“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”
- June 12, 1929 – February/March 1945
- German-Dutch
- Diarist, Holocaust Victim, Symbol of the Human Cost of War and Persecution
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Quote
“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”
Explanation
In this quote, Anne Frank conveys a haunting awareness of global destruction and suffering, shaped by the war that engulfed her world. Her imagery—a world turning into a wilderness, the sound of approaching thunder, the suffering of millions—captures the apocalyptic fear and helplessness of living under constant threat. She recognizes the vast scale of human pain, anticipating that she, too, may be swept away by it.
And yet, she follows this bleak recognition with a striking expression of hope. The act of looking “up at the sky” becomes a metaphor for transcendence, beauty, and belief in renewal. Despite the overwhelming darkness, Anne insists on holding to the possibility that “peace and tranquility will return once more.” This juxtaposition between despair and hope reveals her extraordinary emotional resilience, choosing to believe in the moral arc of history bending toward justice.
Her words continue to resonate in times of war, disaster, or oppression. Anne reminds us that even in the face of vast and impersonal cruelty, individuals can find moments of grace and faith in something better. Her ability to look beyond horror and still envision healing makes her voice an enduring symbol of human dignity and the unbreakable will to hope.
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