READING DAY AND READING WEEK  : 

BOOK REVIEW- "THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL"

Anne Frank was a young thirteen year old girl, who lived during the time period of Second World War.She was born in Frankfurt,  and her family moved to  Amsterdam  when she was four years  old.

On her thirteenth birthday, she got a diary from her parents as a birthday gift, and since then she started to confide in her diary, whom she named Kitty.

She wrote this diary for over two years. In the beginning, she wrote about her school life, her normal and usual teenage girl’s life. Describing her friends, her crush in school. Her favorite subjects and many other little things.

But in the time of war how can there be a life so unsurprising and normal?

Her sister Margot got a call up orders of the German Army. Anne’s family was frightened, but they had already anticipated the situation coming, so her father, Otto Frank has already prepared a place to hide, which Anne called The Secret Annexe.  

In this Annexe they had food and all those things which they would need during hiding. They moved there with one more family, Vaan Daans, and Mr. Dussel a dentist. Of course they were helped by some friends outside who will bring everything which they would need from time to time.

Here in this annexe she wrote her diary entries. She wrote about how she felt left out in the house, how she often face nagging  from Vaan Daans and Mr. Dussel. She also wrote about her relationship with her mother, with whom she did not feel any emotional attachment. 

She adored her father, but never confided in him. In between she developed good friendship with Peter Van Daan, the  teenage son of Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan. Though her father was first reluctant about her friendship with him, but eventually he got used to it.

But the book is not only about this. In these two years, Anne gained maturity in her thoughts, she had questions about the war, about the condition which has occurred due to it, she questioned who made Jews different from others.

The young girl had dreams, dream to become a writer, dream to be not a regular home centered women, but a career oriented one.There were days when she was frustrated and just wanted to go outside, wanted to be unshackled, without giving any thought to consequences, she just wanted to be free.

Everyone in the house was optimistic about the war, they had hoped that it will end soon and they will live a normal peaceful life. During the end of the book, she was happy that the day will come soon when she will go outside and witness the beautiful nature.

The diary ended abruptly on August 1, 1944, the last entry of Anne’s diary.

I expected another diary entry, but there were none to read.

What happened to her, why the diary ended so abruptly? Did she get this opportunity to go out, to be a free bird?

What happened to her and her family after this was heartbreaking. Otto Frank was the only survivor, he got Anne’s diary from Miep, one of their helpers. And he decided to fulfill his daughter’s dream. He edited the diary and got it published.

Oh yes, she is a writer, but sadly she was not there to witness her dream come true.

Themes and charaters

Mr. and Mrs. Frank and their teen-age daughters Anne and Margot, Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan and their teen-age son Peter, and Mr. Dussel all share the cramped space of the attic refuge.

 Other important characters are the Dutch-Elli, Miep, Mr. Kraler, and Mr. Koophuis-who risk their own lives to hide the Jews and bring them food.

In her diary, Anne reveals herself as an active, playful tomboy, who at first feels that nothing she does is right. By the conclusion of the story, she has developed maturity and confidence. Uprooted from her home and friends, Anne experiences a nightmarish ordeal, constantly facing the threat of the concentration camps and death. 

In this tense situation, Anne is constantly surrounded by the same adults, with whom she has frequent conflicts. She favors her father’s companionship over her mother’s. “Mother doesn’t understand me,” she protests as her mother tries to communicate with her. Jealous of frequent comparisons with her sister Margot, Anne fights to overcome sibling rivalry. Her relationship with Mrs. Van Daan fluctuates between friendly and antagonistic. 

An incessant talker, Anne is always at odds with Mr. Dussel, her roommate, who longs for quiet. Despite the endless personality clashes, magnified by the group’s claustrophobic quarters, Anne manages to adjust to her plight.

Very much aware of the outside world, Anne listens to radio reports of the war’s progress. She fears for her best friend Lies, who has been taken to a concentration camp, and for herself and her companions as the sounds of air raids and gunfire penetrate their shelter. 

In an effort to overcome her fears, Anne confides in her diary, which she names “Kitty” and treats as a personal friend. Anne shows strength and courage in her writing, retaining her faith in human beings: “In spite of everything, I still believe in the goodness of man.”

Anne’s optimism contrasts Peter Van Daan’s initial pessimism. Rather quiet and bewildered by the sudden turn in his life, he spends much time locked in his own room. 

Anne gradually develops a romantic interest in Peter and convinces him not to succumb to pessimism but to hope for a better future. On dates limited to going from room to room, they talk, share ideas, and support each other.

Mrs. Van Daan seems to be an ordinary, doting mother at the book’s beginning, but as the tension builds, she becomes panicky and neurotic. Moody and constantly complaining, she also boasts about her youth, her numerous boyfriends, and her active social life, much to the embarrassment of her son Peter. 

As the story develops, she begins to nag her husband and disturb the other people in hiding, fighting with Mrs. Frank over trivial matters such as whose dishes to use. Mr. Van Daan, on the other hand, remains reticent and tries to cover for his wife’s shortcomings. But after desperation drives him to steal potatoes from the others, the roles are reversed, and Mrs. Van Daan tries to protect her husband.

Anne portrays her own family in more sympathetic terms. She depicts her mother as a quiet woman who attempts unsuccessfully to communicate with her. 

Mrs. Frank is puzzled because Anne lacks the natural affection and respect for her that Margot demonstrates. Kind and intelligent, Margot’s reserved nature and obedience contrast sharply with her sister’s rebelliousness. 

Anne’s father leads the group, making the decisions, enforcing the rules, and providing encouragement.

Despite the selflessness and courage of some, such as the Dutch who feed and shelter the Jews, an underlying theme of Anne’s account is man’s inhumanity to man. 

Simply because of her religious beliefs, Anne is confined and lives in constant fear of death. Eventually, she does die, along with over six million other Jews during World War II.

The theme of imprisonment is also important. Confined to a small area for more than two years, the eight people are trapped by a hateful society. They must follow specific rules so as not to be detected by the workmen in the warehouse below: during the day, they must walk in stocking feet and cannot flush the toilet. 

They can never leave the building, and every unexpected phone call and every suspicious noise from below causes fear and apprehension. That Anne continues to grow mentally and emotionally under these conditions suggests the ability of the human spirit to transcend physical imprisonment.

Because the diary traces Anne’s emotional growth as she exchanges childlike behavior and attitudes for a more adult outlook on life, Anne Frank is a coming-of-age story. 

Originally published:         25 June 1947
Author:                            Anne Frank
Original language:            Dutch
Original title:                   Het Achterhuis
Original text:                   Het Achterhuis at Dutch Wikisource
Genres:                            Biography, Autobiography