The book is “Anne Frank : The diary of a young Girl”


Before I get into the content of this book and pass my criticisment on it I want to point out in what kind of environment did Anne Frank write this book. Frist of all at the start of or when she started writing her diary it was already WWII (World War 2) and in the midst of it. Adolf Hitler who we all know ordered the extermination of every Jew people there was. That said there was no mercy to anybody IF you have jewish blood, from fresh born infants with their parents to 80 year old grandparents, this order was carried out swiftly and efficiently by the German SS. They were sent to concentration camps across the center of Europe and executed or more like murdered there. Without any hope of survival some starved to death where as others killed themselves.
The SS stands for Schutzstaffel or “Shield Squadron”. It consisted of the most elite, prestigious members of the Nazi party. Their goal was to protect the Fuhrer and accomplish some of his personal “dirty” wishes, and is responsible for some of the most gruesome tales and events of the war. That said Anne Frank and her whole family is Jewish and she tells us how they fled within Amsterdam to their fathers work office. But for me it was more like how preys were trying to escape extinction from their predators. It was truly an extreme measure.

First of all I want to explain who are the main characters in this diary/book. Obviously there is Anne Frank, the youngest daughter of Otto Frank, her father, and Edith Frank, her mother. At first Anne describes her life of living under the German law against the Jews was unpleasing as if they are prisoners. But since the war had already started there was no good reason to oppose it unless its execution you were after. And at school a lot of boys wanted to go out with her but spoiled as she may be she always played along. During the end of her stay in the “Secret Annexe” after many events and heart stopping moments she learns some facts of life the hard and harsh way. I myself think of her as a spoiled child who undergoes the harsh and hard unchangeable facts of life and matures at an early stage of life.

Above Anne there is her older and the eldest daughter on the Frank family, Margot Frank. I personally think Anne didn’t write enough about her. All I can say about her after reading this diary/book is that she was one of the silent but deadly smart types. The deep thinkers is what I like to call those type of people. Smart, intelligent but sometimes arrogant at the wrong place and time. But Anne described her as “smart, beautiful and the ideal spoiled daughter by mother” and I couldn’t agree with her more. Sadly she died of typhus in Belsen, in a concentration camp for jews, a few days before Anne passed away herself in early March 1945. And like Anne their exact date of death is still unknown to this day.

Then there are her parents. Her father Otto Franks was the sole survivor of the Frank family after the war. Anne described him as “the most sweetest father I have ever seen”. Now I don’t want to say he’s a terrible father or a bad one. He really is sweet and kind but there are some selfish, gruesomely selfish scenes about him.
Otto was born in Frankfurt in 1889 and was the second oldest son of his family. During his early life he worked in the bank his family ran until 1930 it collapsed. And during the war, to me it seems Otto found the idea of hiding when the Germans ordered the execution of the Jews. He himself organized most of the things, preparing the food stock and most importantly the hideout.

Edith Frank is the name of Anne’s mother. A narrow minded person if I do say so myself. And Anne’s description of her is the exact mental image I had all the time. She says “Has a hearty appetite, does her share of the talking. No one has the impression, as they do with Mrs. Van Daan, that this is a housewife. What’s the difference between the two? Well, Mrs. Van D. does the cooking and Mother always does the dishes and polishes the furniture.” This said shes just the typical housewife. She really does have a sweet side for Margot but that was a bit too much for Anne. Anne even wrote about it in her diary of how she is starting to hate her and wishing that she’d change into the ideal mother she always dreamed of.

Then there’s Mr. and Mrs. Vandaan with their only son Peter. Quite a troublesome couple I say. Mr.Vandaan is not much of a bother though. He does what he has to do and listens to everyone on what they have to say. Not selfish the bit least! On the other hand Mrs.Vandaan is the polar opposite. I don’t know how they ended up marrying each other but what a pain in the head can she be. Selfish, nagging, flirty you name it. But still she does get quite along with Anny’s mother. Then there’s Peter. Shy and has a sealed lip, doesn’t look like he’s older than Anne eventhough he is. But boys being boys he warms up to the environment and open himself up bit by bit.

Oh and it seems I almost forgot Kitty, Anne’s diary. Anne got hold of Kitty as a birthday present. And thinks of her as her only space of peace and heaven. Only when she writes she calms down and gets wrapped in deep thoughts. “Paper is more patient than people” said Anne to Kitty. And oh boy how true that is what I said to myself while reading her quote.
While under hiding Anne described their place and their activity quite well. They were hiding on the top third floor with the door to the staircase camouflaged into a cupboard. Only a handful of workers there knew who and what was there at the top floor. This decision to go under hiding is not as simple as it sounds. Being hunted the pressure and anxiety they were feeling made them desperate to survive. There they didn’t have a shower, not all were lucky enough to sleep on comfy furniture, and not everyone did like the same old food for years to come, not to mention wearing the same old rags for days without a change. But despite these harsh facts they truly had their happy and sad moments. They celebrated holidays and birthdays like everyone else. Anne learned most school subjects under the guidance of the adults there as if she was at school itself. But only within this small confined space. The only time when Anne can look at the outside world was when dusk settles and darkness falls outside. Only then can she look through the edge of the window by pulling its curtain back for enough space for one eye. The people there in the Secret Annexe NEVER took any chances. They didn’t make any noise during the work hours and extra quiet when eating. Not even a slurp is to be heard. And just like that they were living statues during the day time and especially during work hours when the building is filled with workers. After the day is over and when the workers leave only then can they breathe as they will and run around inside the whole building. In the office on the first floor there was a radio. The only precious thing to the people in hiding. Praying for the Germans to fall and this war to be over, they hear the evening news with high anxiety everytime. And during those times they heard great news and gruesome news as well during their history of their stay.
Upstairs after a year of hiding everyone was showing their true colors. Like how selfish and sneaky Mrs.VanDaan is and how amusing Peter is said Anne. Also she never stopped loving her father even for a second. I don’t know why but that’s all he was to her. The most beloved person in the world. And she wrote some of her personal life and love life but those weren’t of much interest to me. One of the most amusing scene that has to be mentioned is when Anne started getting close to Peter VanDaan in a rather abnormal way if I say. The first ever topic they talked about was over sex and why adults never want children to know about them. Anne mustered up much courage to bring up this topic, expecting Peter to make fun of her. But unexpectedly he replied very decently and talked over the matter quite serious. Since that moment on Anne had a new light for Peter. She was looking forward to talking to him in the evenings rather than studying, which she was most fond of until this event.
After getting things done and over with Peter she read some of her older memoirs and was she shocked. All I think of is that she hit puberty. ? Anyways she just kept on complaining on how childish she was and how cruel she was to her mother. I’m pretty sure that if she ever met her old self she’d give her a good slap on the cheek of wisdom!
There are some alarming events that were very close to getting them caught. Like when Pater spilled a whole bag of beans while carrying it upstairs, and especially the cats in my opinions. How could these people ESPECIALLY when they are hiding own PETS and let them roam freely inside the house? What if one of the workers followed it to the Secret Annexe I thought. But seeing how they managed it puts me at ease.
In August 1944 after she celebrated her 15th birthday the Secret Annexe was discovered and all of the residents there were sent to concentration camps. There Anne, her sister, mother, Mr. and Mrs.VanDaan all spent the last moments of their life. Except for Anne’s father Otto. He survived through the war and after it was finished he found his daughters diary and cried his heart out reading it. And felt that he must shed light of justice on the Jews so he published his daughter’s diary as a book. Showing to the world how the Jews were hiding in the most believed Luxurious hideout of the Jews in WW2. No one else ever had a comfier place then them, no one had much food as them even though they were sick and tired of it. But it did hit them when they thought about the others. They clearly had it worse. Not to mention the lot in the concentration camps.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and life during the harsh times of humanity. When you read the forwards it’ll instantly catch your full attention and your curiosity will make you want to read it. That’s what happened to me since I’m very into WW2 history. And to think these words and memoirs are coming from a girls who was no older than 15 is simple amazing. She describes everything in distinct detail and managed to put people’s personality traits on paper as if they were her favorite dolls waiting to be named.
Anne a girls who was properly spoiled by her parents before the war, lives in hiding for 2 years in a small house during the war thought her the meanings in life. Sadly it was the harsh way she learned it. There could have been a better way or she could have lived a decent spoiled life since her parents had decent lifestyles. But Hitler was alive, the SS hunted the Jews, WW2 had already started Church Hill, F.D Roosevelt already accepted war and retaliated to it by force. Many wives, mothers lost their husbands and sons. This living hell had already begun and the only way to end it was to kill and demolish. It was far from pleasant time. It was war.