Anne Frank's tree: Thoughts on domination and the paradox of progress

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2010

Abstract

Consider the significance of Anne Frank's horse chestnut tree. During her years of hiding in the secret annex, Anne thought of the tree as a symbol of freedom, happiness, and peace. As a stand-in for all of Nature, Anne saw the tree as that part of the universe that could not be destroyed by human evil. In this essay, I use Anne's tree as a starting point for a discussion of the domination of both nature and humanity. I connect the concept of domination to the policy of ecological restoration, to national and historical narratives of the connection to forest landscapes, and to the environmental policies of the Third Reich, the specific evil entity that confronted Anne Frank. Domination is also intertwined with the idea of the "paradox of progress," viz., that human progress cannot be separated from acts and policies of domination. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Identifier

78650273853 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Ethics Place and Environment

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1080/1366879X.2010.516498

e-ISSN

14696703

ISSN

1366879X

First Page

283

Last Page

293

Issue

3

Volume

13

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