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Prose

Prose reveals an ambitious writer's determination
CARL ROLLYSON, Special to the Star Tribune

Who could have imagined, at this late date, that Anne Frank, the most famous victim of the Holocaust, should require yet another full-scale treatment? After so many documentaries and biographies, after Broadway and Hollywood have done so much to make her the cynosure of the Nazi genocide, what more is there to say?

We know Anne Frank, the young girl who kept a diary, but we do not know the emerging woman who became a mature writer. When Otto Frank first read his daughter's diary the day after returning to the shop where the Gestapo found his hidden family and learned that Anne had perished in Auschwitz, he remarked that the book revealed someone he had never really known. He may have meant only that he was now privy to her private thoughts. But to Francine Prose, what Otto discovered was a writer.

Anne Frank the artist has been strangely absent from most accounts of her terrible but inspiring ordeal, Prose notes in her book, "Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife." The enormity of the historical event that overwhelmed the Franks and millions of others also served to sequester Anne Frank the stylist, who began to rewrite and polish her diary the day she heard a minister in the Dutch government in exile broadcast from London a call to his fellow citizens to preserve records of their wartime suffering.

Part history, part biography, part literary analysis, Prose's book is a stunning achievement, demonstrating how a precocious Anne Frank meticulously edited and augmented a diary that she conceived of as a work of art. Prose shows how hard Anne worked to foster the seeming artlessness of her diary as the spontaneous overflow of her feelings.

After Prose, it will be impossible to ever read Anne Frank's diary again as an unmediated historical document. But to say that Anne made herself into a character, a narrator as rueful, sarcastic, high-spirited and ambitious as any encountered in the annals of fiction is to take nothing away from her work's veracity. For Anne, at 13, with only two more years to live, had already decided on a career as a writer and was honing all of her considerable talent to make her diary more like herself, not less. Now she stands before us, still that girl, a victim of the Holocaust, but now also a figure who will live not only in history but also in the literature she aspired to create.

DMU Timestamp: August 05, 2016 15:53

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Aug 8

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Aug 08 2016 3:35PM) : Break down the questions. How many issues are raised?

Sep 12

Alex Pitre Alex Pitre (Sep 12 2016 12:44PM) : two questions, two issues more

There seem to be two issues raised:
- Maybe, hidden information/interpretation has escaped the potential over-exposure of Anne Frank’s life story.
- The information/interpretation may not even be relevant/necessary at this point.

Sep 14

Imani McClure Imani McClure (Sep 14 2016 5:06PM) : The author is questioning if there is more information to be shared than there has been up until this point. It also seems to imply that the subject has been overly documented. Asking: How many times can you relay the same message?

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:27AM) : It is not so much about information as it is about point of view

Sep 15

Braden Carter Braden Carter (Sep 15 2016 2:01PM) : The whole first paragraph is what I would consider a "set up". It gives to reader an impression that you are about to either praise this documentary for giving new insight to the life of Anne Frank or whether it will be just like other works. more

The first question really asks if we have completely exhausted the life of Anne Frank. The second question asks if there is really anything else to say. This is interesting to start with these kind of questions because I will want to continue reading to find the answer and see if I agree.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:27AM) : Yet it is a setup

Sep 16

student Ross Langhorne student Ross Langhorne (Sep 16 2016 4:56AM) : In reply to Carl Rollyson more

I feel like there are 2 questions being raised. Does she need another full scale treatment. The other one is that is there really more to say about her life?

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:28AM) : And the two questions are closely related.

Sep 16

Ariel Lerner Ariel Lerner (Sep 16 2016 11:14AM) : One issue that is raised is whether or not there is anything left to say on the subject of Anne Frank. Another, to my mind, is why not tell the story of other victims of the Holocaust, being that Frank's is so widely known already.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:29AM) : But the stories of others have been told. Frank has received more attention, Prose would argue, because of the quality of Frank's writing

Oct 2

Andrew White Andrew White (Oct 02 2016 5:37PM) : The author is curious if there is more perspective to be shared. It also seems to suggest that the topic has been excessively documented.

Oct 3

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Oct 03 2016 7:47AM) : This is too abstract. I cannot make out what you mean.

Dec 8

jiaqi xiong jiaqi xiong (Dec 08 2016 4:04PM) : Two issues are raised. The following might talk about the behind story of the Anne Frank, and might imply the Nazi genocide has something else to say

Dec 9

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 09 2016 6:37AM) : What else?

Dec 8

Gabriel Galindez Gabriel Galindez (Dec 08 2016 7:43PM) : The issue of whether or not there was more to be said about Ann Frank and whether there should be anymore written about her.

Dec 8

Dylan Diaz Dylan Diaz (Dec 08 2016 8:47PM) : Reply more

The questions are asking if there is new information to be found on a topic that has been covered extensively.

Dec 9

Jeongwoo Nahm Jeongwoo Nahm (Dec 09 2016 1:05AM) : While the two questions being asked revolve around the legacy of Anne Frank, they raise two separate, but related issues. One asks if she needs to be covered again, while the other asks if there is anything new to add to the table.

Dec 9

Ruth Ostrow Ruth Ostrow (Dec 09 2016 12:21PM) : The issues raised seem to culminate in two main questions of whether or not there is anything left to be expanded on in the Frank narrative, and if it is worth doing.

Dec 12

Ignacio Salas Ignacio Salas (Dec 12 2016 10:49PM) : saturated topic [Edited] more

This paragraph keeps the reviewer’s opinion as a mystery. The reviewer does not reveal if he likes the book or not; however, his 2 questions establish that there has been plenty of works on Anne Frank’s life already. The major issue that these questions raise is that this topic/subject has been extensively covered. We will have to wait and keep reading the review to find out if this Prose has a different approach to Frank’s life, or if this book is more of the same.

Dec 15

Brittany Martinez Brittany Martinez (Dec 15 2016 7:56PM) : It appears to be exasperation at one of two issues: either the author is concerned about holocaust denial and/or skepticism of its lengths, or they are concerned about Anne Frank becoming a hollow symbol for the holocaust, lacking full understanding. more

The second issue is obviously a little more complex, but just as valid. It can be a good thing that there is such a recognizable symbol for the horrors of the holocaust- but it’s far too easy for the symbol to cease being a human in the eyes of the public. Developing a more complete understanding of Anne is a good objective to have- helping others understand the girl behind the symbol.

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Aug 8

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Aug 08 2016 3:36PM) : What is the most important sentence in this paragraph and why is it positioned where it is?

Sep 12

Alex Pitre Alex Pitre (Sep 12 2016 1:09PM) : The first sentence of the paragraph immediately answers the two questions posed in the first paragraph and introduces Anne Frank, the writer. As the first sentence, it continues movement at a good pace through the review.

Sep 14

Imani McClure Imani McClure (Sep 14 2016 5:22PM) : We only have Anne Frank's writings from her teenage years. The first sentence explains the previous paragraph and sets the stage for the point the writer is making about why/how Francine Prose has a different take on the Anne Frank story.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:29AM) : Right

Sep 15

Braden Carter Braden Carter (Sep 15 2016 5:05PM) : I think the last sentence is the most important as it gives the author, Fracine Prose, insight to what she feels was so significant about Otto Frank discovering his daughter's diary. Giving life into Anne Frank as an artist is the objective for Prose.

Sep 16

student Ross Langhorne student Ross Langhorne (Sep 16 2016 7:59AM) : In reply to Carly Rollyson more

I feel like the last sentence is most important. It reveals how Otto now feels about his daughter.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:30AM) : Now? Otto is dead

Sep 16

T.Racks Tatyana Racks T.Racks Tatyana Racks (Sep 16 2016 5:46AM) : in response to Carl Rollyson more

the first sentence is the most important sentence of the paragraph, It gives the article a brief overview in twenty four words. Transforming from Anne Frank the girl killed in the Holocaust to Anne Frank the young writer who kept a journal of her experiences and how she not only lived through the war but how it elevated her mindset from a young confused child to a strong well aware young woman.

Sep 16

Jeongwoo Nahm Jeongwoo Nahm (Sep 16 2016 11:10AM) : The first sentence is the most important because it answers the first paragraph questions of why another Anne Frank needed more "full-scale treatment." The first sentence gives insight into the key point of the review, introducing Anne Frank as a writer

Oct 2

Andrew White Andrew White (Oct 02 2016 5:39PM) : The first sentence describes the preceding paragraph and sets up the point the writer is building in regards to why/how Francine Prose has a diverse view on the Anne Frank story.

Dec 8

jiaqi xiong jiaqi xiong (Dec 08 2016 4:15PM) : The first sentence is most important, it answer the questions from the first paragraph and also lead the following paragraph, the following sentences in this paragraph is to explain the first one.

Dec 9

Ruth Ostrow Ruth Ostrow (Dec 09 2016 12:26PM) : The first paragraph is most important. more

It serves to set up the rest of the paragraph, and therefore, the premise of the review. The succeeding content begins to “prove” that Frank is the “mature write” we should come to know her as.

Dec 16

Ignacio Salas Ignacio Salas (Dec 16 2016 4:46AM) : not only "the most famous victim of the holocaust" more

the first sentence explains why it is still relevant to write about Anne Frank—more specifically, why Prose’s view of the subject as a writer is relevant. It answers the previous questions. This sentence introduces Frank as a writer and not only as the “most famous victim of the holocaust.”

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Aug 8

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Aug 08 2016 3:37PM) : How does the focus on Anne Frank the writer change the reviewer's view of her?

Sep 13

Alexander Rothenberg Alexander Rothenberg (Sep 13 2016 3:38PM) : The view of Anne Frank the writer, rather than victim, gives new perspective to an unfamiliar aspect of her life. Prose changed the reviewers mind, to see the diary as a meticulously thought out work of art full of emotion.

Sep 14

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 14 2016 12:52PM) : Right

Sep 15

Braden Carter Braden Carter (Sep 15 2016 2:22PM) : In a way Prose is saying that many other works that have focused on the life of Anne Frank focus on the Holocaust and Frank as a victim of hate. Prose has the ability to look into the life of a young girl and see her as a person who has a distinct voice. more

Frank essentially used the situation as inspiration to write and give voice to her experience. She had a voice which trumped her as a victim.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:30AM) : Well put

Sep 16

student Ross Langhorne student Ross Langhorne (Sep 16 2016 8:04AM) : In reply to Carl Rollyson more

The reviewers view changed praising Anne as more of a writer. This is actually the first time I have seen this view of her besides being a victim.

Sep 17

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 17 2016 8:31AM) : Yes, this is what is new in the book

Sep 16

Jeongwoo Nahm Jeongwoo Nahm (Sep 16 2016 11:06AM) : The focus on Anne frank shifts from being a Holocaust victim who happened to write in her diary, into Anne Frank the artist, who worked very hard to preserve and develop her diary entries.

Sep 16

Ariel Lerner Ariel Lerner (Sep 16 2016 11:12AM) : The reviewer acknowledges Anne Frank's talent at such a young age, and in his final paragraph, lets the reader imagine how her talent might have continued to develop had she reached adulthood.

Oct 2

Andrew White Andrew White (Oct 02 2016 5:42PM) : The interpretation of Anne Frank the author, rather than the target, provides a fresh viewpoint to an unacquainted facet of her life. Prose altered the reviewers awareness, to view the diary as a precisely thought out piece.

Oct 3

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Oct 03 2016 7:49AM) : Unacquainted? who is unacquainted. Puzzling.

Dec 8

jiaqi xiong jiaqi xiong (Dec 08 2016 4:29PM) : the normal way to review Anne is focus on her sadly life story, and ignore Anne is a great writer who always insist on writing.

Dec 8

Gabriel Galindez Gabriel Galindez (Dec 08 2016 7:49PM) : The reviewer now see's her as an artist that had deliberate practice in creating her diaries rather than seeing her only as a victim.

Dec 9

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 09 2016 6:39AM) : sees

Dec 9

Ruth Ostrow Ruth Ostrow (Dec 09 2016 12:37PM) : Frank is typically depicted as being merely a victim of tragedy. By focusing on her as a writer, Frank is given more depth in a way in which she is not usually portrayed.

Dec 16

Ignacio Salas Ignacio Salas (Dec 16 2016 7:56AM) : more than a victim, a writer more

Prose’s focus on Anne Frank changed the reviewer’s view on the subject. Now he is also able to see her as a writer, and not only as a victim of the holocaust.

Dec 16

Kenny Yu Kenny Yu (Dec 16 2016 3:34PM) : It provokes readers to view Anne Frank through a different set of lense and to focus on the work in another perspective.

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Aug 8

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Aug 08 2016 3:39PM) : What is an unmediated historical document?

Sep 14

Imani McClure Imani McClure (Sep 14 2016 5:44PM) : An unmediated historical document is a direct source, meaning it has not been transformed or tampered with by a third party. "straight from the horse's mouth"

Sep 16

John Martakis John Martakis (Sep 16 2016 7:13PM) : If a historical document is unmediated, it means the document is from a firsthand source and has not been altered in any way. In other words, after reading Prose’s work, it will be impossible to view Anne Frank’s diary as an unedited, original source.

Oct 2

Andrew White Andrew White (Oct 02 2016 5:43PM) : An unmediated historical document is an honest source. It has not been distorted or interfered with by a third party. It is concise.

Oct 3

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Oct 03 2016 7:49AM) : Unmediated is not necessarily honest.

Dec 8

jiaqi xiong jiaqi xiong (Dec 08 2016 4:24PM) : an unmediated historical document is a first hand source from the clients,directly heard or see without other involve

Dec 9

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 09 2016 6:38AM) : Clients?

Dec 8

Gabriel Galindez Gabriel Galindez (Dec 08 2016 7:52PM) : A historical document that wasn't interfered with.

Dec 9

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 09 2016 6:41AM) : Her diary is mediated by her art.

Dec 9

Jeongwoo Nahm Jeongwoo Nahm (Dec 09 2016 12:54AM) : Unmediated historical documents are ones that have come directly from the source. They have not been altered in anyway.

Dec 9

Ruth Ostrow Ruth Ostrow (Dec 09 2016 10:29PM) : An unmediated historical document is a primary source that is viewed otherwise unchanged.

Dec 10

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 10 2016 6:59AM) : So the diary is now subject to several different interpretations.

Dec 13

Ignacio Salas Ignacio Salas (Dec 13 2016 1:56AM) : direct source more

it means that the historical document has not been edited and transformed by other people. It comes from a direct source (in this case Anne Frank)

Dec 13

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 13 2016 7:29AM) : So if Anne Frank's diary can no longer be read as an unmediated document, what does that mean? How will it be read?

Dec 15

Brittany Martinez Brittany Martinez (Dec 15 2016 11:06PM) : It's a historical source that hasn't been tampered with- providing the reader with an unique POV that would otherwise be "sanitized" when altered by another person.

Dec 15

Brittany Martinez Brittany Martinez (Dec 15 2016 11:06PM) : It humanizes her in a different way than most reviews of Anne's life- portraying her as a complex human like any other rather than as a simplistic symbol of the holocaust's barbarism.

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Aug 8

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Aug 08 2016 3:40PM) : How does the diary and a view of Anne change if her work is considered a work of art?

Sep 12

Alex Pitre Alex Pitre (Sep 12 2016 10:02AM) : paradigm shift more

If one considers Anne Frank’s writings not simply as a well-written diary, but as a sculpted piece of writing, one starts to move away from a characterization imposed by dominate sexist and ageist ideals. It is easy for the dominate narrative to say, “Anne Frank was a young girl victimized by the Nazi regime and found solace in her personal diary.” It is more difficult for the dominate narrative to say, “Anne Frank was an independent artist and expressed her experiences through the medium of the written word.” The second statement challenges the notion that young girls are passive (and often placed in a victim role) and that one does not need to reach adulthood/receive a formal education to create art.

Switching the view of Anne Frank’s work to art changes her diary to something to be studied not only for historical purposes, but to be studied in all the ways art is studied, such as continued relevance, political statement, expressing the artist’s intention, effective use of medium, and on and on. Switching the view of Anne Frank also helps in switching the view of all young adult artists. Something I think Anne Frank would support.

Sep 14

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Sep 14 2016 12:53PM) : A good thorough answer. The word is dominant, not dominate.

Nov 13

Nora McCarten Nora McCarten (Nov 13 2016 2:55PM) : purpose + dimension more

Frank’s diary, whether written to be artistic or viewed by the general public as a piece of art, brings another dimension to something considered strictly factual and, in a sense, educational. The artistic element shows more of Anne the girl, not Anne the prisoner, Anne the victim, or Anne the Jew. Viewing her diary as a work of art is appropriate, I think, because an emotionally-ridden event like the Holocaust cannot properly be analyzed without a personal, human component.

Nov 14

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Nov 14 2016 6:00AM) : And it is remarkable that she should be working as an artist when her very life was at stake. She shows a capacity to think beyond the moment, which might be one definition of art.

Dec 8

Gabriel Galindez Gabriel Galindez (Dec 08 2016 7:54PM) : I think the diary is now viewed as a deliberate creation rather than the last days of the victim. It makes me think that if she hadn't befell this fate she would have still been a relevant writer.

Dec 9

Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson (Dec 09 2016 6:42AM) : Philip Roth wrote a novel in which she survives and becomes a writer.

Dec 9

Jeongwoo Nahm Jeongwoo Nahm (Dec 09 2016 1:01AM) : Added viewpoints more

The diary adds to the common perception of Anne as being a Holocaust victim who documented herself in a diary. As a work of the art, the diary documents a great deal of emotion and distress, often captured in works of art.

Dec 15

Brittany Martinez Brittany Martinez (Dec 15 2016 8:10PM) : I'm not sure that the view of Anne in the aggregate is changed much- she's still one of the most notable symbols of Nazi brutality. more

However, I think it’s beneficial to have some added nuance to who Anne was and how she arrived at her destination as a writer articulating the horrific scenario unfolding around her.

Dec 16

Ignacio Salas Ignacio Salas (Dec 16 2016 8:05AM) : her art is mediated more

In Prose’s book, her diary is considered more than the mere testimony or historical document of the holocaust’s most famous victim. If her work is considered art, we might think that Anne actually wrote it as a writer, and not only as the young girl who just wanted to document her experience.

Dec 16

Kenny Yu Kenny Yu (Dec 16 2016 3:35PM) : Instead of a form of just information to be devoured, we look deeper into each word choice and style. We start to pick at certain details, rather than to read for perspective of the events.

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