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In these difficult pandemic times, reading Anne Frank's 'The Diary Of A Young Girl' gave me hope & strength to pursue my passion!
In these difficult pandemic times, reading Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary Of A Young Girl’ gave me hope & strength to pursue my passion!
Most of us have been trapped in self or government-imposed lockdowns with restricted access to resources. Some are even dealing with the loss of a friend or a family member and are haunted with a sense of impending doom.
The choice of this book was based on the similarity in our circumstances. She had to go into hiding from the Germans during World War II just like we have been hiding due to fear of a virus.
Anne Frank had to go into hiding from the Germans during World War II just like we have been hiding due to fear of a virus. Like us, Anne Frank felt the loss of her people and an uncertain future. This was as difficult to picture due to the volatility of circumstances leading to a sense of hopelessness.
Anne was just 13 years old when she and her family were forced to go into hiding at her father’s office behind a bookcase ‘Secret Annex.’ Since she was from an affluent family it was a drastic change to move into a cramped hidden place with another family totalling eight residing members.
However, Anne found it amusing and started making an entry into her diary minutely describing each detail of her new home. She even made a map of the house with details of the occupants of each room.
Her family was confined to this house and had to be very quiet. They also had to keep all windows closed during the day as people used to work in this office during the daytime.
Though she would study and help in household work, she ensured to maintain her passion for writing. She took it very seriously as if a reader were out there waiting for her to spill beans on everyday events. She started observing and noting the characters of all the occupants in the house, their behaviours, and the chemistry and tussles among them.
Anne had just entered adolescence and it was not an easy time due to the varying emotional and hormonal changes. Being a rebel in nature she would always speak up for herself and had very defining views which were not acceptable for a young woman in the 1940s.
Due to this, she had to face criticism from elders in the household. But she did not let it dampen her spirits, even at times when she felt lonely and depressed. She poured it all in her diary.
The maturity of her thoughts on war, her opinion of the relationship between her parents which was not based on love, and her relationship with the boy hiding with them have been narrated beautifully.
Anne falls in love with the boy staying in hiding with them and they comfort each other. Still, she is very aware that her feelings have only developed due to their situation. And in the real world she would not have chosen him. She also realizes that the boy’s view of hate and violence against the Germans is a sign of weakness of character.
One important aspect of her life was the food. They had a limited supply with little to no variety and even for holidays had to be content with potatoes and spinach. The food situation gets worse over the two years but she manages to stay focused and brave.
Her writings were a form of self-discovery. We see how she gradually understands that she would want to be a journalist or writer one day and starts to rewrite a few of her earlier narrations in the diary.
Her life ended at the early age of fifteen when they got caught by the Germans. She was sent to a concentration camp where she ultimately died. However, this diary of hers was later obtained at the hiding and since then has been printed in several languages and is a classic of war literature.
I would recommend reading this book as it gave me hope, the strength to find light during these tragic times, and a spirit to pursue my passion. Even though Anne lost her life very young she has left an impressionable mark and has realized her dream to be a writer.
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Stop glorifying biological parenthood - other methods of growing a family are just as valid, and completely a couple's choice, especially of the woman whose body goes through pregnancy and birth.
Stop glorifying biological parenthood – other methods of growing a family are just as valid, and completely a couple’s choice, especially of the woman whose body goes through pregnancy and birth.
Trigger Warning: Contains derogatory remarks about having a baby through surrogacy or any means other than giving birth through biological means, and may be triggering, especially to adoptive parents.
Recently Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced parenthood by surrogacy. This has once again sparked the debate about ethical surrogacy, which is a discussion for another day.
Arathi Rajagopalan, founder of 'House of Kalart', talks about thinking like a designer & transitioning to thinking like a business owner.
Excerpts from an interview with Arathi Rajagopalan, founder of ‘House of Kalart’ – a fusion jewellery label that merges global aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship.
When did you start ‘House of Kalart’ and what was the intention?
I started House of Kalart in 2017 as a venture where painting, drawing and embroidery are married with metalsmithing to create well-handcrafted fashion jewellery. Along with painting and styling, the venture aims to create a holistic fashion experience for a bold and dramatic woman!” As a child, I had always been fascinated by arts and crafts.
It was her daughter, who had taught her to look for the beauty that was there, waiting to be found amidst the misery that seemed to surround them both.
The second winner of our April 2020 Muse of the Month contest is Shalini Mullick.
Priya was running late. She had hoped she would have time to freshen up before the meeting arrived; but it didn’t seem like that would be possible. Suhaani was in a playful mood and was taking unusually long in finishing her meal. A feeling of impatience came over her, then disappeared in a flash, as she saw her daughters twinkling eyes. She knew she could leave the meal to Renu di, but didn’t want to spoil the mood. Refreshing her lipstick could wait. She had anyways been so busy last few days, and they hadn’t seen enough of each other. She knew that was why Suhaani was playing, both with her food and her mother’s wispy hair.
For the village folk, she was like a daughter they never had, a friend they could trust. They treated her with unadulterated love and respect, they looked up to her.
The fourth winner of our April 2020 Muse of the Month contest is Preethi Warrier.
“Get up! Time to go.” the hoarse yell jolted her back from slumber. She struggled to stand up; two nights on the icy jail floor had rendered her feet and body numb.