Minh‌‌Nguyen‌ ‌
Ms.‌‌Bassett‌ ‌
Accelerated‌‌Language‌‌Arts‌‌1B‌ ‌
March‌‌21,‌‌2022‌
Anne‌‌Frank‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌Synthesis‌ ‌
Anne‌‌Frank‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌are‌‌very‌‌similar‌‌people.‌‌Anne‌‌Frank‌‌lived‌‌during‌‌the‌‌
Holocaust,‌‌where‌‌from‌‌1939‌‌to‌‌1945,‌‌the‌‌Nazi‌‌Party‌‌centered‌‌in‌‌Germany‌‌tried‌‌to‌‌genocide‌‌all‌‌
Jews‌‌to‌‌complete‌‌their‌‌‘purification’.‌‌She‌‌was‌‌sent‌‌off‌‌to‌‌a‌‌concentration‌‌camp‌‌and‌‌perished‌‌
there‌‌due‌‌to‌‌the‌‌horrid‌‌conditions.‌‌Meanwhile,‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌lived‌‌during‌‌the‌‌time‌‌when‌‌
African-Americans‌‌were‌‌discriminated‌‌against‌‌in‌‌the‌‌United‌‌States.‌‌While‌‌visiting‌‌his‌‌family‌‌in‌‌
Mississippi,‌‌he‌‌angered‌‌a‌‌white‌‌woman‌‌somehow‌‌and‌‌a‌‌few‌‌days‌‌later‌‌he‌‌was‌‌tortured‌‌and‌‌killed.‌‌
The‌‌Holocaust‌‌and‌‌the‌‌time‌‌when‌‌segregation‌‌ran‌‌rampant‌‌in‌‌America‌‌bear‌‌many‌‌similarities.‌‌
Furthermore,‌‌both‌‌Anne‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌have‌‌similar‌‌emotions‌‌toward‌‌their‌‌past‌‌experiences.‌‌
Although‌‌they‌‌lived‌‌on‌‌opposite‌‌sides‌‌of‌‌the‌‌globe,‌‌their‌‌predicaments,‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌how‌‌they‌‌dealt‌‌
with‌‌their‌‌situation,‌‌are‌‌near‌‌identical.‌‌ ‌
The‌‌Holocaust‌‌and‌‌the‌‌discrimination‌‌of‌‌African-Americans‌‌in‌‌America‌‌are‌‌similar‌‌
events‌‌that‌‌each‌‌shaped‌‌the‌‌course‌‌of‌‌racism‌‌and‌‌xenophobia‌‌in‌‌each‌‌respective‌‌nation.‌‌The‌‌
Holocaust‌‌was‌‌ignited‌‌by‌‌the‌‌Germans’‌‌bitterness‌‌after‌‌World‌‌War‌‌I.‌‌Germans‌‌had‌‌to‌‌pay‌‌
exorbitant‌‌war‌‌reparations,‌‌were‌‌chastised‌‌and‌‌isolated‌‌from‌‌other‌‌countries,‌‌and‌‌lost‌‌their‌‌
national‌‌pride‌‌while‌‌being‌‌at‌‌the‌‌mercy‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Allies.‌‌Naturally,‌‌they‌‌looked‌‌for‌‌people‌‌to‌‌blame‌‌
for‌‌their‌‌predicament‌‌-‌‌Jews‌‌were‌‌the‌‌obvious‌‌choice.‌‌Thus‌‌started‌‌a‌‌crusade‌‌against‌‌the‌‌Jewish,‌‌
sprouting‌‌from‌‌mere‌‌harassment‌‌and‌‌exclusion‌‌from‌‌certain‌‌events‌‌evolving‌‌into‌‌relocation‌‌into‌‌
ghettos‌‌and‌‌eventually‌‌genocide.‌‌While‌‌World‌‌War‌‌II‌‌against‌‌the‌‌Nazis‌‌was‌‌raging‌‌on,‌‌the‌‌United‌‌
States‌‌faced‌‌another‌‌issue‌‌of‌‌discrimination‌‌-‌‌the‌‌segregation‌‌of‌‌African-Americans.‌‌During‌‌this‌‌
period,‌‌African-Americans‌‌were‌‌bullied,‌‌denied‌‌human‌‌and‌‌civil‌‌rights,‌‌and‌‌all-around‌‌terribly‌‌
treated.‌‌As‌‌Emmett‌‌says,‌‌“German‌‌prisoners‌‌of‌‌war‌‌were‌‌treated‌‌better‌‌than‌‌African-American‌‌
veterans.‌‌Even‌‌they‌‌got‌‌to‌‌dine‌‌in‌‌the‌‌officers’‌‌club.”‌‌The‌‌corruption‌‌grew‌‌to‌‌the‌‌point‌‌where‌‌a‌‌
white‌‌person‌‌could‌‌flat-out‌‌murder‌‌a‌‌black‌‌person‌‌and‌‌receive‌‌no‌‌punishment.‌‌These‌‌two‌‌time‌‌
periods‌‌may‌‌sound‌‌different,‌‌but‌‌the‌‌driving‌‌force‌‌behind‌‌each‌‌is‌‌nearly‌‌identical.‌‌In‌‌the‌‌
Holocaust,‌‌Germans‌‌looked‌‌for‌‌someone‌‌to‌‌blame‌‌for‌‌their‌‌predicament,‌‌while‌‌in‌‌the‌‌
African-American‌‌discrimination‌‌era,‌‌Europeans‌‌looked‌‌for‌‌someone‌‌to‌‌‘use’‌‌for‌‌their‌‌work.‌‌
Both‌‌Jews‌‌and‌‌Africans‌‌just‌‌happened‌‌to‌‌be‌‌there‌‌-‌‌at‌‌the‌‌perfect‌‌moment‌‌to‌‌be‌‌harassed,‌‌isolated‌‌
and‌‌slaughtered.‌‌ ‌
Anne‌‌Frank’s‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌Till’s‌‌experiences‌‌bear‌‌many‌‌resemblances.‌‌Anne‌‌Frank‌‌was‌‌
cooped‌‌up‌‌in‌‌the‌‌annex‌‌of‌‌a‌‌building‌‌with‌‌another‌‌family‌‌for‌‌a‌‌long‌‌period‌‌of‌‌time.‌‌She‌‌was‌‌
‘going‌‌insane’‌‌in‌‌there‌‌-‌‌she‌‌would‌‌do‌‌anything‌‌to‌‌just…‌‌get‌‌some‌‌fresh‌‌air,‌‌to‌‌be‌‌free!‌‌…‌‌just‌‌for‌‌
a‌‌little‌‌while.‌‌Her‌‌father‌‌was‌‌her‌‌best‌‌friend‌‌during‌‌those‌‌rough‌‌times.‌‌He‌‌maintained‌‌that‌‌she‌‌
couldn’t‌‌exit‌‌the‌‌annex,‌‌he‌‌told‌‌her‌‌to‌‌just‌‌stick‌‌it‌‌out‌‌for‌‌a‌‌little‌‌longer.‌‌He‌‌was‌‌the‌‌voice‌‌of‌‌
reason‌‌in‌‌that‌‌chaotic,‌‌cramped‌‌hellhole.‌‌When‌‌her‌‌family‌‌was‌‌caught,‌‌Anne‌‌Frank‌‌perished‌‌in‌‌
the‌‌arms‌‌of‌‌her‌‌father‌‌in‌‌Auschwitz.‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌lived‌‌on‌‌the‌‌other‌‌side‌‌of‌‌the‌‌planet,‌‌yet‌‌also‌‌
suffered‌‌a‌‌terrible‌‌fate;‌‌not‌‌because‌‌of‌‌his‌‌religion,‌‌but‌‌because‌‌of‌‌his‌‌race.‌‌Emmett‌‌was‌‌going‌‌to‌‌
visit‌‌his‌‌relatives‌‌in‌‌Mississippi,‌‌a‌‌state‌‌well-known‌‌for‌‌its‌‌terrible‌‌treatment‌‌of‌‌
African-Americans.‌‌Despite‌‌his‌‌mother’s‌‌insistent‌‌warnings‌‌on‌‌how‌‌to‌‌properly‌‌treat‌‌white‌‌
people,‌‌he‌‌still‌‌catches‌‌the‌‌attention‌‌of‌‌a‌‌white‌‌woman.‌‌A‌‌few‌‌days‌‌later,‌‌men‌‌show‌‌up‌‌at‌‌his‌‌
house‌‌and‌‌torture‌‌and‌‌kill‌‌him.‌‌Anne’s‌‌and‌‌Emmett’s‌‌ordeal‌‌are‌‌similar‌‌in‌‌a‌‌number‌‌of‌‌ways.‌‌For‌‌
one,‌‌both‌‌were‌‌trapped‌‌in‌‌a‌‌prison‌‌of‌‌sorts‌‌-‌‌Anne‌‌in‌‌the‌‌annex‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Northern‌‌
States,‌‌where‌‌African-Americans‌‌are‌‌treated‌‌more‌‌amiably.‌‌Secondly,‌‌both‌‌had‌‌a‌‌voice‌‌of‌‌reason‌‌
to‌‌rely‌‌upon‌‌-‌‌Anne‌‌her‌‌father,‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌his‌‌mother.‌‌Finally,‌‌both‌‌of‌‌their‌‌experiences‌‌made‌‌a‌‌
big‌‌impact‌‌on‌‌the‌‌world.‌‌Anne’s‌‌diaries‌‌are‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌most‌‌beautiful‌‌and‌‌important‌‌pieces‌‌of‌‌
Holocaust‌‌text‌‌that‌‌exist.‌‌They‌‌changed‌‌our‌‌perception‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Holocaust‌‌altogether‌‌and‌‌gave‌‌us‌‌a‌‌
first-hand‌‌account‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Holocaust‌‌from‌‌a‌‌younger‌‌perspective‌‌than‌‌most.‌‌According‌‌to‌‌many‌‌
historians,‌‌Emmett’s‌‌torture‌‌and‌‌murder‌‌sparked‌‌the‌‌Civil‌‌Rights‌‌Movement‌‌for‌‌
African-Americans‌‌even‌‌more‌‌than‌‌Rosa‌‌Parks’‌‌incident‌‌did.‌‌His‌‌murder‌‌was‌‌headline‌‌news‌‌
across‌‌the‌‌world‌‌-‌‌even‌‌in‌‌Germany,‌‌where‌‌a‌‌newspaper‌‌titled‌‌“In‌‌American,‌‌Negro’s‌‌Live‌‌Worth‌‌
Less‌‌Than‌‌a‌‌Whistle”‌‌was‌‌read‌‌by‌‌half‌‌the‌‌population.‌‌ ‌
Anne‌‌Frank‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌were‌‌also‌‌individually‌‌alike‌‌when‌‌depicted‌‌in‌‌the‌‌play‌‌
“Anne‌‌and‌‌Emmett”.‌‌Both‌‌were‌‌wild‌‌and‌‌free,‌‌while‌‌Anne‌‌was‌‌a‌‌bit‌‌more‌‌sophisticated‌‌than‌‌
Emmett.‌‌Anne‌‌tried‌‌to‌‌advise‌‌Emmett‌‌to‌‌let‌‌go‌‌of‌‌the‌‌hatred‌‌and‌‌pain,‌‌and‌‌‘light‌‌a‌‌candle‌‌in‌‌his‌‌
head’,‌‌but‌‌even‌‌she‌‌wasn’t‌‌capable‌‌of‌‌letting‌‌all‌‌the‌‌pain‌‌go…‌‌yet.‌‌Emmett‌‌was‌‌a‌‌more‌‌intuitive‌‌
person,‌‌and‌‌he‌‌thought‌‌his‌‌situation‌‌was‌‌worse‌‌than‌‌Anne’s‌‌-‌‌he‌‌couldn’t‌‌change‌‌his‌‌skin‌‌color‌‌
while‌‌Anne‌‌could‌‌change‌‌her‌‌religion,‌‌and‌‌African-Americans‌‌didn’t‌‌receive‌‌any‌‌compensation‌‌
for‌‌the‌‌crimes‌‌against‌‌them‌‌that‌‌took‌‌place‌‌for‌‌centuries,‌‌while‌‌all‌‌of‌‌Europe‌‌tried‌‌to‌‌make‌‌up‌‌for‌‌
what‌‌the‌‌Nazis‌‌did‌‌to‌‌them‌‌in‌‌6‌‌years.‌‌Anne‌‌hinted‌‌that‌‌her‌‌situation‌‌was‌‌worse‌‌because‌‌she‌‌was‌‌
living‌‌in‌‌a‌‌constant‌‌state‌‌of‌‌terror‌‌while‌‌Emmett‌‌still‌‌had‌‌breathing‌‌room‌‌for‌‌fun‌‌and‌‌games.‌‌
Most‌‌importantly,‌‌both‌‌of‌‌them‌‌wanted‌‌to‌‌stay‌‌in‌‌the‌‌afterworld‌‌called‌‌‘Memory’‌‌and‌‌‘join‌‌forces‌‌
to‌‌heal‌‌the‌‌world’.‌‌They‌‌both‌‌wanted‌‌the‌‌memory‌‌of‌‌their‌‌experiences‌‌to‌‌stay‌‌in‌‌the‌‌living‌‌world‌‌
and‌‌influence‌‌decisions‌‌made‌‌by‌‌living‌‌people‌‌in‌‌order‌‌to‌‌better‌‌the‌‌world,‌‌or‌‌at‌‌least‌‌not‌‌repeat‌‌
the‌‌atrocities‌‌they‌‌had‌‌to‌‌live‌‌(and‌‌die‌‌during‌‌them)‌‌through.‌‌ ‌
Anne‌‌Frank‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌Till‌‌are‌‌very‌‌similar‌‌people.‌‌Their‌‌backgrounds‌‌were‌‌
near-identical‌‌-‌‌both‌‌groups‌‌of‌‌people‌‌they‌‌belong‌‌to‌‌were‌‌harassed,‌‌isolated,‌‌and‌‌murdered.‌‌
They‌‌were‌‌both‌‌viewed‌‌as‌‌convenient‌‌objects‌‌to‌‌the‌‌‘superior’‌‌people‌‌to‌‌inflict‌‌their‌‌rage‌‌upon.‌‌
Their‌‌ordeals‌‌bore‌‌many‌‌similarities,‌‌as‌‌they‌‌were‌‌both‌‌trapped‌‌in‌‌a‌‌cage‌‌of‌‌sorts‌‌but‌‌still‌‌had‌‌
friends‌‌and‌‌people‌‌they‌‌could‌‌rely‌‌on.‌‌Both‌‌Anne‌‌and‌‌Emmett‌‌wanted‌‌the‌‌memory‌‌of‌‌their‌‌
experiences‌‌to‌‌reside‌‌in‌‌the‌‌living‌‌world‌‌in‌‌order‌‌to‌‌never‌‌let‌‌the‌‌atrocities‌‌that‌‌they‌‌faced‌‌repeat.‌‌
Both‌‌Anne‌‌and‌‌Emmett’s‌‌stories‌‌went‌‌viral‌‌and‌‌triggered‌‌big‌‌changes‌‌in‌‌modern‌‌society.‌‌All‌‌in‌‌
all,‌‌as‌‌Forbes‌‌says,‌‌“Emmett‌‌Till‌‌is‌‌Anne‌‌Frank‌‌to‌‌Black‌‌America”.‌‌ ‌