The essay “Our Secret” written by Susan Griffin was taken from a chapter in her book A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War. In “Our Secret,” Susan Griffin explains the repercussions of bottling up our emotions and the harm it can have on our mind and body in the long run. In this essay Susan is talking about the life of Heinrich Himmler through his childhood diary, as well as, explaining the controlling behavior of his father throughout his life. The essay “Our Secret” is largely autobiographical; Griffin makes her point about children and family by comparing Himmler’s life and childhood to her own.
Early in “Our Secret” it is effortless to see that Heinrich Himmler is nothing more than a marionette that his father controls. It seems …show more content…
She shares the polite manner of young Heinrich’s diaries reminds her of her life at her grandmother’s house. At the tender age of six Susan moved in with her mother’s mother after her parents decide to get a divorce. Susan and her family would often take photographs together and they were all posed, and directed to smile. While Susan was looking back at the photograph that was taken close to her parents’ divorce she now saw the look in her mother’s eyes when she was drunk and the face of a broken man, her father. She states that she must have felt obliged to see only what her grandmother wanted her to see. Susan explains, “we were not comfortable with ourselves as a family. There was a great shared suffering and yet we never wept together, except for my mother, who would alternately weep and then rage when she was drunk” (241). Reading this quote it is easy to see that her grandmother worked day and night to reshape young Susan; while her mom put on a mask that came off when she would drink. Susan’s grandmother taught her what she thought was correct grammar while also passing on her books of etiquette, that she studied from. Griffin explains that her family was not born into manners instead they taught themselves, even if that meant leaving behind their Jewish religion. As a result of leaving behind pieces of their own identity, her family …show more content…
As the essay comes to an end it becomes clearer to see that the way a child is raised can affect the decisions they will make as an adult, as one can see with Heinrich Himmler. If one has time to sit down and comprehend and examine almost each sentence an author has written this is a great read for them. Susan Griffin intertwines history and journalism in “Our Secret” and has the power to expand the way her audience
Early in “Our Secret” it is effortless to see that Heinrich Himmler is nothing more than a marionette that his father controls. It seems …show more content…
She shares the polite manner of young Heinrich’s diaries reminds her of her life at her grandmother’s house. At the tender age of six Susan moved in with her mother’s mother after her parents decide to get a divorce. Susan and her family would often take photographs together and they were all posed, and directed to smile. While Susan was looking back at the photograph that was taken close to her parents’ divorce she now saw the look in her mother’s eyes when she was drunk and the face of a broken man, her father. She states that she must have felt obliged to see only what her grandmother wanted her to see. Susan explains, “we were not comfortable with ourselves as a family. There was a great shared suffering and yet we never wept together, except for my mother, who would alternately weep and then rage when she was drunk” (241). Reading this quote it is easy to see that her grandmother worked day and night to reshape young Susan; while her mom put on a mask that came off when she would drink. Susan’s grandmother taught her what she thought was correct grammar while also passing on her books of etiquette, that she studied from. Griffin explains that her family was not born into manners instead they taught themselves, even if that meant leaving behind their Jewish religion. As a result of leaving behind pieces of their own identity, her family …show more content…
As the essay comes to an end it becomes clearer to see that the way a child is raised can affect the decisions they will make as an adult, as one can see with Heinrich Himmler. If one has time to sit down and comprehend and examine almost each sentence an author has written this is a great read for them. Susan Griffin intertwines history and journalism in “Our Secret” and has the power to expand the way her audience