Book SUMMARY 6: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

 

I was so very longing to read this novel not only because it's related to World War II but it's so similar to our present situation in 2020. Here a girl with her family is hiding in her Secret Annex from the Nazis while we are quarantined in our houses hiding ourselves from the Corona virus.🥺🥺 How ironic!! 😶😶

There the girl is in isolation and feeling lonely while we were also feeling the same during worldwide lockdown.🙄🙄 Banned from going anywhere, forced to stay inside the house or room for several months. Goods and products are out of stock or they are so expensive. 😶😶If we are seen outside our rooms and houses there are police officers who are to capture us.HUH!!

 There are still lot more similarities.

 ‘The finest thing of all is that I can at least write down what I think and feel, otherwise I would suffocate completely.’

Anne Frank, 16 March 1944

It was so similar to lockdown situation. We literally suffocated. 😵😩

Also the kids in the Secret Annex were continuing with their study at fixed time schedule while now the kids in 2020 are scheduled for online zoom classes. Still there are so more similarities. 

 The past and the present situation is so related. If you wanna find more similarities there are still lot more. The only difference I see here is there was a visible enemy involved in World War while now we are being attacked by an invisible enemy without any cure. Which is indeed more dangerous than the World War. Now let's enter the book.  

The Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank, is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank. She was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands just above her father's office ,a three-story space entered from a landing above the Opekta offices .The diary was found by Anne's father, Otto Frank, the family's only known survivor, just after the war was over. But unfortunately Anne died just few days before the war ended in a concentration camp. The diary has since been published in more than 60 languages. 

PART 1: Anne is gifted a diary in her 13th birthday

Anne Frank was born in Germany. Because of World War her family moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands to run away from the war.And in no time the war reached the city where the FRANK'S were living. In 1933 Anne’s family—her father, Otto who began working at the Opekta Works, a company that sold the fruit extract pectin. She was accompanied by her mother, Edith; and her older sister, Margot. They moved to Amsterdam from Germany following the rise of Adolf Hitler. Seems they had already foresighted the future war events. And it so happened that the NAZIS of the Germany were winning the war and expanding their territories of their victory. 

  In 1940 the Netherlands was invaded by Germany, which began to enact various anti-Jewish measures.One of which required Anne and her sister to enroll in an all-Jewish school the following year. 

On June 12, 1942, Anne wakes up at six in the morning and waits until seven to open her presents. One of the presents is the new diary.Anne received a red-and-white plaid diary for her 13th birthday. Not so long after she started filling her diary.Anne Frank begins her diary with the hope that she will be able to reveal everything to it, since she feels that she has never truly been able to confide in anyone. 

 She humanises the diary calling it" Dear Kitty rather than "Dear Diary".

 “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.” 

PART 2: Anne starts filling her diary

She tries to write each and every detail of her day from her school friends to her family members. The name Kitty came from a series of books Anne had read, by Dutch author Cissy van Marxveldt. These books were about Joop, a girl who had all kinds of adventures with her group of friends.This inspired Anne to do the same: from 21 September 1942 onwards, she pretended to send letters to Joop’s circle of friends.Kitty Francken was one of the characters from that group. Anne preferred to write to 'her'. The Kitty character was ‘bright', cheerful, and funny. And so, Kitty became the imaginary friend Anne confided in. She started writing in her diary two days after her birthday from 14 June,1942.

She explains about her school and her family and friends on that very day. She has a loving family and many people she could call friends or admirers, but she cannot confide in any of them.

Anne then provides a brief overview of her childhood. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in on 12 June 1929. Her family moved to Holland in 1933 because they were Jewish and her father found a job at a Dutch chemical company. Anne went to a Montessori nursery school and then went on to the Jewish Lyceum.

Anne says that her family’s lives are somewhat anxious, especially since they have relatives still living in Germany. Her two uncles fled to North America, and her grandmother came to Holland to live with Anne’s family. After 1940, the Nazis occupied Holland and instituted restrictive laws forcing Jews to wear yellow stars to identify themselves. The Germans forced the Jews to turn in their bicycles and shop only during certain hours. Jews were also restricted from riding streetcars, going outside at night, visiting Christian homes, and attending most schools. Like it's so similar to discrimination towards lower classes in Nepal. Anne’s grandmother died in 1942, in the midst of this difficult time.

Anne says that it is not the fault of the Dutch that the Jews are being persecuted. She tells her diary that a boy, Hello Silberberg, approached her and that they have started to see each other more often.

PART 3: Frank's goes into hiding

On 5 July 1942, Margot Frank receives a call-up notice from the Nazis to return to Germany to work in a labour camp.

On the morning of Monday, 6 July 1942,the Frank family moved into their hiding place, a three-story space entered from a landing above the Opekta offices where some of Otto Frank's most trusted employees would be their helpers. This hiding place became known as the  "Secret Annex" . Their apartment was left in a state of disarray to create the impression that they had left suddenly, and Otto left a note that hinted they were going to Switzerland. The need for secrecy forced them to leave behind Anne's cat, Moortje. As Jews were not allowed to use public transport, they walked several kilometres from their home. The door to the Secret Annex was later covered by a bookcase to ensure it remained undiscovered.The entrance to the Secret Annex is behind a movable bookcase above Otto Frank's office.

On 12 July 1942, They are joined by the Van Danns family just one week later of the arrival of the Frank's.

The four other Jews were Hermann and Auguste Van Dann and their son, Peter Van Dann and were aided by several friends, including Miep Gies, who brought food and other supplies.  

She was so very unsatisfied with the Van Danns that their son was allowed to bring their pet cat into the hiding. While she was forced to leave her cat behind at her home. She missed her little cat so much.On 6 July the Frank family left a note for the Kupers, asking them to take care of their cat Moortje. "'I'm worried about my marbles, because I'm scared they might fall into the wrong hands,'Could you keep them for me for a little while?" She had requested her neighbours back in the house to take care of the cat. She is not the kind of girl who is willing to do as other wishes. So sometimes she had to have a long debate or an argument to put up her point. She was actually FRANK so she let all the words in her heart come out through her mouth which was considered foul by Mrs. Van Dann. 

PART 4: Helped by the Office Employees

Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, Miep Gies, and Bep Voskuijl were the only employees who knew of the people in hiding. Along with Gies' husband Jan Gies and Voskuijl's father Johannes Hendrik Voskuijl, they were the "helpers" for the duration of their confinement. The only connection between the outside world and the occupants of the house. The helpers kept the occupants informed of war news and political developments. They catered to all of their needs, ensured their safety, and supplied them with food, a task that grew more difficult with the passage of time.Anne Frank formed a close bond with each of the helpers.He observed that Anne's closest friendship was with Bep Voskuijl. Frank wrote of their dedication and of their efforts to boost morale within the household during the most dangerous of times. All were aware that, if caught, they could face the death penalty for sheltering Jews.

PART 5: Last Member of the Annex

On 16 November 1942, Dentist Albert Dussel joins the Franks and the Van Danns in hiding in the Secret Annex.

Frank wrote of her pleasure at having new people to talk to by adding more Jews members but tensions quickly developed within the group forced to live in such confined conditions. After sharing her room with Mr. Dussel she found him to be insufferable and resented his intrusion.

 She clashed with Auguste Van Dann whom she regarded as foolish. She regarded Hermann Van Dann and Peter Van Dann as selfish. She was getting irritated particularly in regard to the amount of food they consumed.

PART 6: Her relationship with other members of the Annex

In her writing, Frank examined her relationships with the members of her family, and the strong differences in each of their personalities. She considered herself to be closest emotionally to her father, who later commented, "I got on better with Anne than with Margot, who was more attached to her mother. The reason for that may have been that Margot rarely showed her feelings and didn't need as much support because she didn't suffer from mood swings as much as Anne did".

The Frank sisters formed a closer relationship than had existed before they went into hiding, although Anne sometimes expressed jealousy towards Margot, particularly when members of the household criticized Anne for lacking Margot's gentle and placid nature. As Anne began to mature, the sisters were able to confide in each other. In her entry of 12 January 1944, Frank wrote, "Margot's much nicer ... She's not nearly so catty these days and is becoming a real friend. She no longer thinks of me as a little baby who doesn't count."

Frank frequently wrote of her difficult relationship with her mother. On 7 November 1942 she described her "contempt" for her mother and her inability to "confront her with her carelessness, her sarcasm and her hard-heartedness," before concluding, "She's not a mother to me." Later, as she revised her diary, Frank felt ashamed of her harsh attitude, writing: "Anne, is it really you who mentioned hate, oh Anne, how could you?"She came to understand that their differences resulted from misunderstandings that were as much her fault as her mother's, and saw that she had added unnecessarily to her mother's suffering. With this realization, Frank began to treat her mother with a degree of tolerance and respect.

Some time later, after first dismissing the shy and awkward Peter van Pels, she recognized a kinship with him and the two entered a romance. She received her first kiss from him, but her infatuation with him began to wane as she questioned whether her feelings for him were genuine, or resulted from their shared confinement. 

PART 7: Continuing study during Confinement

The Frank sisters each hoped to return to school as soon as they were able, and continued with their studies while in hiding. Margot took a shorthand course by correspondence in Bep Voskuijl's name and received high marks. Most of Anne's time was spent reading and studying, and she regularly wrote and edited her diary entries. 

Frank was aspired to become a journalist, writing in her diary on Wednesday, 5 April 1944:

"I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that's what I want! I know I can write ..., but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent ...

And if I don't have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can't imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! ...

I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that's why I'm so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that's inside me!

When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that's a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?"

Wow these lines truly made her alive even after her death. She is infact living her dream to be recognized worldwide with her works.

PART 8: They were being suspected by the Gestapo

Because of the amount of ration the people in the office consumed when all the food products in the market were out of stock, their spy suspected them to be fishy.

The war conditions were growing brutal day by day. The people were not having enough to eat. The food were always sold in BLACK. 

There were always the noise of bombings and carnage. The vibrations and noise and smoke were so intolerable that  Anne always ran to her Father's for comfort. There were several days she stopped confiding her to her DEAR Kitty.

Although, She continued writing regularly until her last entry of 1 August 1944.

PART 9: Plans to publish her diary

Frank's diary began as a private expression of her thoughts; she wrote several times that she would never allow anyone to read it. She candidly described her life, her family and companions, and their situation, while beginning to recognize her ambition to write fiction for publication. In March 1944, she heard a radio broadcast by Gerrit Bolkestein—a member of the Dutch government in exile, based in London—who said that when the war ended, he would create a public record of the Dutch people's oppression under German occupation.[73] He mentioned the publication of letters and diaries, and Frank decided to submit her work when the time came. She began editing her writing, removing some sections and rewriting others, with a view to publication. 

The residents of the annex pay close attention to every development of the war by listening to the radio. Some bits of news catch Anne’s attention and make their way into her diary, providing a vivid historical context for her personal thoughts. The adults make optimistic bets about when the war will end. They are so optimistic that they even make plans of what they are doing after they get out of the Annex. Their mood is severely affected by Allied setbacks or German advances. Amsterdam is devastated by the war during the two years the Franks are in hiding. All of the city’s residents suffer, since food becomes scarce and robberies more frequent.

After learning of plans to collect diaries and other papers to chronicle people’s wartime experiences in the radio, Anne began to rework her journal for possible publication as a novel entitled “The Secret Annex”.

PART 10: Discovered by the Gestapo

On the morning of 4 August 1944, the Secret Annex was stormed by a group of German uniformed police led by Karl Silberbauer.The Franks, Van Danns, and Albert Dussel were taken to RSHA headquarters, where they were interrogated and held overnight. On 5 August they were transferred to the House of Detention, an overcrowded prison. Two days later they were transported to the Westerbork transit camp, through which by that time more than 100,000 Jews, mostly Dutch and German, had passed. Having been arrested in hiding, they were considered criminals and sent to the Punishment Barracks for hard labour.

Victor Kugler and Johannes Kleiman were arrested and jailed at the penal camp for enemies of the regime at Amersfoort. Kleiman was released after seven weeks, but Kugler was held in various work camps until the war's end. Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl were questioned and threatened by the Security Police but not detained. They returned to the Secret Annex the following day, and found Anne's papers strewn on the floor. They collected them, as well as several family photograph albums, and Gies resolved to return them to Anne after the war. On 7 August 1944, Gies attempted to facilitate the release of the prisoners by confronting Silberbauer and offering him money to intervene, but he refused.

Although there have been persistent claims of betrayal by an informant, the source of the information that led the authorities to raid the Secret Annex has never been identified. 

In early 1945, a typhus epidemic spread through the concentration camp where Anne and her sister Margot were confined, killing 17,000 prisoners.Other diseases, including typhoid fever, were rampant.Due to these chaotic conditions, it is not possible to determine the specific cause of Anne's death; however, there is evidence that she died from the epidemic.

Margot fell from her bunk in her weakened state and was killed by the shock. Anne died a few days after Margot. The exact dates of Margot's and Anne's deaths were not recorded. It is estimated that their deaths occurred only a few weeks before British soldiers liberated the camp on 15 April 1945.

Finally:

I was expecting to read further when I realized that the diary was already over. I didn't want the diary to finish so quickly when there was a climax about to happen. However it was worth reading. Though learning history is somewhat boring but reading the historical diary was indeed of exotic flavour. I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

This diary taught me to have patience in the hardest of times. To think positively even in the difficult hours. And most importantly it taught me to be able to do something great for the world that you are remembered even after your death. 

There are so many life lessons she taught at such a mere age which is still being read and honoured. I am also inspired of writing a diary by now.🤔🤔

If you people have read the diary, watched an anime or watched the movie of Anne Frank, please feel free to comment your comments in the comments section below.🙂🙂

BY SANJITA NAPIT