“Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn’t matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls.”
- 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
“Boys will be boys. And even that wouldn’t matter if only we could prevent girls from being girls.”
Explanation
In this quote, Anne Frank employs irony and subtle sarcasm to critique the double standards of gender roles and societal expectations. The phrase “boys will be boys” is often used to excuse unruly or insensitive behavior in males, suggesting that such conduct is natural or unavoidable. Anne’s follow-up—“if only we could prevent girls from being girls”—exposes the unfair burden placed on girls to be better-behaved, more restrained, or more mature to compensate for male behavior.
This observation is particularly striking given Anne’s young age and the historical context in which she was writing. Living in hiding and observing the adults and teenagers around her, she became acutely aware of gender dynamics and the expectations placed on her as a girl. Her wit in this line challenges the assumption that girls must adapt or suppress themselves in response to boys’ actions, pointing to a deep-rooted cultural imbalance that she recognized even in her confined world.
Today, Anne’s remark remains remarkably relevant. Gendered expectations still persist, where boys’ actions are dismissed as natural while girls are held to higher standards of decorum and responsibility. Her quote reminds us to question these norms and strive for mutual respect and accountability across genders, encouraging a world where both boys and girls are free to be human—without excuse, and without shame.
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