Reflection

Anne Frank is the diary of a little girl following the events surrounding a
thirteen year old girl who grows up Jewish and lives in Amsterdam during
the Holocaust. As the events of World War II began Anne was a typical girl
who attended school and was aware of the war and world around her, but at
the time, wasn’t very fearful for her safety. Unfortunately, reality struck
Anne as the news of World War II progressed, accompanied by the call for
her old sister to be taken away to a concentration camp.

Suddenly, the world as Anne perceived it would change dramatically. Soon,

they were living in an annex, an addition to a building, hiding from the SS
officers of the Nazis. The diary of Anne Frank gives an insight to the Jewish
perspective of the Holocaust and the prejudice and discrimination not only
that the Jews underwent but of others in the society as well
 REFLECTION
(The Diary of Anne
Frank)

Dan Kenneth J. Urmatan

Humss 5

Ms.Criselda T. Cebu
On her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank’s parents give her a diary. She’s
excited because she wants someone—or something—in which to confide all
of her secret thoughts. Even though she has a rich social life, she feels
misunderstood by everyone she knows. Anne starts writing about daily
events, her thoughts, school grades, boys, all that.

But, within a month, her entire life changes.

As Jews in German-occupied Holland, the Frank family fears for their lives.
When Anne’s sister, Margot, is called to appear before the authorities—which
would almost surely mean she was being sent to a concentration camp—
Anne and her family go into hiding. They move into a little section of Anne's
father's office building that is walled off and hidden behind a swinging
bookcase. The little diagram of the office building and "Secret Annex" in the
Thursday, July 9, 1942 entry gives us the layout.

For two years, the Frank family lives in this Secret Annex. Mr. and Mrs. van
Daan and their son Peter (who is a few years older than Anne) are also in
hiding with the Franks. Later, Mr. Dussel (an elderly dentist) moves in, and
Anne has to share her bedroom with him. Anne’s adolescence is spent
hidden from the outside world. She’s cooped up in tiny rooms, tiptoeing
around during the day and becoming shell-shocked from the sounds of
bombs and gunfire at night.

Luckily, the Franks have tons of reading material and a radio. Anne grows in
her knowledge of politics and literature, and she puts tons of energy into
studying and writing. At the same time, she grows further and further away
from the other members of the Annex.

We see a real change in Anne when she begins hanging out in the attic with
Peter van Daan. Around this time she starts having dreams about a boy she
was in love with, another Peter: Peter Schiff. She sometimes even gets the
two Peters confused in her head.

She comes to see Peter (of the Annex) as much more than she first thought.
She finds him sensitive and caring, and they talk about everything, including
sex. Eventually their relationship changes. Anne and Peter’s passion turns
into a friendship and a source of comfort for them both.

Another big change for Anne happens when the war seems to be ending.
She hears that personal accounts such as her diary will be in demand after
the war ends. We see a return to her earlier optimism as she begins editing
her diary with vigor and excitement.

There her diary ends. Two short months after Anne’s fifteenth birthday, and
two days after he last diary entry, the Secret Annex is raided. We don’t
know Anne’s thoughts or feelings at that point or any time after, but we
know things got worse.

As you probably already know, Anne and the other members of the Annex
were sent to various concentration camps. Anne's father, Otto Frank, was
the sole survivor.