SuitabookThe Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank
- Reading
- Read in manageable sections, pausing to distinguish Anne’s immediate observations from later historical knowledge. Check which edition you have, since editions differ in personal, sexual and family-related passages.
- Themes
- A young person’s perspective on persecution: Anne records life in hiding while Nazi Germany occupies the Netherlands and Jewish people are deported. The diary conveys persecution through one person’s restricted viewpoint, rather than offering a complete account of the wider events.
- Adolescence under confinement: Anne writes about parents, friends, a boy she likes, bodily feelings and attraction to a female friend. The entries present adolescence as emotionally varied and personal, alongside the pressures of restricted living.
- Editing and whose voice is preserved: The standard and Definitive editions differ, with the latter restoring passages removed from an earlier published version. The publication history raises questions about privacy, representation and how a public image can differ from a fuller personal record.
- Worth knowing
- Before reading, note that entries include air raids, shooting, reports of people being taken away, repeated danger from burglars, emerging sexual feelings and kisses. The ending and wider historical outcome may be especially upsetting.