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Was Anne Frank's dad disappointed/ashame d of her at the end of the film?

posted 18 years ago by EuropeanMoviesFan
7 replies | jump to latest

I quote the last words of the film:

Anne(from her diary):"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart".

Anne's dad: "She puts me to shame" (end of the film)

Did Anne's dad become bitter at the world and disappointed of Anne because after all they went through, the dad had a pessimistic view of the world while his daughter, Anne, kept a positive view of it? Did he resent her over this? What is your interpretation of these quotes?

[–] AnneFrankfan284 18 years ago

I think it's because he didn't see the side of Anne we see when we read her diary until he figured out she was dead

and I think he's really ashamed of it that he didn't see Anne like he and his wife did with Margot.

that explains the "She puts me to shame" part

RIP we love you Anne Frank

[–] wit_knee_jones 18 years ago

Agreed. He was not ashamed of Anne, actually I see it as he was in awe - as most everyone is - of the pure and completely open human being that Anne was. Most people locked in a small apartment for years on end, hiding for their lives, would become bitter and hateful. Anne in her diary never hated, but instead wondered what brought others to hate.

While I can't speak for Mr. Frank, it is my guess that he was never ashamed of her, rather embarassed because she saw truths he had forgotten about.

[–] IMDb_ID_Name 17 years ago

the real otto frank was never ashamed. Why would he be?

[–] rwsmith29456 17 years ago

I just read a book about Otto Frank. No where is there mentioned any shame for anything that happened while they were in hiding.

[–] UBambassador2006 17 years ago

I was in Diary of Anne Frank as Otto, and my interpretation was he was ashamed of himself and in awe. He was in awe that Anne still had such an optimistic view of the world, and he was ashamed that he too couldn't see the goodness in people.

[–] carolyn38104 17 years ago

Yes, UBambassador2006, she put him to shame because he was in awe of her goodness. He did not feel that he measured up to her. People who think the line means he feels ashamed of Anne are just not reading it correctly. The shame he felt was for himself because he could not be as forgiving and loving as she was.

[–] astockton_uk 9 years ago

Otto and Anne saw each other for the last time when they arrived at Auschwitz and were sent to separate barracks. After everything she experienced in the camps, her view of human nature may have been less forgiving.