QUESTIONS:
Here are a few quotes for you to consider. Read and think about them thoughtfully then craft a response regarding what they mean to you, what they make you think about, how they relate to you, etc.
1. In, "The Diary of Anne Frank," Anne states in Act II, Scene 3: "But ... and that is the great question ... will I ever be able to write well? I want to so much. I want to go on living even after my death."
2. Poet Martin Niemoller (1892-1984), wrote:
"First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out;
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out;
Then they came for the Jews but, I was not Jewish so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."
Student #1 When Anne states in Act II, Scene 3: "But ... and that is the great question ... will I ever be able to write well? I want to so much. I want to go on living even after my death." I think she is saying she wonders if her writing will be good enough to be remembered. Then when she said “…I want to go on living even after my death,” I think she is saying how she wants to be remembered even after she dies. She also wants people to remember her story. This relates to me because I think almost everyone wants to be remembered in some way, just like Anne did. After I thought about it I thought of all the other people in the world that are famous, and asked myself “what they did to be remembered?” As for the other Poem, I didn’t really understand it! It might mean that everyone might be something other than you, and you are the only you. I have no idea!!!
Responses to Student #1:
1. I agree wiht you on all of this. The first quote was very easy to relate to and it was also very obvious. Anne wants to be remembered after she dies. But, then again the second quote hardly makes any sence to me, and you too. (#4)
Student #2 I think that the first quote means that even though she dies she wants continue to be known or still thought of. I don't really get the other quotes they are kind of confusing.
Responses to Student #2:
1. Yes that does make a lot of sense to me. I think that because of her dairy I think that she is now the most well known girl who lived during the Holocaust. I think that she really helped herself there and I think that she is continuing her life up in heaven with the other millions that died during that time period.
~#9~
2.I don't really get the other ones either. #13
Student #3
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Student #4
What Anne said in Act II, Scene 3, “I want to go on living even after my death” probably means that she wants people to know her name and remember who she was. I can see exactly where Anne is coming from when she says this. She wants to still be well-known after she dies. She is a very smart girl. Then also in, "The Diary of Anne Frank," Anne states in Act II, Scene 3: "But ... and that is the great question ... will I ever be able to write well? I want to so much.." I think that this probably means that Anne is unsure of her many talents. But, to tell you the truth i have no idea what she really means. I am sure there are many different answers to this, but i can't even think of one. I on't really understand this second quote either.
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Student #5
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Student #6
I would want to live on after my death too, just like she has. She spoke out in her diary and that means a lot to me. She did it in a cool way too; just by writing in her diary! I wish it was that easy for me, but still, it would be very hard and scary to be hiding from someone who wants to kill you. The other quote makes so much sense. If you don’t speak out to anyone, then no one will speak out for you. That pretty much sums it up. In the paper clip movie, they talked about that and it really made me want to try something creative to speak out, but I haven’t thought of a really creative way to do that. It means so much for me for people to speak out to me, so I always speak back.
Responses to Student #6:
1. I thought the same thing about the poem that if you dont stand up for other people than no one will stand up for you either. Also, for the first quote I think that I would want to live on even after I die too. student #19
2. I loved your response so much! I never thought about the second poem like that. It really made sense to me after I read you paragraph. I really get it now! I think it is cool how if you speak out for others then they will help you in return! I agree with what you said about the first quote too. (#1)
Student #7
What Anne said in Act II, Scene 3, I think what she means by “ I want to go on living even after my death” is that she wants someone to remember her. I’m not sure but I think she means either that or that she purposely wanted someone to find her diary and maybe it would have felt like the words in her diary made it feel like Anne really was still there with them. And that’s what happened in the play we read because it said that Anne’s voice was fading out and growing with strength and I think that was supposed to show that Mr. Frank felt like Anne was still there with him while he was reading the diary. It made me think of The Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter’s second movie. I thought of it because there was the guy, Tom Riddle, and he preserved himself for like 50 years inside of his old diary. And then Harry Potter came across it and Tom Riddle was actually the most powerful wizard in the world for years to come but he had preserved himself at age 15. So the quote just kind of made me think of this because I think Anne meant that she wanted to be remembered by her diary, which is similar to that part in Harry Potter. I think what she said is really brave because I can’t even think about things that are going to happen after I die. As for the poem, I think it has something to do with that when you see other people being bothered or picked on, you don’t step into help so when it’s your turn, there’s no one to help you out. Or maybe it means stand up for others and they will help you in return. So I think it’s one of those “Help others, and others will help you” type sayings but I felt that it was a really nice quote.
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Student #8 what anne said in act II means to me is she wants to be able to keep track of what's going on because she knows this is a big thing in her life and it will go down in history. She wants people to realize that she was living through it and risked her life doing so along with others. She wanted to preserve the fact that she was a part of a big thing in history and wants to be recognized by other people for resisting the Nazi regime. Mr. Niemoller's quote means to me that he witnessed different groups of people falling to the Nazis and instead of helping them and supporting them he stayed in the crowd and turned his head away. Then he was in danger and no one was there to help him because they didn't want to after not helping them. Either that or there were no people left to help him.
Responses to Student #8:
1. I think this is a well written out entry. I agree all the way with you. You and I seemed to basically say the same things. As for the second quote, I think your first guess is the correct one, but who knows, maybe there was no one left to help him; it just doesn't seem very realistic. I like how you said "Mr. Niemoller," not just he or him. This look very well thought out. Great Job!!!!!!! ~#18~
Student #9
The first quote by Anne made me think of how my friends grandma always talks about the after life and what will she be in her next life. And hearing Anne say that made me wonder if she thought the same thing as the grandma. It also made me very sad because she died even though she wanted so much to be a good writer and will never have the chance down on earth, but it also made me wonder more about what happens when you die and if you do get another chance in a new body or just up in Heaven. The second quote honestly made new sense or connection to me but the littlest bit. I think the author was talking about the different groups during the Holocaust and how he was none of them and no one was their for him to help him. I’m not sure but that’s what I thought of when I read it at loud.
Responses to Student #9:
1. I can see where youre coming from when you said that it made you think about what happens when you die. I hope that Anne is watching us now, so she can see that shes really making us think and is really changing everyones thoughts on the Holocaust, she is telling the truth of what is happening, she explains it better than any history book would because its from her perspective. I hope she is up in Heaven, i hope that she is aware of the paper clip project that the middle schoolers in Tennesee did. She should really know that she is living even though she is dead. I also think that the peom doesnt really have much to do with the groups its saying why we should have helped them because it may happen to us one day and we would want to have people help us. So we should help the others in need of help.
Student #10 I completely get what both of the sayings mean. Anne Frank wanted to live on and be a great writer, even though she wasnt when she was alive she is a writer who many people look up to, including me. She definately lives on even after her writing, just through her writing. And thats exactly what she wanted. What Martin Niemoller was saying was that since they were taking away the communists, the trading unions, the socialists, and the jews he didn't say anything because it wasnt him and he didn't care. But when he came to the last line he said that when they took him away, no one helped him because there was no one left and it wasnt them, so why should they care? One lesson in that peom was to treat people how you would want to be treated, if you ignore someone in there time of need then they aren't going to help you because you didnt for them, so why should they?
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Student #11
In the first quote from Anne Frank she says "I want to go on living even after i'm dead." In many ways, I think she did. Her story has been heard all across the world by millions of people.Even though she is already gone, she can do so much good in the world, still. The second quote to me has a very good meaning. If you want people to stick up for you when you are hurt or in danger, you must help the others when they need you. I think both quotes are very powerful. Especially Annes, since she was only in her teens at the time. The other quote also has a great moral to it.
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Student #12 Well I think Anne’s quote means a lot. It means she believes in the after life. She wants to be known for her writing even after dying. She wants to do so well at what she does, and that takes a lot of care and pride in what she does.
I think that the other quote is more of like a “what goes around comes around” quote in the sense that for not speaking out when other people did something wrong, then no one was there to tell the people who took him that what they were doing was wrong.
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Student #13 I think the first quote meant a lot because it talked about how the diary she wrote would be published and for ever known. I also like how the diary explained everything that happened in the safe house. The second quote I am not really sure of. I would need some explanation on that one.
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Student #14 When she says that she wants to live on even after her death I think she is saying she wants people to know about her, find her diary, and be influenced by it. This makes me think about a sort of time capsule idea because in the future people are going to dig it up and know about you and see that you had a great story behind your life. This relates to me because I hope that when I grow old that people would remember me, and my family would have stories to tell. I don’t really understand the poem thing. I am sure it is important so please fell free to leave me some info.
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Student #15
I think that quote #1 means that Anne wanted people to read her diary in the future. She also wanted to know if she would ever get her diary published. I don’t really get the poem but I think that it means that she was a German but she did not speak up and try to protect any of the people that were being sent to the concentration camps. But I don’t think that my idea is totally right.
Responses to Student #15:
1. I agree 100% with what you said about the fist quote. That's exactly what I put. #25
Student #16 Well in the Anne frank thing she really was a good writer but she was so down on her self that she thought she was a bad writer but anyone today would tell her that she was an extremely good writer. Also the fact that she wanted to live a life after death proves she believes in a heaven and hell. She is also a person who was never really believed in and that also lowered her self-esteem even more because she wasn’t really like what a girl should be back then and not many people liked that she had a free mind.
Responses to Student #16:
1. Ya she does get down on herself a lot good response.#2
Student #17
Anne’s quote means to me, put very simply, that she wants to do well and be an example for others. Her quote makes me think about what I want to do and how I want to do it well and succeed. Everyone has something that they dream of doing and some dream only that they do not fail but either way Anne’s quote applies to all of us. The quote of the poet is more complicated and harder to understand but to me it means not that when he says “me” he means a person but an ideal. The last sentence states “…there was no one left to speak out for me.” I think this means that “me” stood for something like freedom, wrong doing, or injustice. People were afraid during those times and so they did not speak out against those crimes and “me” stood for those unspoken words of justice and truth.
Responses to Student #17:
1. Nice Job! I like how you tried to define what the poem meant. ~24~
2. Wow your realy good at defineing that poem because I hardley understood it =) #16
3. #23 Good job relating the poem to what you think. I like the part where you say, “Everyone has something that they dream of doing and some dream of only that they do not fail.” Very nice literature, and very true. Some people have a dream in life, something they would die for simply to accomplish. But others dream of one thing; that they get through life without failure. I also agree with your thoughts on the second quote. People were afraid, but I don not think fear should stop them from doing what is right.
4. Great job. "Me," probably does mean freedom, wrong doing, or injustice. This response is well put. Using #2 as a bunch of metaphores is probably just what the author wanted you to think. I put the exact thing about Anne living on. Reading her quote also made me think what I want to do. Great response. #31
Student #18 "But ... and that is the great question ... will I ever be able to write well? I want to so much. I want to go on living even after my death…" I think this is a very “smart/ intelligent” thing to say for a girl that is about my age. It seems like she knows that there is a good chance that she may not get out of this alive. Anne says that she wanted to keep on living, even after her death, and she sure did. I think this means that she wanted to become a famous writer, get her writing out… known. It is like she really wanted someone to find her diary, and tell the world, if she should die. I kind of feel lik that too. I want people, not necessarily the entire world, but some people.
The second quote was a little more confusing. "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out; Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out; Then they came for the Jews but, I was not Jewish so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." I think however that this means that if times are harder for others, you need to help them in every way you can. What this man is saying is not to be scrooge, be helpful. When the Jews were being taken away, some Christians would let the Jews hide in their houses and businesses. This person obviously didn’t. Same for when they came to get the Communists, Socialists, and Trade Unionists. So, when they came to get this man, nobody wanted to help him. He had been scrooge, so they were too. It was kind of a “Monkey see, Monkey do.” This you can relate to your life at school, if you are always helpful when people ask you questions on homework, then if you have a question, they will surely try to help you. However, if you are secretive, and refuse to help them, then they won’t be too keen on the idea of helping you. So if it is doing math homework, or saving lives, try to remember this quote.
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Student #19 Anne Franks quote makes me think about when I die. That is what she is talking about, when se dies she hopes that people find her diary so that they can read it and learn about the hollicost. The qoute makes me wonder if this could happen in my life time, and how I would feel and what I would do about the situation. This relates to me beause she was aroucnd the same age I am and it makes me her feelings even more about what happened and how scary it was back then. The second quote means that you should speak out even if it doesn't include you because if you dont then when it comes time for someone to speak for you no one will. This quote makes me think about how many people have this sort of thing happen to them on a daily basis.
Responses to Student #19:
1. I thought the same thing too! Well, for the Anne Frank quote, I mean. I said that she wanted someone to find her diary and I was pretty sure that's what she meant by that she wanted to live on. I kind of thought the same thing for the second quote too. I agree because I said something similar--that if you stand up for people, then some people will help you out in return. (From Student 7)
Student #20
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Student #21
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Student #22
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Student #23
I think that these two quotes are great pieces of literature, especially the Poet Martin Niemoller. I believe that in Anne Frank’s quote she’s trying to say that, she wants the ability to write so well that when people read what she is writing even after her death they will be able to visualize what her, her “family”, and all the other Jews are going through…through her descriptive words and literature, she would make a difference and teach an important lesson to others. And maybe one day through her fabulous journal people would not discriminate against others based on religion. This is what I believe Anne Frank meant through those words. From the poem that was wrote by Niemoller, I think that he was talking about during the times when others were discriminated it didn’t bother him because it did not affect him. When others were being hurt, and he stand up for them, although he knew that what was happening to him was wrong…he still did not stand up for them. Finally, when he was discriminated and treated poorly for all the wrong reasons, nobody spoke up for him, and he wished they would. The reason no one was able to take a stand for him was because nobody was left to be in that position. He never helped them, so they went away. It’s sad in life when people are effortless to help others around them with what they know is wrong, but when it comes to their selves they want all the help in the world. Unfortunately since they had not helped, most likely there will be no help for them in return. : (
Responses to Student #23:
1. #14 wow you hit that one right on the money. the anne frank quote i believe is exactly right. you even knew why she wanted the good handwriting. what you put for the poem looks good too but i really didnt understand it at first but reading yours helped me understand.
2. This is a really through response and I completely agree with you. – student 12
Student #24 Well it is pretty obvious whe was a good writer because they published her story that has lived on and always will. This was amazingly horrible for the jews and they will along with everyone else remember it forever and Anne's diary was one of the best pieces of evidience we may ever get. The second quote had kind of a hidden meaning in it just because something doesn't involve you doesn't mean that you shouldn't stand up for it. When somethings going wrong if you care about it you truly should stand up and point out what is wrong.
Responses to Student #24:
1. I agree with you and think that anne wanted people to recognize her as a person that lived through a famous piece of horrific history. She wanted to be strong and educate people about not letting that happen again. __
2. I also thought about the second quote the same same way. ( #26 )
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Student #25 I think that the first quote makes sense because she is saying that once she dies, she wants people to no her staory and that is exactly what happened through her diary. By writing that, she enabled us to chatch a glimpse of what the holacuast was like and what the jews were feeling during this terrible time is history. I am not quite sure what the second quote means because the we he is trying to word what he is saying is throwing me off.
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Student #26 I think that Anne's quote means that she hoped her writing could one day be good enough that people would remember it. By wanting to "live on even after death" she wanted people to remember her and know her story, which has happened she has a book and a play all about her. She still lives on today. Martin Niemoller quote to me means that if you don't help out others and speak out against what is wrong then you can not expect that anyone will do the same for you.
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Student #27
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Student #30
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Student #31 To me, writing is an important thing in my life. It makes me happy, and it makes me think. Being locked up in an Annex for a long time would just drown my spirits for a long time. I don't know if I could write after that. Anne was such an amazing person. I wish I could be as optimistic. If I die early, I would want to be remembered too. In fact even if I don't die early, I still want to be remembered. On a different note, that poem is really cool. It kind of reminds me of middle school. If you just watch people being made fun of, again and again. The second you get made fun of, no one is going to come save you. It shows people have to stand up for eachother. I think it's one of those poems where you go, "HMMMMMMMM." Anyway, these words said/written are very profound.
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I don’t totally agree with you but you described what you thought it meant with nice word choice. (#15)
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Comments (1)
Matthew Sisken said
at 4:27 pm on Nov 29, 2006
Good Job
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