TOW #28 – "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl"

In her personal diary, Anne Frank describes her life as a teenage girl hiding from the Nazis in Germany during WWII. Although her journal entries had a veil of occasionally ordinary language of a teenager, Anne Frank’s diary reflects the pain that was suffered by so many in WWII, giving a greater understanding of the horrible conditions. Although she did not write to any audience beside herself in order to clear her thoughts, Anne Frank’s diary tells her life story with the war developing often in the background. Explaining her interaction with the adults in her life, Anne Frank wrote, “Kitty, if only you knew I sometimes boil under so many gibes and jeers. And I don’t know how long I shall be able to stifle my rage. I shall just blow up one day” (Frank 30). Although many teenagers continue to have conflict with adults, readers of Anne Frank’s diary understand that she faced incredibly dangerous and hostile conditions. Thus, although she does not develop the diary for it to be read by an audience, Anne Frank produces an appeal to pathos by displaying the problems expected of a teenager beside the enormous troubles facing Jews during WWII. Likewise, she writes, “I must tell you more about my time-killing subjects (I call them such, because we have got nothing else to do but make the days go by as quickly as possible…)” (Frank 67), showing a hardship in hiding from the Nazis.  As she refers to her classes as “time-killing subjects,” the secluded and troubling life of hiding from the Nazis is apparent. Although Anne Frank did not write the diary for any purpose beyond organizing her thoughts on paper, her emotional story is remembered by millions. Beyond the stories often explained in a textbook, Anne Frank’s diary shows the emotional life story of a young girl hiding from the Nazis in WWII.

Works Cited

Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York, NY, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1972.

TOW #27 – “Ending hell on earth for D.C.’s children” by Colbert I. King

In his editorial “Ending hell on earth for D.C.’s children,” Colbert I. King contests society’s standard of providing only limited relief to those born into bad situations. Recognizing that children born into poor or violent areas “didn’t ask to be born” (King), King develops an appeal to logos and pathos throughout the editorial. Throughout, King shares his own experience on the subject; his trip near San Francisco was mainly notable for the discrepancy of living conditions from Washington D.C. His trip widened his perspective on the issue of poverty and violence in neighborhoods; no kid should be shaped with fear as a constant concern. To reinforce his argument that children are not responsible for their living arrangements, he likewise recognizes that “the kids enjoying the delights of Half Moon Bay were not responsible for their comfort” (King).  He understands his audience; he understands that those entertaining Washington Post editorials may not be struggling with living arrangements as many in D.C. are. Thus, King appeals to pathos; he enforces this truth that no one should be punished for being born into poverty and danger. King asks for honesty beyond the typical defenses put up by those against governmental support – we cannot assume it is the parents’ fault, we cannot assume they are not trying to place their children in the best position possible. Therefore, he argues, “[d]emanding greater police presence, strict law enforcement, more competent adjudication and rehabilitation of offenders” (King) is necessary action that must be taken to begin a process of making D.C. safer. He proclaims, “it falls to us, if we really care, to help out,” (King) emphasizing the need for Americans to support struggling communities, continuing his appeal to pathos. To overcome these barriers, to relieve families from hopelessness, governmental support must be made accessible and possible to these communities in Washington D.C.

Works Cited

King, Colbert I. “Ending Hell on Earth for D.C.'s Children.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 28 Apr. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ending-hell-on-earth-for-dcs-children/2017/04/28/e2b85502-2b53-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?utm_term=.0a26618c3514. Accessed 29 Apr. 2017.