The Diary of a Young Girl

Written between 1942 and 1944, The Diary of Anne Frank, aka The Diary of a Young Girl, is a collection of journal entries by Anne Frank, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, while in hiding with her family for two years in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. When Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, her diary was given to her father, Otto Frank, the only known survivor of the family. The diary was first published in 1947 under the title Het Achterhuis. Dagboekbrieven 14 Juni 1942 – 1 Augustus 1944 (The Annex: Diary Notes 14 June 1942 – 1 August 1944). The Dutch-language diary has since been translated into more than sixty languages, adapted into a Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play in 1955, as well as an Oscar-winning motion picture in 1959. The Diary of Anne Frank is universally hailed as one of the most important eyewitness accounts of WWII and the horrors of the Holocaust.

Anne Frank’s diary, referred to as Kitty, begins with a description of Anne’s thirteenth birthday on June 12, 1942. Anne chronicles normal girlhood activities, including her kinship with other girls, romantic crushes, academic standing, etc. While the Franks became residents in Amsterdam to escape German persecution before WWII, they were forced into hiding when Germany invaded The Netherlands in 1940. Anti-semitic laws forced Jews to attend separate schools, explaining why Anne’s sister, Margot, attended the Jewish Lyceum in Amsterdam. Two years later, Margot is summoned to appear before the authorities, and the Frank family fears she will be placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Along with Mr. and Mrs. van Daan, their son Peter, and an elderly dentist named Mr. Dussel, the Franks find refuge in a small, hidden Annex behind the swinging bookcase in Otto Frank’s workplace. The inhabitants collect rations and receive food, medicine, and news of the outside world from Otto’s employees. Anne’s adolescence is spent in hiding, walking on eggshells, and becoming shell-shocked by the constant bombing.

The family remains hidden in the Annex for two years, clinging to books for entertainment and the radio for wartime news. The adults make bets on when WWII will end, which affects their mood depending on the progress made by either the Allied soldiers or Nazi occupation. Anne continues to read and write during this period, often contextualizing her feelings about current events.

As food becomes scarcer and crime increases, widespread devastation strikes the Dutch population in Amsterdam. Anne becomes more studious and focused on her writing, growing more distant from the Annex residents. After a while, she begins spending time with Peter, who is a few years older than her, which rekindles her feelings for another boy, Peter Schiff. Anne confuses the two Peters in her mind at times. Anne and Peter van Daan talk about many topics, including sex. Otto disapproves of Anne’s relationship with Peter van Daan, causing Anne’s romantic feelings for Peter to decrease. She remains close friends with him anyway. Anne loves her father but has a rocky relationship with her mother, whom Anne considers to be cold and uncaring. Anne also admires her smart and beautiful sister, Margot. All the while, Anne is often berated for her childlike behavior by Mr. Dussel and the van Daans.

As Anne matures, her writing evolves from daily observations to deeper contemplations on humanity. Not able to understand why Jews are subjected to such horrific behavior, Anne begins questioning her own identity. While her German citizenship has been revoked, Anne still considers herself a German. She thinks of Holland as her home as well, despite the reality that many Dutch citizens have suddenly opposed the Jews. At the same time Anne articulates her sense of solidarity with her fellow Jews, she expresses her desire to be seen as an individual rather than part of a persecuted group. As time goes on, Anne faces another big challenge. With talk of the war ending, Anne learns there will be a high demand for personal accounts and documents like her diary. As a result, Anne begins editing her diary and reinforcing her sense of optimism.

Anne’s renewed feelings of optimism soon fade. Her sense of isolation and deprivation begins to wear on her psyche. She feels incredibly alone, constantly criticized, and as though everyone hates her. Anne’s diary entries reflect the difficulty of forging an identity under the oppressive German rule and inhumane treatment during the Holocaust. She wonders if her family would have been better off dying immediately rather than hiding in the Annex for two years. She becomes hard on herself and those in the Annex. Still, Anne wrote, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” The diary concludes on August 1, 1944, without a comment, leaving readers to expect a new entry for the following day. On August 4, 1944, the Frank family is betrayed to and arrested by Nazi forces. Anne’s diary comes to a sudden and silent halt two months before her fifteenth birthday. Two days later, on August 6, 1944, the Secret Annex is raided.

Following the events of the diary, Anne and the other members of the Annex were sent to various concentration camps. The only survivor, Otto Frank, received Anne’s diary following the war from Miep Gies, a woman who helped the family to hide. Otto honored Anne’s wish of having the diary published. The Diary of Anne Frank has since become one of the most powerful firsthand accounts of the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust. In addition to the 1959 film, The Diary of Anne Frank has been adapted to the big and small screen several times. Two made-for-TV movie adaptations were made, one in 1967, another in 1980. Two miniseries were also made, one in 1987, another in 2009. An animated feature film version of the diary was adapted in 1995 by Japanese director Akinori Nagaoka.