What does this reading question mean?

Question

How do you think Anne could reconcile these seemingly contradictory opinoins?

Its from the Diary of Anne Frank.

If you could just explain to me in simpler terms what that means without the too big of the words. =D

I am reading the play, although it is completely different from the book.

=D

Answer 1

I imagine that the teacher is trying to get you to think about contradictory opinions, like how she simultaneously loves her mom and hates her with a passion. Or how she can find joy in life while being shut off from it. The question seems to believe that people have to be consistent. I would challenge that. Aren't we more complex than just being consistent? In that way, the question is also asking you to think about what it means to be human.

Are you reading the diary or the play?

The play? Okay...in that case, you want to look out for inconsistencies in her actions and her thoughts. Like her relationship with Peter. She professes to hate him, but then ends up smooching. Think about that in terms of her age.

Answer 2

Think of it like this: How can Ann get over/through the various opinions in the book that contradict each other? Does that help any? Can't remember the book so I can't give you specific answers.
Think about something going on in your life with people giving you advice that is contradictory sort of like a friend who always says she's broke but shops all the time. What would you do about it? What advice do you have for her to get over their opinions?

Answer 3

Anne thinks (A). She also thinks (B). The two ideas do not seem to fit together; but if she thinks about it a little more, she will be able to see a way that they both make sense. You are being asked to think for Anne.

Answer 4

How can Anne find the similarities in these differing opinions?

How can Anne find out what is the same about these different opinions?

Hope that helps you.

Answer 5

Its asking how you think Anne could deal with the situation.

Answer 6

reconcile means resolve.
contradictory means opposing or clashing
seemingly infers that they may not actually be conflicting, so you may need to read between the lines.

How do you think Anne could resolve these seemingly opposing opinions?

Answer 7

How do you think anne could figure out which opinion to believe? If there are two opinions that are vastly different, she would have to have some process to think through it.

Answer 8

How do you think Anne could make sense of these ideas that seem to say the opposite as one another?

rec·on·cile - to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent: to reconcile differing statements; to reconcile accounts.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reconcile

seem·ing - apparent; appearing, whether truly or falsely, to be as specified: a seeming advantage.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/seemingly

con·tra·dic·to·ry - asserting the contrary or opposite; contradicting; inconsistent; logically opposite: contradictory statements.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/contradictory

Using the definitions, we get:

How do you think Anne could bring into agreement these ideas that appear or seem - whether it is in fact the case or not - to say the opposite of one another?