Anais Granofsky's Struggle Between Two Worlds

Anais Granofsky had a rough childhood as she lived between two social classes of wealth and poverty. She had various constraints placed upon her many identities resulting in her struggle with pain and isolation as she matured. Her struggle to find her true identity is showcased when she alternated her personality when living with her mother and her grandparents.

            For instance, when Anais Granofsky was living with her mother, she would act rowdy and rambunctious. From the Toronto Life article called Between Two Worlds

Anais Gransofsky with her mother.

, Anais states, “At home, I felt the responsibility to keep my mom emotionally afloat, to need nothing so as not to burden her further. I had a tacit agreement with both women to never speak of the other life that I was living”. Anais purposely lied to her mother by saying that she did not enjoy her visits with her grandparents because she felt guilty whenever she left her mother. This showcases that she did not have an open relationship with her mother because it was filled with remorse. As a result, she was not able to express her emotions or seek guidance from her mother because she was not open with her. Young children expect to turn to their parents for guidance in life, but with Anais that was not the case. 

Anais Gransofsky with her grandmother Shirley

       In addition to living with her mother, Anais Granofsky made frequent visits to her wealthy grandparents. When living with her grandparents she would change her personality by acting quiet and polite with them. She behaved this way because she wanted to demonstrate to her grandparents that although she was considered an outsider due to her black heritage, she was still part of their Jewish community. Again from the Between Two Worlds article Anais states, “I wanted to be the perfect granddaughter, to keep her wanting me back.” Anais enjoyed living the luxurious life with her grandmother, hence the reason why she was always so well behaved. More specifically, Anais tried hard to please her grandfather and built a relationship with him in order to fix the burden that was left between her parents and him.

            Overtime, Anais Granofsky’s started to feel the consequences of alternating between personalities. As a young child, Anais was put through a lot of emotional stress and anxiety trying to assist her poverty-stricken mother, but at the same time her childish self wanted to have fun with her wealthy grandparents. She continuously struggled to find her true identity because she was trying to figure out where she belonged and what was expected of her from her family. Growing up with divorced parents who had a tension filled relationship and were struggling to survive financially, resulted in her to feeling isolated as she was not able to express true feelings to anyone. Likewise, she found it difficult balancing social expectations, racism, classism, and her family heritage over the years of her childhood. She understood the inequality and hostility that her mother and grandparents felt for each other, but sadly she was too young to do anything about the issue. 

Anais Granofsky on the Degrassi Junior High TV show

           Anais Granofsky grew up with a difficult childhood filled with adversity and tough times. Her various identities were a key aspect of her life as she struggled to find her true identity while being stuck between two worlds with her poor mother and her wealthy grandparents. Through the use of her determination and perseverance, she found her true identity and discovered her place of belonging, which was being in front of the camera as an actress. 

Work Cited:

Granofsky, Anais. “My Mom Was on Welfare, My Dad Was a Hippie, and My Grandparents Were Two of the Richest People in Toronto.” Toronto Life, 7 Sept. 2018, https://torontolife.com/city/life/mom-welfare-dad-hippie-grandparents-two-richest-people-toronto/