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

Esther ("Etty") Hillesum began writing a dairy in early March of 1941. By that time, she was a twenty-seven-year-old single woman living in Amsterdam, making her way in the city. World War II had begun but for Hillesum and other Jews living in the Netherlands, things were about to take a turn for the worse. Before the war arrived on her doorstep, however, Etty Hillesum's main concern was her internal life both from an emotional standpoint and an intellectual one. Putting everything on paper satisfied two of Etty's most innermost desires. Primarily, Hillesum sought to purge herself of what she considered to be immaturity and complacency. It seems that Etty Hillesum was determined to grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In addition, Etty Hillesum had devoted herself to honing her craft: writing. Like Rainer Maria...