When you’re with your friends, do you often talk about the same subjects regularly and share the same thoughts and feelings about them? This is a normal part of conversation as people discuss their likes and dislikes, as well as current events and how they affect their lives.
In the case of Anne Frank, her view of the world became considerably narrower once she and her family moved into the Secret Annex. As a result, the subject matter of her diary reflected her confined world—the everyday occurrences of those in the Annex, her interactions with others, and her own thoughts and feelings about life.
Anne’s stories, like most anecdotes, focus primarily on the details of what happened, but they also help develop a central idea, or theme. See if you can recall these anecdotes from her diary’s first entries. Can you tell what theme each expresses?
As punishment for talking too much in class, Anne’s teacher Mr. Keesing makes her write several essays. However, Anne uses the essays to show Mr. Keesing how clever she is, and therefore wins his respect.
What ideas about life does this anecdote suggest?
Before her family goes into hiding, Anne tells several stories about her friends. One of them is about a boy who seems to have a crush on Anne.
What do these anecdotes reveal or suggest about Anne’s life before going into hiding?
After going into hiding, Anne provides blow-by-blow descriptions of the clashes between the van Daans and her family, as well as between her and her parents.
What theme is already emerging from the many anecdotes like these?
In her diary Anne shares what is happening in the world around the Annex. These brief stories of cruelty and desperation were told to the occupants of the Annex by their friends on the outside.
What theme, or central message, is suggested by the anecdotes Anne tells about the Nazis’ treatment of Jews in the Netherlands?
