Title of book: The Diary Of A Young Girl- Anne Frank- The Definitive Edition

Author: Anne Frank

Pages: 332

Setting:

Anne’s Diary is recorded from June, 1942, to August, 1944, and has different settings, such as
Anne’s, house, her school, but they’re all in the same city, Amsterdam, in the province of North
Holland. This is also the location of the secret Annex, the main setting of this story. The secret
Annex is located inside 263 Prinsengracht, where Anne’s parents have been moving their
furniture to, in preparation of escaping the Nazis. The Annex is hidden by a bookcase, and has
some comforts of home, such as food, windows, bedding, and running water, but many others
had to be left behind.

Main Characters:

Anne Frank is truly the main character, but many others become important as time goes on. Anne
Frank starts the journal as a popular, witty, talkative thirteen-year-old girl. Anne is always
surrounded by her peers, wanting to ride to school with her, be they true friends that she can
confide in or not. Some other important characters in her life are her father, whom she feels is the
nicest and closest to her in the family, her mother, whom she calls “momsy” not as a pet name,
but because she thinks of her mother as cold, mean, and altogether un-motherly. She also has an
older sister named Margot, whom is intellectual, responsible, and mature. Anne isn’t particularly
close to Margot either. When her family has a dispute, she usually thinks of Margot and her
mother on one team, with her and her father on the other. Upon moving to the Annex, another
family joins the Franks- the Van Daans. This family consists of Mrs. Van D, a loud, sometimes
rude woman who critiques Anne and always believes herself to be right, Mr. Van D, a somewhat
quieter counterpart of the Mrs., and Peter, their son, whom at the beginning seems quiet and
reclusive, but soon turns out to become very good friends with Anne. The secret Annex decides
to take in another resident- Mr. Dussel. Albert Dussel is an aged dentist who thinks a lot of
himself. From hogging the bathroom and the desk to having a cache of food he is unwilling to
share, Anne describes everything in his head as being “me, me, me.” He believes himself to be
supremely intellectual and also disputes with Anne. Miep Gies, Jan Gies, Bep Voskuijl, Johannes
Kleiman, and Victor Kugler are only some of the people who help to hide the residents of the
secret annex.

Plot:

The Franks and other Jews hide in a secret Annex in an office building to escape the Nazis.
Many non-Jewish friends or acquaintances help them to hide out by supplying them with food
and other necessary supplies. Seeing as how the building is still used for business, the residents
make extra rules to help not arouse suspicion. Some of these rules include not being able to use
running water, flush the toilet, or go downstairs during certain hours and keeping the windows
closed. The residents of the Annex must be extremely careful, but, especially as time goes on,
they are also extremely grateful to be safe from the horrors of anti-Semitism. Anne writes about
hearing stories from the outside world which tell of Jews being treated roughly, transported to
cattle cars in droves. Nazi officers knock on the doors of every house, asking whether Jews live
there, bounties are offered, and Anne sees, out her window, long lines of innocent Jews of all
ages, being marched to their death. Despite the tragedies happening in the outside world, though,
the residents of the Annex experience disagreements and feuds that can be expected from living
in such close quarters. The Van D’s give themselves more food and take their linens out of the
communal closet. Mr. Dussel fights with Anne over desk space, and the Franks experience
problems within their own family. Anne grows close to Peter, and her father doesn’t appreciate
it. Anne speculates upon herself, her emotions, and those of her family in her diary entries, all
the way up to her last in which she tells about the two sides of herself.

Critique:

I have read this book before, but each time I feel like I understand it more. I think that this is an
amazing diary because it tells not only about the living conditions and current events, but delves
deep into how she feels, be it about being in hiding or not. Anne seems unbelievably real, and
very easy to relate to. She has petty, teenage concerns along with the threat of the Nazis. This is
an amazing book, a real window into her mind.