COQ: Anne Frank: Asking Father's Permission.

Puffin Books, 2002.
Page 10. 

"They start rambling on about 'asking Father's permission' "

(In context of a boy admiring her and the usual events that follow his admiration)

My comment: 

"Did she quote it because it was something that happened often and everyone understood it was the proper way, or because she knew we are not our fathers' property to 'give' to someone else" 

 This is going to be a bit of a feminist rant, but honestly, I think this is a serious issue that needs to stop because it's the 21st Century and it's still happening. This quote was written way back in the early 40's, where posters were still being made on beating your wives because she burnt your food but at least she didn't burn your beer. 

Here, Anne wrote about how the boys' she was around in her early school years took a liking to her for one reason or another, and eventually they all reached a point where they would talk about asking Fathers' permission. Ask his permission for what, though? And why the father, and not the mother? Why does the father have the ultimate power in the decision making of their children? In Anne's case, her father certainly was a man presented in a much better light then her mother ever was, but this is from a biased point of view, and was also written during the time of adolescence. I truly believe that, if she had survived, she would have grown to love her mother. In the way that most middle-aged people love their mother, not as a best friend but not in the hatred Anne had. 

This part, even though most of the opinions of Anne appeal to me, was a part I took a strong disliking to. Your daughter is not your property. In the same way a son isn't. Protecting your daughter from the world outside is telling her two things. Firstly, that men are dangerous. In my opinion, they are. People in general are dangerous. You have no idea what their intentions are. They could want to hurt you, steal you, steal things from you. It's also telling her that she doesn't have the abilities to protect herself, or make educated, well thought out decisions for themselves. 

Saying that, a thirteen-year-old will make a lot of mistakes, especially regarding boys. It's important you teach them, regardless of your own embarrassment, about safe sex and how some boys will appear to be swans but end up being geese. It's also quite important to note how a lot of men will not protect their daughters against girls if they're lesbian - which is saying even more about themselves, that they know men are dangerous despite sticking up for them, and how females aren't worth worrying about (which, trust me, the worst thing you can do is underestimate a womans' abilities). It's equally important to note that you trust them with the knowledge you have taught them. Let them make their own decisions and their own mistakes.

The thing I just really wanted to get through here was that a man is not the boss. A woman is in charge of her own decisions, actions and body. You can not act like you are in charge and then say she is the one who has to be the responsible one, because men can't be responsible themselves of their own actions. She can choose her own life decisions. But, that's for another topic, as she mentions later on that her father said something about how she had to be the responsible one in her and her Peters' relationship.

Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.

Loz x