“The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank.
Doubleday, New York, 1995, 340 pages, Grades 8 through adult.
Anne Frank is a Jewish girl living in Holland during World War II. Though she had been born in Germany, her family emigrates to Holland to escape the racial hatred of the Third Reich.
The Frank family thrives in Holland and is able to build a successful life. Though they are nominally Jewish, the religion does not seem to have a significant effect on their lives. They live in moderate prosperity until the Second World War.
With the Nazi invasion of Holland, the Franks and all other Jews in the country begin to suffer dispossession and persecution. Participation in Jewish religious services is irrelevant to the Nazis because their insane policy of blood purity condemns all Jews. This horrible evil leads the Franks to go into hiding. Christian friends risk their lives to protect the Franks and several other Jews.
It is during the years of hiding that young Anne writes her remarkable diary. It will be published after the war and is entitled, “The Diary of a Young Girl.”
Anne feels the need to express her feelings and emotions after her family is hidden in the upstairs rooms of a business. Only 13 years old, the girl begins expressing her feelings about herself, her family, and the other members in hiding.
Since the group must stay quiet during the day and cannot leave the building, nerves frequently become frayed. Anne feels that her mother does not understand her and writes extensively about their difficult relationship. As she enters puberty, the girl begins wondering about the changes in her body and why she feels moody at times.
Anne remembers friends who have been captured by the Nazis and realizes she is lucky. However, in spite of this, Anne is going through the emotional and physical changes all girls experience. She longs for love and learns important aspects of life. How do we love? What is beauty? Why do we have sadness? Why do we turn to God for help?
Anne often looks at the sky and realizes the great exquisiteness of the heavens. Even though people are suffering, there is still hope in the world.
Tragically, on August 4, 1944, the Franks and the other Jews hiding with them are betrayed and arrested. Only Mr. Frank will survive the death camps. At the end of the war, Mr. Frank finds Anne’s diary and publishes it.
This diary is a masterpiece. It is not a work of genius like some Shakespearian play, but rather is a story about the greatness of humanity. Anne Frank could be anyone’s daughter. Her fears, joys, struggles and courage are common to most adolescents. She writes with a simple beauty and honesty. Anne is not afraid of herself and freely discusses her shortcomings, fears and hopes.
I didn’t think I would enjoy reading the autobiography of a 13-year-old girl, but I found the story compelling. It is also heartbreaking, since we know how the story ends. Though Anne will die at the age of 15 in a concentration camp, her story still resonates. She was an unusually talented girl living in brutal times. Her descriptions of her thoughts and feelings could be expressed today by many young girls.
Though she doesn’t realize this, Anne Frank is a hero. Her humanity and courage shine forth throughout the diary. For this reason, “The Diary of a Young Girl” is just as relevant today as it was when Anne Frank wrote it in the attic in Holland during World War II. This is a must-read for high school students. I wish I had realized this sooner. An exceptional story.
