This is an interesting question for which I have only an idea, not an answer. I have taught this play, but I gained most of my insights through directing the play a long time ago. It is my suspicion that Anne has not crossed the line that allows her to see the full potential for horror in human beings. Her quote that she still believes that people are basically good at heart seems to be a product of someone unacquainted with evil. This seems odd since she is in a totally horrible situation, but I suspect that she approaches it with youthful hope that, no matter how horrible things appear, all will be well. As we (I) become older, we come into contact with evil on a more personal level, and it is harder to have her optimism.
This point of view is often attributed to a French statesman, Francois Guizot (1787-1874), who originally said, "Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head."
The reason we read her story is, as I see it, the attempt to recapture the sense that things don't have to be the way they are.
I think it's also interesting to remember that she is in love, and this may do a lot for the way she sees things.
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