann and her family went into hiding. They both seem to appreciate things that they once took for granted more. Because Ann Frank died we do not know if the changes in her were permanent, but we do know that Elie Wiesel recovered from the more negative changes and regained some of his faith in the Jewish religion, but he isn’t as devoted as much as he was before he went through the holocaust. Overall, he became a better person, and is living proof that what does not kill you helps you in the long run.