THE HOLOCAUST:

The systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime y "Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." y The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community.
y
Ref.: http://www.ushmm.org/

THE DIARY of ANNE FRANK

Reporter: SCHELLY P. SUMABAT

 Its an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I---nor for that matter anyone else---will be interested in the unbosoming of a 13-year old school girl, still what does it matter?

(Residents of the Secret Annexe

I have a string of boyfriends, anxious to catch a glimpse of me, failing that, peep at me through mirrors in class As soon as a boy asks if he may bicycle home with me and we get into a conversation, nine out of ten times I can be sure that he will fall head over heels in love immediately and simply wont allow me out of his sight

Harry had a girlfriend called Fanny. I know her too, a very soft, dull creature. Now that he has met me, he realizes that he was just daydreaming in Fannys presence. I seem to act a stimulant to keep him awake. You see we all have our uses, and the queer ones too at times!

I cling to daddy only through him that I am able to retain a remnant of family feeling

In Annes eyes he is one of the:

Kindest y Smartest y Most gentle y Thoughtful
y

Father

Conservative y Protective
y

Reaction towards Annes relationship with Peter

exact opposites in everything I only look at her as a mother, and just doesnt succeed in being that to me; I have to become my own mother. (11/7/42) I have in my minds eye a perfect mother and wife should be; and in her whom I call mother I find no trace of that image. (11/7/42)

How Anne feels about her:

Cold, critical and uncaring y Have very little in common with her y Does not know how to show her love to her children
y y

Shes usually Annes source of: anger and frustration

goody, goody perfection (9/27/42) ..very sweet and would like me to trust her, but still I cant tell her everything. Shes a darling, shes good and pretty, but she lacks the nonchalance for conducting deep discussions; she takes me so seriously, much too seriously (3/12/44)

there is plenty of cause for her unpleasantness.. (9/2/42) ..unbearable (9/21/42) ..terribly moody.. (9/27/42) thoroughly forward and pushing (9/28/42) sets a fine exampleshe certainly sets onea bad one (7/29/43)

..has one good side, and that is that you can talk to her. Despite all her selfishness, stinginess and underhandedness, you can make her give in easily, as long as you dont irritate her and dont opt in the wrong side of her. (1/22/44)

..used to be in the meat, sausage and spice business. (12/10/42) First to be served, takes a lot of everything if it is what he likes. Usually talks at the same time, always gives his opinion as the only one worth listening to, and once he has spoken it is irrevocable. ..He has got brains, but selfsatisfaction has reached a high grade with this gentleman.. (8/9/43)

. . .not 16 yet, a rather soft, shy and gawky youth; cant expect much from his company ..frightfully touchy and lazyhe is a real hypochondriahe is rather awkward (9/2/42)

I have a strong feeling that Peter and I are really not so different as we would appear to be, and I will tell you why. Peter and I both wrestle with our inner feelings, uncertain and are really sensitive to be roughly treated (2/27/44)

very slow ..stodgy, old-fashioned, disciplinarian, and preacher of long, drawn-out sermons on manners.. (11/28/42) He makes me furious, on Sundays especially, when he turns the light on early to do his exercise (12/22/42)

helps himself, never looks up, eats and doesnt talk (8/9/43) Stays in the lavoratory without consideration of the other residents who would like to use the room too or heeding warning knocks on the door.

SETTINGS

y The

Franks home y Annes Schools (Montessori and Jewish Lyceum) y The Secret Annexe

THEMES

Theme No. 1
y

And now I come to the root of the matter, the reason or my starting a diary: it is I have no such real friends. Hence, the diary to enhance in my minds eye the picture of a friend for whom I have waited for so long. I dont want to set down a series of bald facts in a diary like most people do, but I want this diary instead to be my friend, and I shall call my friend KITTY.

I feel I have some right to be taken seriously too. I have always been the dunce, the neer do well of the family, Ive always had to pay double for my deeds, first with the scolding, and again because of the way my feelings are hurt. (11/7/42)

1.

The Loneliness of Adolescence

1.

The Loneliness of Adolescence

The perpetual feeling of being lonely and misunderstood provides the impetus for Annes dedicated diary writing and color of many experiences.

1.

The Loneliness of Adolescence

Later Anne wrote: deep down, the young are lonelier than the old. Because young people are: a) Less able to define or express their needs clearly; and b)More likely to feel lonely, isolated and misunderstood

What heightened Annes feelings of isolation and complicates her struggle for identity?

Living as a Jew in an increasingly Anti-Jewish society.

Was Anne the only character who felt loneliness? Who else and how or why?

Peter Margot Adults

Theme No. 2
y

My treatment varies so much. One day Anne is so sensible and is allowed to know everything; and the next day I hear that Anne is just a silly little goat (11/7/42) [Then] I fall asleep with a stupid feeling of wishing to be different from what I am or from what I want to be; perhaps to behave differently from the way I want and do behave (11/28/42)

When I talk, everyone thinks Im showing off; when Im silent they think Im ridiculous; rude if I answer, sly if I get a good idea, lazy if Im tired, selfish if I eat a mouthful more than I should, stupid, cowardly, crafty, etc., etc (1/30/43)

2.

The Inward versus the Outward Self

2.

The Inward versus the Outward Self

She frequently expresses her convictions that there are two Annes: the lively, jovial, public Anne and the sentimental, private Anne whom she know. Continues to struggle with her two selves: to be honest and genuine; and striving to fit in with the rest of the group.

2.

The Inward versus the Outward Self

Continues to grapple with the difference between her self-perception and how she presents herself with others.

January 22, 1944: Anne asked: Can you tell me why people go to such lengths to hide their real selves? Why? She realizes shes not alone in hiding her true feelings and fears

Annes inner struggle mirrors the large circumstances of the war. What was it?

Both the residents of the annex and the Dutch people who help them are forced to hide themselves from the public.

Theme No. 3
y

Mr. Dussels inconsiderate use of the lavatory and his reaction when Anne asked him if she could the table in their shared room Mrs. van Daans reaction when her plates and saucers were used as well as not helping with the dishes

3.

Generosity and Greed in Wartime

3.
y

Generosity and Greed in Wartime

Generosity
Dutch Keepers who are generous with food, money, and any other resources they can share. Otto Frank who tries to save the nest food for the children & takes the smallest portion for himself

3.
y

Generosity and Greed in Wartime

Greed
Mr. Dussel who accept others offer but never makes any attempt to acknowledge or reciprocate their generosity Mr. Dussel and Mrs. Van Daan who have the tendency to look out for themselves far more than to look out for others

MOTIFS

MOTIFS
y Becoming a Woman y Fear

1.
y

Becoming a Woman
Her diary is a firsthand record of the experiences of a young girl as she matures. Although she faces the challenges of puberty under unusual circumstances, the issues she struggles with are universal.

2.

Fear
Anne knows what would happen to her and her family if they were discovered, and this fear permeates life in the annex likewise permeates the tone of Annes diary

SYMBOLS

1.
y

Hanneli (Lies)
I feel wicked sleeping in a warm bed, while my dearest friends have been knocked down or have fallen into a gutter somewhere out in the cold night (11/19/42) I get frightened when I think of close friends who have now been delivered into the hands of the cruelest brutes that walk the earth. And all because they are Jews! (11/19/42)

If I just think of how we live here, I usually come to the conclusion that it is a paradise compared with how some other Jews who are now in hiding must be living (5/1/43) Is she still alive? What is she doing? Oh, God, protect her and bring her back to us (12/29/43)

1.

Hanneli (Lies) symbolizes:

Guilt

Represents the fate of her friends, companion and millions of Jews

2.

Annes Grandmother
Oh darling Granny, how little we understood of how she suffered or how sweet she was. How faithful and good Granny always was; she would never have let one of us down. How lonely Granny must have bee, how lonely despite of us! (12/29/43)

2.

Annes Grandmother symbolizes:

y

Unconditional love and support

Regret and nostalgia for the life Anne lived before being forced into hiding

What were Annes regret regarding her grandmother?

Not telling her grandmother how much they love her.

IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS

I.

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.

Anne finds that she and her friends talk only about trivial things, even when she has deeper things on her mind that she wishes to share.

II.

I see the eight of us in the Annex as if we were a patch of blue sky surrounded by menacing black clouds. . . . [They loom] before us like an impenetrable wall, trying to crush us, but not yet able to. I can only cry out and implore, Oh ring, ring, open wide and let us out! (11/8/43)

Anne is starting to become depressed and pessimistic about her familys chances of survival. Alternatives between imagining what her future will be like and fearing that she and her family will be discovered anytime. Her writing becomes more metaphoric as she tries to express her fears and the anxiety and desperation.

What does the following suggest? 1.Blue sky2.Dark clouds that cover the sky-

III.

I sometimes wonder if anyone will ever understand what I mean, if anyone will ever overlook my ingratitude and not worry about whether or not Im Jewish and merely see me as a teenager badly in need of some good, plain fun. (12/24/43)

 Reminds us that shes just an ordinary young girl Aside from wanting to return to the freedoms and comforts she had before the war, Anne simply wants to experience a normal childhood She does not want to live in a world that places such significance on where she is from, what her religion is, or whether she behaves well with adults. She wants to be in a place where she does not have to worry about whether she will live (or not).

IV.

Its difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. Its a wonder I havent abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical.Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. (7/15/44)

It is a brazen expression of optimism in the face of imminent and incomprehensible cruelty Provides a brief glimpse into Annes mind during her last day in the annex and demonstrates how much she has changed from when her family first went into hiding

V.

I get cross, then sad, and finally end up turning my heart inside out, the bad part on the outside and the good part on the inside, and keep trying to find a way to become what Id like to be and what I could be if . . . if only there were no other people in the world. (8/1/44)

This state ends Anne Franks diary entry Did Anne intend to end her diary at this point? No. To her it was just the end of a regular day of hiding in the annex

What does Annes words resonate? Anne believes that shes a good person, but she also realizes that because of her confinement, she is unable to reach her true potential until she is released back into her normal life after the war.

Anne wrote on her diary about:

Description of her friends y Boys who liked her y Classes at school y Her parents y Her sister y The Vaans y Experiences in the annex
y

Annes struggles:
With the adults who constantly criticize her behavior and consider her exasperating y Feels extremely lonely and in need of kindness and affection, which she feels her mother is incapable of providing y Continues to struggle with how she can be a good person when there are may obstacles in her world
y

STUDY QUESTIONS

Enables her to discover her inner voice 1. What role does the diary play in Annes life? and her voice as a writer. Gives her a private place to explore and to develop her increasingly profound thoughts and ideas. After 2 years, Anne is able to look back at the invaluable record of her experiences and analyze how she has grown and changed, in this sense, the diary becomes an insignificant tool for Annes maturity.

2.

How does Anne feel about the laws that Anne thinks that the laws are unjust, but restrict the Jews freedom? she does not completely understand why the Jewish people have been singled out for this discrimination. Once the SS call for Margot, Anne realizes that shes not safe from the Nazis.

3.

Does Anne consider her family lucky or unfortunate to be living changed. Her feelings constantly in the annex?

Compared to some of her friends, they are fortunate Compared to the non-Jewish Dutch children, they are unlucky

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONS

The Arrest:
y

August 4, 1944
Following the information provided by a Dutch informer, the Gestapo penetrated the Franks hiding place The eight Jews (Otto, Edith, Margot and Anne Frank; the van Daan and Mr. Dussel), together with Mr. Kraler and Mr. Koophius were taken to Gestapo headquarters in Amsterdam Mr. Koophius was released after a few weeks for medical reasons Mr. Kraler spent eight months in forced labor camp

After the Arrest:

October 1944-Anne, Margot & Mrs. van Daan were among the youngest & strongest women selected to be moved to Belsen, Germany y January 6, 1945- Mrs. Frank dies in the infirmary barracks at Auschwitz y Mr. van Daan was seen by Mr. Frank taken off to be gassed y Mr. Dussel was sent back to Germany & died in the Neuengamme Camp
y

Peter van Daan was taken by the SS in February 1945 and was never heard from again y Mrs. Van Daan died at Belsen but no witness marked the date y Margot died at the end of February or the beginning of March y Anne was not informed of her sisters death but she sensed it somehow. She died a few days after. She was not yet 16.
y

Key Facts:
y y y y y y

Full Title: The Diary of Anne Frank Author: Anne Frank Type of Work: Diary Time & Place Written: Amsterdam, 1942-45 Date of 1st Publication: 1947 Point of View: Anne speaks in the first person and addresses her diary as a friend. Although she begins writing the diary without any intention of it being read or published, she later writes with the idea that the record of her experiences might be read by others to learn more about the war.

The Diary:
At first Otto Frank had copies of the diary privately circulated as a memorial to his family. y Published on June 1947 by Contact Publishers in Amsterdam; Germany and France in 1950 y First Title: Het Achlerbuis (The Secret Annex) y 1955: A play entitled The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett opened at the Cort Theater in New York
y

The Diary:
October 1, 1956: the play opened simultaneously in seven German cities y November 27, 1956: Queen Juliana attended the plays opening in Amsterdam y 1959: The Diary of Anne Frank motion picture was made in the US y 1967: The Diary of Anne Frank was adapted for television
y

Anne Franks wish:

y I

want to go on living even after death

Anne Frank Foundation maintains the building where the Franks hid for 25 months Montessori School in Amsterdam is now Anne Frank School

Dear Teacher,
I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness: gas chambers built by learned engineers; children poisoned by educated physicians; infants killed by trained nurses; women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monster skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human.
-From: Global Education Magazine January 1993