In Search Of Self
Mirjam Pinkhof and Anne Frank
Intro: Mirjam Waterman Pinkhof and Anne Frank
Mirjam Waterman Pinkhof was born in 1916, in Holland. At the age of twenty-two she became a school teacher. Soon after she found herself deeply involved with the Youth Aliyah movement, which was a offshoot of the Zionist movement. Along with Anne Frank's Diary as she tells her story on attempting to hide from the German Nazis, but Anne Frank soon realizes that hiding with so many people in such a small place she found her inner self.
Anne's Journey to finding her Inner Self
- When Anne's family went into hiding from the German Nazis, Anne became more understanding of her self in some type of way. Before she was naughty, disobedient, and carefree. Although she was like this, in truth, she was just afraid to show her good side because she knew she would be taken advantage of like her older sister Margot. In the Diary of Anne Frank, Anne states, "I say to myself that was wrong, I make up my mind. I'm never going to do that again... Of course I may do something worse, but I'll never do that again.", these little changes of learning of her mistakes helped her become more mature as a young adult to not repeat the same mistakes.
- As time goes by Anne and her mother do not get along due to their different personalities. Making them have some disputes among each other, like Anne imagines herself being a successful women in the future. However her mother Mrs. Frank, a stay home mom who does the cooking, cleaning, and sewing for her husband and children, believes that Anne should be a woman like her. Yet Anne truly opposes her mother's wish. She states in her diary, "I'm going to Paris... to study music and art!" she also says, "I'm going to be a famous dancer or singer or something wonderful!" Feeling frustrated from having so many mixed emotions that are bundled up, she vents her feelings with Peter, Mr and Mrs Van Daan's son.
- All in all, over the course of hiding in those two years, Anne wrote in her diary which helped her develop her skills into becoming a better writer. Her emotions and feelings were expressed through her writing in her diary. Her diary acted as her only friend as it kept all her secrets, and her mistakes to itself. She would write in it to past time, thus keeping records of those countless quiet, dangerous days and months. Her experience of those days helped her change into a more obedient, optimistic, and an understanding child. She now believes that there is hope, and if the people around her don't agree with her, she will always remain positive and find a reason to give them that hope.
Mrs. Frank, Anne Frank, Mr and Mrs. Van Daan
Mirjam Pinkhof's Journey finding her Inner Self
As stated before in my intro she was born on the year of 1916, in Holland. Being born into a Jewish family of comfortable means. She was raised in an environment of very advanced liberal and humanistic ideas, although being born into a Jewish home they were completely an assimilated family. At the age of twenty-two she becomes a school teacher at Werkplaats Kinder Gemeenschap (Childrens Community Workshop). Just because she was Jewish she had to resign in the year of 1941, due to the start of the Germans taking over. Unexpectedly she found herself caring for the protection of education and children. When she came to know about the Germans plans to deport Jews she decided to create a resistance group with the help of Joop westerweel and save the refugees, some whom were her students. Although she was arrested she successfully saved over 300 Jewish youths, and smuggled 70 of them from Spain to Palestine. Mirjam is remembered for her heroic deed. She embodies "Inner Self" because the Youth Aliyah Group lived near her home and even though she was aware of the hardships of the refugees who were on their way to Palestine she paid them no mind. Like in her quote; "I had never given much thought to Zionism before the war, but when Hitler invaded Poland in '39, I began to think about it.". She was a person who only cared about her own personal life and her teaching career, until it started affecting her career as a teacher. Through her journey of saving these refugees she found her inner self which was a hero all along.
Finding your inner self is important in your life
Finding your inner self is very important because it helps lead you to find your true purpose in life, it also helps you gain more confidence to strive for what you want. Like Anne she achieved security and confidence about herself and in the end she became more positive. On the other hand, when Mirjam discovered her "inner self" she went against all odds doing the unthinkable by doing what was right, prevailing into a hero, unaware she was one all along. Even though i still haven't found my inner self I know finding your inner self is a harsh path to go through. As quoted from Mahatma Gandhi "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will." In the last two years, I went from twelve to fourteen which is a big difference, I have become more serious, understanding, and overall a more mature person. When I was twelve I used to express my anger a lot not being able to control it, but from family issues I saw how my family members acted towards certain situations and realized how childish they are reacting to such a simple thing, that's when I decided to set a good example for the little ones in the family. My family members and friends would probably say I have gotten more crazier, funnier, smarter, and overall always being in a positive mood which helps others smile.