Margot Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank Essay Example

Some of the vital factors that made the Jews fear the Nazis were torture not only physically but mentally, the misery of working day-to-day in wretched conditions, and death. The Diary of Anne Frank represents the harsh truth of what many Jews experienced when hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel were all hiding in a Secret Annex together above a warehouse. Many strict rules in the Annex made hiding very challenging. Margot is the oldest of the Frank’s two daughters. She behaves and acts the way a young lady should act, but while analyzing the text it becomes clear that she is struggling.

Margot is like the prized possession of her family. She manages everything respectfully and courteously. In Act 1 Scene 3 Anne was acting foolishly and accidentally spilled a glass of milk on Mrs. Van Daan’s fur coat. Her mother was offering her some advice on how to act and used Margot as an example. “... Watch Margot. She’s always courteous with them. Never familiar. She keeps her distance. And they respect her for it. Try to be like Margot.” (435). This line shows how much Mrs. Frank appreciates Margot for her mature behavior towards their guests. Margot and her mother are remarkably similar and mostly share the same way of thinking. She understands the patience her mother has when talking with their guests. In Act 2 Scene 2, Margot asked Anne to chat with Peter in the main room instead of his bedroom, that way Mrs. Van Daan would be less harsh to their mother. Anne said she thought it was ridiculous that she didn’t talk back to Mrs. Van Daan. Margot then expresses in defense of her mother “You don’t understand Mother at all, do you? She can’t talk back. She’s not like you. It’s not in her nature to fight back.” (476) This shows that Margot understands her mother’s nature.

Near the end of Act 1, Mrs. Krawler presented them with news that someone suspected they are hiding and might out them to the Nazi police. This news infected the group with anxiousness. Margot was sitting on the couch when she said “Sometimes I wish the end would come… whatever it is. Then at least we’d know where we were.” (469) This line informs the readers that despite the perfect and contented front Margot puts up, she is tired of living in secret and is starting to lose hope. Later in Act 2 Scene 2 when Anne was going to see Peter, she asked Margot if she was jealous of her and Peter. Margot says, “Of course I’m jealous… jealous that you’ve got something to get up in the morning for… But jealous of you and Peter? No.” (476) This tells the readers that Margot is unmotivated and bored of living in the Annex.

Throughout The Diary of Anne Frank, Margot struggles with maintaining her positivity. She was despairing, yet the weight of being a good role model sat on her shoulders. For the most part, Margot upheld herself as a young lady should, yet her struggle was exposed as time dragged on. It became apparent while analyzing The Diary of Anne Frank that Margot’s mental health deteriorated throughout the time they spent in the Annex.