Chapter 4 From the Diary of Anne Frank (ANNE FRANK )

Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thought that no one would understand a word of her musings without knowing her background i.e. about her family, friends and the environment she had grown up in.

Writing in a diary was a really strange experience for Anne Frank because firstly, she had never written anything before. Secondly, she thought that neither she nor anyone else would be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old school girl later on. But she went on with it because she wanted to get rid of the various kinds of thought she hid in her mind.

Anne didn’t have any real friends to share her feelings and thoughts with. Further, she believed that paper had more patience than people and so she wanted to get all kinds of things off her chest and confide her innermost perceptions of different things with the diary.

Anne’s grandmother died in January 1942. The line mentioned by Anne i.e. “No one knows how often I think of her and still love her” gives us a deep insight into the feelings of sadness that surrounded her and the magnitude of love that she had for her grandmother. Further, the lighting of a candle by Anne on her birthday to mark the loving memory of her grandmother brings together those poignant feelings that hid inside Anne.

Anne believed that paper had more patience than people and thought that she could freely express herself in her diary. Additionally, given the fact that Anne did not have that one trustworthy friend in her life, she was prompted to trust the diary more than the people around her.

Mr. Keesing was Anne’s math’s teacher. He was annoyed with her because she talked too much in his class. After several warnings, he gave her an extra homework in which he asked her to write an essay on the subject ‘A Chatterbox’.

Anne wanted to give convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking to Mr. Keesing. After a lot of brainstorming, she wrote three pages arguing that talking was a student’s trait. However, she would do her best to keep it under control. She also wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of the habit as her mother also talked as much as she did and besides one cannot do much about inherited traits.

Yes, Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher. He did not allow students to talk in his class as he wanted them to concentrate on their studies. He often punished Anne for talking in between classes by giving her essays and extra work. However, he appreciated Anne for her strong arguments every time which can be traced from the instance when Mr. Keesing read out her beautiful poem on the topic ‘Quack Quack Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox.’ Such an instance shows that he was not only a strict teacher but also a fun loving person.

Anne was able to justify herself by giving strong arguments every time Mr. Keesing gave her a topic for writing. On three occasions, Anne was asked to do so however, she managed to impress Mr. Keesing every time with her unique ideas and opinions. Finally, Mr. Keesing gave up and accepted the talkative nature of Anne and allowed her to talk in the class.

No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl because after her death her diary became very popular and was translated into several languages. It emerged to be a very successful piece of writing and was widely read.

Though Anne was only thirteen when she started writing her diary, yet she became very famous when her diary got published after her death. It was translated into several languages and became one of the most popular books in the world. It was originally written in the Dutch language. Anne’s diary is different from other diaries in various ways because Anne considered her diary Kitty to be her closest and true friend with whom she shared very minute details of her life.

Anne did not have a true friend with whom she could share her thoughts, personal feelings and experiences. She often felt depressed and alone. She thought that nobody would understand her musings and considered the need of giving a brief sketch of her family which comprised of an adorable father and mother, a kind grandmother and a caring elder sister. She named her diary ‘Kitty’, who became a true confidant and an insider to her.

Anne respected her father and claimed him to be the most adorable father in the whole world. She loved and missed her grandmother very much after her death in 1942. Mrs. Kuperus was the headmistress of her Montessori School and her teacher as well in the sixth form. Both of them had a heartbreaking farewell at the end of the year. Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher who punished Anne for her talkative nature. However, Later Anne was able to bring about a change in his attitude tactfully through her strong and amusing arguments. All these instances show that Anne loved and respected her elders and teachers. She was both sensible and sensitive.

In her first essay, Anne was given the task of writing on the subject “A Chatterbox” in which she had to present the necessity of talking. As she began thinking, she was able to write three pages in which she argued that talking was a student’s trait but would do her best to control it. Further, she wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of this habit since her mother talked as much as she did and there was not much she could do about the inherited traits.

According to Anne, Mr. Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. In the beginning, he was very strict and punished Anne by asking her to write essays on topics related to talking. In this way, he tried to play jokes on her in different ways. Each time Mr. Keesing gave Anne the topic for her essay; she smartly presented her arguments and successfully countered his jokes. Eventually, after Anne’s third write up, his attitude towards her changed and he became very lenient. He never punished her after that and even allowed her to talk in the class.

(i) These lines show that Anne had no true confidence. She even does not hesitate to blame her own self for this loneliness.

(ii) These lines show that she wanted to pursue things in her own way. She doesn’t want to maintain a diary only for jotting down the things but wanted the diary to be her true friend.

(iii) This sentence shows that Anne did not have a stable life from the very beginning of her early days of childhood.

(iv) This sentence shows that Anne is a very frank girl. She freely expresses her opinion about her class fellows as well as her teachers.

(v) This sentence shows that Anne is no rambler*. She is a serious girl who wants to do her best and make it different in every way possible.
Rambler* Meaning – A person who enjoys going for long walks.

(i) Plunge in – drive into. Eg- The drunk man plunged into the pole.

(ii) Kept back – to withhold. Eg- His result was kept back due to a compartment in three subjects.

(iii) Ramble on – to walk or talk in a confused way. Eg- He just went on rambling all evening.

(iv) Get along with – to be friendly with one another. Eg- In their first meeting only, they got along very well.

NOTE: As a noun, plunge means a brief swim or a fall but as a verb, its meaning may differ.

(i) The sentence is trying to convey that all the students were frightened.

(ii) The sentence states that one must not stop believing that one can succeed.

(iii) The sentence says that Mr. Keesing had been annoyed since a long period of time.

(iv) The sentence is trying to convey the situation where a person who tried to make somebody look foolish instead looked ridiculous himself.

(i) caught my eye:

Meaning- to grab attention.
Example: All of a sudden, the beautiful view of the valley caught my eye.

(ii) He’d had enough:

Meaning- enough of something in particular.
Example: I have had enough before I joined the job.

(iii) Laugh ourselves silly:

Meaning- laugh for a long period of time.
Example: On the sight of a joker in the circus, we laughed ourselves silly.

(iv) Can’t bring myself to:

Meaning - The inability to do something that seems unpleasant.
Example: I can’t bring myself to speak about medicines.

1. Break somebody’ heart:
Meaning-to crush someone to grief.
Example: Mohan’s failure broke the heart of his parents.

2. Close/dear to heart:
Meaning of deep importance and concern to one.
Example: My parents are very close to my heart.

3. From the (bottom of your) heart:
Meaning-with sincere feelings.
Example: I love my little sister from the bottom of my heart.

4. Have a heart:
Meaning-be merciful.
Example: One should always have a heart for the poor and the needy.

5. Have a heart of stone.
Meaning- to be of cruel nature.
Example: One must never have a heart of stone for anybody.

6. Your heart goes out to somebody:
Meaning to show concern for somebody.
Example: My heart goes out to the poor who are deprived of the basic necessities in life.

The use of contracted forms in the conversation:

Do it yourself.

(i) 2^nd September.

(ii) Samuel Pepys

(iii) Jane

(iv) About three

(v) The fire was on the backside of Marke-Lane at the farthest

(vi) Seven

(vii) 300

(viii) All fish street

(ix) Tower

(x) Little son.

According to the poem, Amanda seems to be a school going teenager who is asked about the completion of her homework and cleaning of her shoes. Further, the lines mentioned in the poem where Amanda is stopped from eating chocolates and the warning of Acne, a skin disease that clarifies she is an adolescent.

The person speaking to Amanda in the poem is the parent (probably her mother) who is constantly advising her about the difference between the right and the wrong.

These stanzas are given in Parenthesis because they depict Amanda’s state of mind at different times. In stanza 2, she imagines herself as a mermaid* who is moving about and joyfully enjoying the pleasant waves of the sea. In stanza 4, she imagines herself as an orphan who can freely roam the streets leaving impressions of her bare feet. In stanza 6, she imagines herself to be Rapunzel who lived her life in a tranquil state of mind always since she would be alone in the tower as mentioned in the story of Rapunzel.

Mermaid* Meaning – A fictitious half human creature.

Rapunzel* Meaning- The heroine of a fairy tale who had golden hair.

Amanda is the speaker in the stanzas 2, 4 and 6. These stanzas depict her state of mind where she is talking to her own self. However, she is not listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7 which can be clearly understood from the line – “Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!” Amanda is lost in her own thoughts in which she aspires to be free to live her life the way she wants i.e. away from the nagging of her parents.

According to the poem, if Amanda were a mermaid, she would have blissfully drifted in the sea enjoying its smooth waves being the sole inhabitant.

Amanda is not an orphan. She only imagines herself to be so because she feels that if she would be have been an orphan, she would have had the freedom to roam the streets leaving behind the soft impressions of her bare feet. In such a situation, she finds the silence to be golden and the freedom to be sweet.

Rapunzel was a beautiful golden-haired girl who had been kept in captivity by an evil witch. Amanda’s mother used to often scold her for not listening to her and so in order to get rid of her mother’s scolding, she thought that living in a lonely tower, just the way Rapunzel lived would be a life full of peace and tranquility.

Amanda yearns for perfect freedom in her life where she imagines escaping the expectations required of a school going, teenage girl. Amanda is an inquisitive girl who does not like to be constantly nagged and controlled by her parent. She wishes to set free and discover life in her own ways.

After reading the last stanza, Amanda does not seem to be moody or sulking. She only longs for freedom because she has her own opinion and ways of discovering life which is different from the opinion of her parent who constantly wants Amanda to listen and follow her advice.

Sulking* meaning -