4.From Diary of Anne Frank

From the diary of Anne Frank

Introduction

This lesson a little account of the autobiographical work “Diary of a Young Girl” or “The Diary of Anne Frank”, published in 1947.

In this, the little author Anne has shared a little incident of her life and a lot of things she hesitated to share with others in a diary which was gifted to her on her thirteenth birthday. She names the diary “kitty” which she considers as her only true friend.

Summary

The chapter ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’ illustrates a little account from the autobiography of a young Jewish girl, Anne Frank who has shared her thoughts which she was not likely to tell anyone, except writing in her diary which was a gift on her 13^th birthday by her father.

At first, she thought that no one would be Interested in her past experiences as she is an immature little girl but finally, she resolved to write her thoughts in her diary which she named ‘kitty’.

She considered that diary her true friend as she could write anything in it that she couldn’t tell to anyone. In her opinion her diary has more patience than other people around her as being non living it is not going to put questions upon anything she would write on it.

Anne mentions in her diary that how her entire class was nervous about their exam results on 20th June 1942 and she was confident about other subjects as compared to Mathematics.

She mentions that how much talkative she used to be in her class which annoyed her mathematics teacher, Mr. Keesing. He punished her three times by giving an extra writing work on ridiculous topics but at last realized that talking was her nature that couldn’t be changed.

First time he asked her to write an essay upon ‘a Chatterbox’. In the essay, she tried to justify her traits of talking that she couldn’t help it as she has inherited it from her mother . Mr. Keesing got amused on her arguments and assigned her another writing work, an essay upon ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’ for her irredeemable talkative nature.

However, getting irritated by her excessive talking and a lot of justification and arguments he assigned her third essay

, ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’. However, this time Anne presented the essay in the form of a satirical verse with the help of her friend Sanne who wad good at poetry. Mr. Keesing not only enjoyed it but also allowed Anne to talk in the class as he realized that one cannot change the true nature of a person. After that Anne was never punished by her teacher Mr. Keesing .

Theme

Need of a true friend

In the chapter, the author feels lonely despite of having a lot of friends and relatives. She longs for a true, loyal and unquestionable friend in her life, with whom she could freely share her emotions and secrets.

Ones natural traits could not be suppressed

Here, in the chapter, the author is quite talkative and after being punished and a lot of attempts she could not control it. Finally, she made her teacher realize that talking is natural to her.

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. 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.

Word meanings

• Musings- a period of reflection or thought

According to the author, writing diary is a strange experience as she was sharing her thoughts for the first time. However, no one would be interested in her thoughts as she is an immature girl.

But then she resolved that would write as she liked doing so. Moreover, she was desperate to share her lot of thoughts to anyone but she couldn’t not find any true friend .

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

Word meanings

• Listless- with no energy or interest
• Brooding- engaged in or showing deep thought about something that makes one sad, angry, or worried.
• Prompted- provoke

One day when the author was more depressed than usual, she was pondering upon whether to go out or stay at home. That day she realized that paper has more patience than people as she can express any of the thought by writing on it. Being non living paper would not refuse to absorb her thoughts. It was like her true and loyal friend that would neither raise any question nor reveal her secrets to anyone unless she let anybody read it. Till then that diary was like her true friend that would keep her secrets. The author then comes back to the point where she thought of beginning to write. It is because she is lonely and has no friend to talk to.

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 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 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. 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.

Word meanings

• Confide- to tell personal things privately to a person that one trusts
• Liable- likely (here)

The author felt that despite of having a lovable family including an elder sister, parents and loving aunts she was alone. Even though there are about thirty people whom she can consider her friends, she longed for a true and loyal friend who could keep her secrets and listen to her personal thoughts or opinions.

She shared the general things and spent good time with her so called friends but she didn’t feel like to be close to them. She said that it might be her fault to remain reserved and things were not likely to change. Thus, she started writing diary to express her inner feelings that were not supposed to be shared with anybody.

 

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’. 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.

Word meanings

• Enhance- intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of.
• Plunge- jump or dive quickly

The author named the diary ‘Kitty’ considering it her true friend. She says that she didn’t want to write in a formal manner as usually people do. She further says that before writing about her personal thoughts first she needed to give a brief sketch of her life to make it understandable for those who would willing to read it.

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. 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. 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.

Word meanings

• Adorable- lovable, cute
• Emigrated- leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another.
• Plunked- to put down

Author gives a little account of her early life.

Her parents got married when her father was 36 and mother 25. In 1926 her elder sister was born in Frankfurt, Germany. For her father was the most adorable father. Later her parents emigrated to Holland in September,1933 while the author, with her sister sent to stay with her grandmother. After sometimes Margot her elder sister went to Holland in December and she followed her in February and was put down as a birthday present for Margot.

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. In the summer of 1941 Grandma fell ill and had to have an operation, so my birthday passed with little celebration.

Word meanings

Farewell- an act of parting or of making someone’s departure

The author says that her education started at Montessori nursery school. She stayed there from first to sixth form until the age of six. At the end of her schooling there in Holland,

She and her headmistress Mrs Kuperus cried a lot at the time of her departure from the school.

In the summer of 1941 , her grandma fell ill and had to have an operation. Thus her birthday could not be celebrated properly.

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. 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.

Word meanings

Intended- planned
Solemn- characterized by deep sincerity
Dedication- commitment

Author lost her grandmother in January 1942. She says that she still loves her and misses her a lot.

This birthday was celebrated in the memories of grandma. She says that her family is doing well that is all about her family backgrounds and brings her to the present date of June 20, 1942 when she is writing her diary.

Saturday, 20 June 1942

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. 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. 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. 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.

Word meanings

• Quaking in its boot – nervous
• Staked- bet
• Pleading- to make an emotional appeal
• Outbursts- a sudden release of strong emotion
• Unpredictable- not able to be predicted; changeable

On 20^th June 1942, Anne writes by addressing her close friend ‘ the diary” as ‘kitty’ that on the day when the results was going to be announced the whole class was nervous.

Students were making bet about who will be promoted or not. Two boys staked their entire savings of summer holidays and assuring one another about their promotion in the next grade. Anne and her friend were laughing at the boys and even trying to calm them down by pleading and even scolding but all in vain

Anne said that half of the entire class didn’t deserve to be promoted but one cannot predict the results prepared by the teachers.

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.

The author says that she was not nervous about their promotion in the next grade as she and her friends would certainly get passed. But she was not sure about Maths. But they couldn’t do anything except waiting for results. Till then they could only suggest to be hopeful each other.

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. 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.

Word meanings

• Old fogey- an old-fashioned person
• Annoyed- slightly angry; irritated
• Chatterbox- a talkative person
• Jotted down- write quickly without much thinking

The author says that she had a friendly relationship with all the teachers except her old-fashioned Mathematics teacher, Mr. Keesing.

 He used to get annoyed with the author as she was very talkative.

 He warned her many times but it didn’t work. So, at last he assigned her an extra homework.

The homework was to write an  essay upon an absurd topic ‘A Chatterbox’.

The author pondered about what could be written on that weird topic.

 Finally, she quickly wrote the topic in her notebook and tried to keep quiet.

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. 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. 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.

Word meanings

• Ramble on - to talk or write in improper way
• Trait- quality
• Inherited- derived genetically from one’s parents or ancestors.

The author says that after finishing her homework that evening, she came across the note about the essay she had to write . 

So, she started thinking about the contents by chewing the tip of her fountain pen.

The author says that anyone could write without a proper planning by leaving big spaces as the topic was quite weird.

But she wanted to write the convincing arguments to prove her need of talking. She wrote three pages as an argument that talking was natural to students. She couldn’t get rid of that trait completely as she had inherited that habit from her mother but she would try to control it. After writing that essay in support of her talking habit the author felt contented.

Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments, but when I proceeded to talk my way through the 2next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This time it was supposed to be on ‘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’.”

Word meanings

Proceeded- to begin a course of action
Incorrigible- not able to be changed
Mistress- a woman in a position of authority or control

Mr. Keesing laughed heartily at the funny argument of the author regarding her talking traits. However, when she kept on talking in the next 2 classes, he assigned her another essay ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox ‘. Anne controlled her somehow for next two whole lesson. However,

During the third lesson. Mr Keesing got too much irritated with the talking of the author that he assigned her the third essay ‘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, who’s good at poetry, offered to help me write the essay from beginning to end in verse and I jumped for joy. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

Word meanings

• Roared- laughed (here)
• Exhausted- completely used up
• Ingenuity- the quality of being clever, original and inventive
• Verse- writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme

When the author got punished third time, the whole class laughed at her, to hide her embarrassment she also laughed but she felt quite exhausted by writing and using her intelligence on the same topic again and again. She determined to produce something effective. Thus, she took help of her friend Sanne, who was good at poetry. She gave a rhythmic touch to the essay from beginning to end. The author was quite excited that now she would make fun of Mr Keesing by giving an effective reply.

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. Luckily, Mr Keesing took the joke the right way. He read the poem to the class, adding his own comments, and to several other classes as well. 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.

Anne
[Extracted from The Diary of a Young Girl,
with slight adaptation]

Finally, with the help of her friend she wrote an effective and convincing essay in the form of poem in which there was a mother duck and father swan with three baby ducklings. The baby ducklings were beaten to death due to their habit of quaking too much.

Mr. Keesing recited the poem in front of the class and gave his remarks at the same time.

Fortunately, he realized that talking was natural to the author and never interrupted and even punished for her talking traits.

On the contrary Mr. Keesing himself started cracking jokes in the class.

Question Answers

Q1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

 

1. It was a strange experience for Anne Frank because she was writing diary for the first time in her life. Moreover, she felt that later no one would be interested in the immature thoughts of a young girl.

 

Q2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

 

Ans. Anne wanted to keep a diary as she wanted to share her lots of thoughts or personal stuff someone who could listen to her without any questions and even keep them secret. Since, she had no such true friend

Keeping diary was only option.

 

 

Q3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

 

Ans. She could confide more in her diary because she feels that none of her are friends has enough patient to listen to her thoughts without  asking any question upon it. According to her “paper has more patience than people“.

 

Q4. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?

Ans. Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thinks to simply write down her thoughts would not make any sense. The readers would not understand and relate it to the author’s life.

 

 

 

Q5. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

 

Ans. It is evident in the fact that she Put two candles in the memory of her grandmother on her birthday. She used to miss her grandmother more than anyone is aware of.

 

 

 

Q6. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

 

Ans. Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne because she was very talkative and used to talk during the lectures as well even after getting punished and warned many times.

 

 

 

Q7. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

 

Ans. Anne justified her talking by explaining that  that she had inherited this habit from her mother. Thus, being an innate quality she could not control it.

 

 

Q8. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

 

Ans. Anne wrote  a convincing and  satirical essay in form of verse to justify her habit of talking which made Mr. Keesing realize that one’s natural tendencies can’t be controlled. Thus, he allowed her to talk in  the class.

 

 

Q9. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?

 

Ans. Yes, Anne was right as she had not written anything earlier. Moreover she was an immature girl. Probably readers wouldn’t be interested in the thoughts of a young girl.

 

 

 

Q10. 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. Anne’s diary was different in many sense as hadn’t  followed the general method of writing diary and simply writing the facts of her life. She had named her diary ‘kitty’ and addressed her diary as her true friend who has more patience than people.  Thus, she addressed it as ‘Dearest Kitty’ before starting to write and ended by writing ‘Yours Anne’. She actually shared her thoughts to her so called friend her diary ‘Kitty’.

 

 

 

 

Q11. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?

 

Ans. Ans. Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thinks to simply write down her thoughts would not make any sense. The readers would not understand and relate it to the author’s life.

 

She indeed treated ‘ Kitty’  as her true friend who only ought to know her feelings.

 

 

Q12. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?

 

Ans. According to Anne her father was most adorable person one could ever meet.

She loved and missed her grandmother more than she expressed.

Mrs. Kuperus was her teacher at Montessori school and she was too close to her that at the time of leaving the school both Anne and her teacher cried a lot.

Mr. Keesing used to get annoyed with the talkativeness of Anne but finally he got convinced and allowed her to talk.

All these things indicate that Anne was a loving and affectionate girl.

 

 

 

Q13. What does Anne write in her first essay?

 

Ans. In her first essay, she explained that she had inherited this habit of talking from her mother that is why it is somehow difficult to control her talkative nature. However, she assured that she will try not to talk too much in the class.

 

 

Q14. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

Ans. Yes , Mr. Keesing was an unpredictable person. Earlier he was quite angry and irritated with the talking traits of Anne and even punished her after a lot of warnings. But at last easily got convinced by the satirical verse written by Anne to justify her talkativeness. Later on,  he himself started cracking jokes and have some fun in the class.

 

 

 

 

Q15. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?
i. 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.

Ans. It shows that Anne doesn’t trust upon people very easily and likes to share her thoughts with anyone.

ii. I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.

Ans. It depicts that Anne feels lonely despite of having a lovable family, relatives and friends. She longs for a true friend who would digest her thoughts. Thus, she considered her diary as her true friend.

iii. 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.

Ans. It depicts the love between the sisters.

On migration, Anne was the last one to be brought to Holland and it was done on the birthday of her elder sister to surprise her.

iv. 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.

Ans. Anne feels that half of the class doesn’t deserve promotion but teachers decision can’t be predicted.

v. 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.

Ans. Anyone could write anything with no sense I  order to just complete the assignment but Anne was to justify her trait. Thus she wanted to write a convinced stuff.

Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

Answers:

1. Our entire class is quaking in its boots- Shaking with fear and nervousness

2. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart- not to lose hope

3. Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much- Since a long time

4. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.- He was outwitted by her

Try to use them in sentences of your own.

1. caught my eye

2. laugh ourselves silly

3. he’d had enough

4. can’t bring myself to

Answers-

1. Caught my eye- The natural beauty and greenery ver there caught my eye.

2. Laugh ourselves silly- On hearing  he satirical speech , the audiences laughed themselves silly.

3. He’d had enough- The teacher said that he’d had enough, and he wanted all the notebooks by Wednesday.

4. Can’t bring myself to- After yesterday’s embarrassing incident, I can’t bring myself to face him.