The Diary of Anne Frank

FROM THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Line by line explanation

WRITING in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.

For a person like me, writing a diary is certainly an unusual experience. I feel so because I have never written anything before writing this diary. Also because it appears to me that afterwards neither I nor anybody else will have any interest in thoughts of a thirteen year old school going girl.

Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest.

But I am not bothered if somebody would be interested in my thoughts. I want to write. I have a desire to express everything that is in my heart. [I want to write all my feelings]

‘Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out.

Paper can tolerate whatever is written on it. It does not react or respond. But people would respond or react to what is told to them. I had thought of this saying when I was feeling slightly sad. That time I was sitting alone in my house. I had put my chin in my hands. I was bored and had no energy to do anything. I was thinking if I should stay in the house or I should go out of the house.

I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a ‘diary’, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

Finally I stayed in the house worrying about nothing. Yes, paper certainly has more patience than people. But I would not allow anyone else to read my hard bound note book. I had proudly referred this book as diary. Reading of this diary by only a real friend is important, otherwise it will not have any meaning.

Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend.

Now I once again want to tell why I started writing a diary. It is because I do not have a friend.

Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends.

I want to clarify this because no one will believe that thirteen-year-old girl is totally alone in this world. Actually I am not totally alone. I have parents who love me. I have a sixteen-year-old sister. I know about thirty people whom I can say are my friends.

I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time.

I have a family. I have aunts who love me. I also have a good home. Apparently, it looks that I have everything except one true friend. When I am with my friends I think only about enjoying their company.

I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.

I am able to talk about only ordinary routine things with these friends. It appears that we are not becoming close friends. And this is the real problem. Probably it is my fault that we do not trust each other. We are not able to share our feelings with each other.

In any case, that’s just how things are, and unfortunately they’re not liable to change. This is why I’ve started the diary.

Anyway, this is the situation. And unfortunately this situation (of not having close friends) is not likely to change. This is why I have started writing diary.

To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I’m going to call this friend ‘Kitty’.

To increase the importance of this long-awaited friend (diary), I do not want to write routine events in it. Though most of the people do it. I want the diary to be my friend. So I will call it ‘Kitty’.

Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.

If I start directly writing my diary, nobody will be able to understand anything written in Kitty. Therefore I will give (write) brief details about my life though I do not like to do so.

My father, the most adorable father I’ve ever seen, didn’t marry my mother until he was thirty-six and she was twenty-five. My sister, Margot, was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. I was born on 12 June 1929.

Adorable = Loving, Charming

My father was the most loving and charming father of the world. When he married my mother, he was thirty six and my mother was twenty five. Name of my sister is Margot. She was born in 1926 in Frankfurt in Germany. I was born on 12 June 1929.

I lived in Frankfurt until I was four. My father emigrated to Holland in 1933. My mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with him to Holland in September, while Margot and I were sent to Aachen to stay with our grandmother.

I lived in Frankfurt till the age of four. My father shifted to Holland in 1933. Name of my mother was Edith Hollander Frank. She went to Holland with my father in September. Margot and I went to Aachen to stay with our grandmother.

Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

Margot went to Holland in December and I went there in February. I had reached there on the birthday of Margot. So I was a birthday gift for her.

I started right away at the Montessori nursery school. I stayed there until I was six, at which time I started in the first form. In the sixth form my teacher was Mrs Kuperus, the headmistress. At the end of the year we were both in tears as we said a heartbreaking farewell.

I started going directly to Montessori nursery school. I studied in that school till I was six. At that age I had reached first standard. When I was in sixth form Mrs. Kuperus was the headmistress of the school. At the end of the year of sixth standard, we both were crying while separating from each other. I was emotional to be away from her.

In the summer of 1941 Grandma fell ill and had to have an operation, so my birthday passed with little celebration. Grandma died in January 1942. No one knows how often I think of her and still love her. This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other, and Grandma’s candle was lit along with the rest.

During summer season of 1941, my grandmother became sick. She had to undergo an operation. So my birthday was not celebrated. Grandmother died in January 1942. Nobody knows that many times I think about her. I still love her. During my birthday celebration of 1942, I wanted to make up for not celebrating my birthday in 1941. We had lit one extra candle in the memory of Grandmother.

The four of us are still doing well, and that brings me to the present date of 20 June 1942, and the solemn dedication of my diary.

The four of us (Anne, Margot and their parents) are still healthy. With this brief about my life, we come to today’s date of 20th June 1942. From this date I sincerely started writing my diary.

Dearest Kitty, Our entire class is quaking in its boots. The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.

Every student of our class was nervous. Certainly, the reason of our nervousness is the next meeting. In this meeting teachers will decide who will go to next class and who will remain in this class.

Half the class is making bets. G.N. and I laugh ourselves silly at the two boys behind us, C.N. and Jacques, who have staked their entire holiday savings on their bet.

Half of the students were making bets. GN (initials of a friend of Anne) and I used to laugh for long time at the two boys who used to sit behind us. Their names were CN and Jacques. They had put saving of their entire holiday on bet.

From morning to night, it’s “You’re going to pass”, “No, I’m not”, “Yes, you are”, “No, I’m not”. Even G.’s pleading glances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down.

From morning to night these two student were discussing who will pass and who may not. Requests through looks from G and my angry shouting could not calm them down.

If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

In my opinion, there are so many fools in our class. About one fourth of students should be kept in the same class. But teachers are most uncertain creatures in the world.

I’m not so worried about my girlfriends and myself. We’ll make it. The only subject I’m not sure about is maths. Anyway, all we can do is wait. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

I am not worried about myself and my girlfriend. We will pass. But I am not sure about maths. But we can only wait for announcement of results. Till that time, we are telling each other to not to lose hope.

I get along pretty well with all my teachers. There are nine of them, seven men and two women. Mr Keesing, the old fogey who teaches maths, was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.

All my teachers have a good trust on me. There are nine teachers for my class, seven men and two women. Mr Keesing is an old fashioned person who teaches us maths. He was angry with me since very long time because I talked too much.

After several warnings, he assigned me extra homework. An essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’. A chatterbox — what can you write about that? I’d worry about that later, I decided. I jotted down the title in my notebook, tucked it in my bag and tried to keep quiet.

He had given me warning many times. Then he gave me extra homework. It was to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. I did not know what to write on this topic. But I decided that I would think about it later. I wrote title of the essay in my notebook. Put the notebook in my bag and tried to remain calm.

That evening, after I’d finished the rest of my homework, the note about the essay caught my eye. I began thinking about the subject while chewing the tip of my fountain pen.

That evening I noticed the topic of essay after completing my remaining homework. I started thinking about it while chewing the end of my pen.

Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. I thought and thought, and suddenly I had an idea.

Anyone can go on writing by leaving big gap between words. But the challenge was to prove the need of talking by thinking acceptable arguments. I thought a lot and suddenly an idea came to my mind.

I wrote the three pages Mr Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would do my best to keep it under control, but that I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited traits.

I wrote a three page essay on the topic given by Mr Keesing. I was satisfied by my work. I said that talking is an essential habit of a student. I will do my best to control this habit. But I will never be able to completely solve this problem because my mother also talks a lot. One cannot control a habit that is acquired from parents.

Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments, but when I proceeded to talk my way through the next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This time it was supposed to be on ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’.

Mr. Keesing laughed a lot after reading my essay. But when I continued to talk a lot in my next class also, he gave me one more essay. This time the topic was ‘An incorrigible Chatterbox’.

I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about for two whole lessons. However, during the third lesson he’d finally had enough. “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled — ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.”

I wrote the essay and submitted to Mr. Keesing. I did not talk in next two classes. So he did not complain during these classes. During the third class he thought that I had again started talking. As a punishment he gave me another essay to write. This time the topic was ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.

The class roared. I had to laugh too, though I’d nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of chatterboxes. It was time to come up with something else, something original.

My friend Sanne was good at writing poetry. She offered to help me in writing the complete essay in the form of a poem. I was very happy to receive this help. Mr. Keesing was trying to play a joke on me by asking me to write essay on this silly topic. But I would make sure that the joke was played on him.

I finished my poem, and it was beautiful! It was about a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much.

I completed my poem. It was a good poem. In the poem the mother was a duck and father was a swan. They had three babies. The father bit their babies to death because they quacked a lot.

Luckily, Mr Keesing took the joke the right way. He read the ingenuity originality and inventiveness 2020-21 54First Flight poem to the class, adding his own comments, and to several other classes as well.

Fortunately Mr. Keesing understood the joke in correct way. He read the poem to the class. He added his own comments while reading the poem. He read the poem in other classes also.

Since then I’ve been allowed to talk and haven’t been assigned any extra homework. On the contrary, Mr Keesing’s always making jokes these days.

After that I had the permission to talk in the class. I was not given any extra homework for talking in the class. Opposite to his habit, now Mr. Keesing always makes jokes

Yours, Anne

Text Book Questions

Q. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Ans. Writing in a diary was a strange experience for Anne Frank because she had never written anything before. Secondly the thought that none, including herself, would be interested in the musings of a thirteen year-old girl.

Q. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Ans. Anne had many things to tell but she didn't have anyone with whom she could share the innermost feelings of her heart. That was why she wanted to keep a diary and put into it all her inmost feelings.

Q. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans. Anne didn't have anyone with whom she could share the inmost feelings of her heart. She thought that her diary was her true friend. That was why she thought she could confide more in her diary than in people.

Q. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Ans. Anne though that if she did not write about her life, no one would understand a word of her stories to her diary. So she decided to provide a brief sketch of her life before starting her writings.

Q. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Ans. When Anne’s parents went to Holland, she could not accompany them. She had to stay with her grandmother. She loved her grandmother deeply. When the old lady died, she felt very sad. She often thought about her. This shows that Anne loved her grandmother.

Q. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her class?
Ans. Anne justifies her being a chatterbox in her class by stating that talking a student’s trait. She wrote that she would do her best to cure herself of this habit. Her mother also talked as much as she did. Nothing could be done about inherited traits.

Q. What made Mr. Kissing allow Anne to talk in her class?
Ans. Mr Keesing allowed Anne to talk in the class after he admitted that the joke played by Anne was on him. He took the joke in the spirit. He read the poem to the class adding his own comments. He also read it to several classes as well.

Why was Mr Kissing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans. Mr. Keesing, the old fogey taught her Maths. He was annoyed with Anne because Anne talked too much in the class. He had warned her several times, but Anne didn't stop talking in the class. In the end he asked her to write an essay as a punishment on the topic ‘A Chatterbox’.

Q. Was Anne right when she says that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen year old girl?
Ans. Yes, Anne was right when she said so because most of the people don’t want to give importance to a child’s perspective toward the world. It is because they are too immature for the world.

Q. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans. Anne is right when she says that teachers are unpredictable. Her teacher Mr. Keesing is very unpredictable. He is known to be a very strict disciplinarian. But he is so amused by Anne's poem that he allows her to talk in his class, and never punishes her again.

Q.7. What does Anne write in her first essay ?
Ans. In her first essay, Anne wrote that talking is a student's trait. She said that she could not keep talking under control because her mother talked a lot. She had inherited that trait from her mother. However she also wrote that she would do her best to keep it under control.

Q. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the 'before you read' section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne's diary different?
Ans. The diary was originally written in the Dutch language. Anne's diary is different in the sense that it is a highly mature work that shows a deep insight into the human mind.

Q. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat 'Kitty' as an insider or outsider?
Ans. Anne thought that nobody would be able to understand her musings if she started straightaway with them. That is why she thought it necessary to give a brief sketch of her family. She doesn't treat ' Kitty' as an outsider, but a very close 'insider' with whom she can share her inmost feelings.

Q. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her ?
Ans. Anne had a loving father and a grandmother. She loved them, but somehow could not share her inmost feelings with them. Mrs Kuperus was the headmistress of the nursery school where Anne studied. She loved Anne like her own daughter. Only Mr Keesing was strict to Anne because he thought she talked too much in the class. However, at heart he was a nice person. Anne's analysis of various characters shows that even at a young age, she was a very good judge of human character.

Long Ans Type Questions

Q. Give a brief sketch of Anne's life.
Ans. Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl. She lived with her parents in Germany. But Hitler's Nazi Party was against the Jews. The Nazis were killing the Jews or forcing them to work in the concentration camps. The Frank family fled from Germany in 1933 and took shelters in Netherlands. But in 1940, Germany attacked Netherlands and captured it. Now the Nazis started arresting the Jews and sending them to the concentration camps. The Frank family went into hiding. They lived secretly in the upper floors of their business premises. They hid there for 25 months. Their non-Jewish friends gave them food.
Anne had started writing her diary before going into hiding. In August 1944, the Germans came to know of their hiding. They were arrested and sent to Germany. Anne, her sister, Margot and her mother soon died in a concentration camp. Her father survived and published part of Anne's diary. In this diary, Anne gives a moving and tragic account of the difficulties faced by her family and the other Jews.
The part of the diary reproduced in this chapter is about the days when Anne was a schoolgirl and she and her family had not yet moved to the secret quarters.
Q. (i) Why did Mr Keesing punish her?
(ii) What was the punishment?
(iii) How did Anne finally stop Mr Keesing from punishing her?
Or Q. Describe the three essays written by Anne Frank.
Ans. Anne Frank was in the habit of talking in the class. Mr Keesing was her Maths teacher. He was annoyed with Anne as she talked much in the class. He gave her several warnings but it had no effect. One day, he punished her by giving her extra homework. He asked her to write an essay on the subject “A Chatterbox”. Anne wrote the essay, giving very amusing arguments in it. Mr Keesing liked the essay. But Anne again talked in the class. So he gave the task of writing another essay. This time, the subject was, ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. After that, for two lessons, Anne did not get any punishment. But during the third lesson, Mr Keesing saw Anne talking again. He was very pleased. He asked her to write another essay. The subject of this essay was , “Quack , Quack , Quack , Said Mistress Chatterbox”. Anne wrote this essay in verse form. She wrote about a mother duck and father swan. They had three ducklings. But the father killed the ducklings because they quacked too much. Mr Keesing liked the essay greatly and did not punish Anne after that.

Summary

The present chapter is an extract from the novel ‘The Diary of a Young Girl”. This novel was based on the diary entries made by Anne Frank between 12 June 1942 and I August 1944.
Anne, a thirteen - year - old girl, a native of Frankfurt in Germany was born on 12th June 1929. She had to stay with her grandmother when she was only four years old. After some time, she joined her parents in Holland. She started her schooling in a Montessori school. She lost her grandmother in January 1942 due to illness. She was a mature and intelligent girl. Through her experience in life, she learned to maintain a diary, feeling that paper has more patience than people. She was so fond of her diary that she called it Kitty. She felt she could confident in Kitty comfortably. She was doing well in all the subjects except maths. The maths teacher Mr Keesing was much annoyed with her because of her non - stop talking through the lessons. He asked her to write an essay on A Chatterbox ' which she wrote justifying her habit as an inherited one. She felt that her habit was incurable. Again, the teacher asked her to write an essay on 'Quack, Quack, Quack. Said Mistress Chatterbox'. With her friend Sanne, she wrote a poem about a father swan and three baby ducklings. The babies were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much. That poem changed the teacher's opinion about her and he never assigned any extra homework to her as a punishment.
Thus, this story conveys the message that if one’s intentions are harmless then the elders also understand and accept their outlook.