What makes Anna special? Asked by Anonymous

So many things make Anna extraordinary and inspiring to me, anon! She’s everything I long to be.

She is so incredibly strong and resilient. After losing contact with her sister, losing her parents, she does not shatter. Can you imagine the pain and confusion going on in her heart? Yet she never becomes as hard as the world around her. She still has room in her heart for simple compassion, understanding, love.

Her resilience is also seen in the way she carries on after Hans betrays her. Look at her face here:

Hans is trying to crush her spirit, throwing her ideals and hopes back in her face as if she is pathetic, as if she has no value. Not content with dousing the flames and leaving her to die, he tries to make her feel worthless, to hate herself in her final moments. And briefly, he succeeds.

But Anna is able to move forward. She is able to realize that, in spite of her mistakes, she is not worthless. She is able to recognize there is beauty in her soul and move forward. She saves Elsa’s life, begins a relationship with Kristoff, showing that she will not let the scars Hans has given her run deep. She is able to survive and find happiness and completion. That is triumphant. That is something I desperately need to see.

Also, she has such rich and boundless faith and love. She understands what her sister is going through. Her heart is open to Elsa. When everyone else condemns Elsa as a monster, Anna has the perception to see that Elsa is in turmoil. She sees that Elsa is a human being in pain, nothing more. And she stands up for her sister, facing the Duke and others.

When, in the ice palace, Anna tells Elsa that “for the first time in forever, I will be right here,” that is an exquisite moment of pure compassion. Anna will be there for her sister. She will not work against her. After everything, she loves her deeply.

That is why Anna is special. That is why she is an inspiration to me. Anna is amazing.