View a FREE sample

March 9, 1941 through April 30, 1942 (Pages 3 - 133)

• Esther ("Etty") Hillesum began writing a dairy in early March of 1941; she was a twenty-seven-year-old single woman living in Amsterdam.

• World War II had begun, but, before the war arrived on her doorstep, Etty Hillesum's main concern was her internal life both from an emotional standpoint and an intellectual one.

• This diary serves two purposes for Etty: growing mentally, emotionally and spiritually and honing her craft: writing.

• Ettyworks as a Russian teacher and lives in a house owned by Han Wegerif, with whom she became intimately involved.
• Hillesum first meets Julius Spier in February of 1941; Spier is a psychoanalyst who specializes in chirology.

• Early in her writings, Etty says that she finds "S" intriguing and she is impressed with his sensuality and power.

• Etty and Spier's therapy sessions are therapeutic, but also awaken feelings in Etty of a sexual nature.

• Each day, Etty's...

(read more Chapter Abstracts)

This section contains 1,988 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample