The Diary of a Young Girl- Ch. 1- (14 June 1942 - 14 August 1942) Study Material

A novel for class 10- English CBSE

By Anne Frank

Chapter 1- Notes and Study Material

Following is the novel of CBSE class 10 – The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. All the aspects like chapter wise summary in simple words, downloadable pdf files, short story of the novel, book review, Anne Frank Biography, Important Extra questions and Answers for SA 1 and SA 2, short Summary, main characters, Anne Frank autobiography, solutions of the diary of a young girl,Chapter wise Notes and Study Material, Introduction, Analysis, Understanding the Theme, main characters, Chapters in short, Conclusion and much more you will find below. Just get dive in-

Letters from 14 June 1942 – 14 August 1942

1. Anne’s family fled to a secret hiding to save their lives. What kind of difficulties did they have to face to hide from the neighbours?

Ans. The Nazis sent call-up notices for people to appear for deportation to Concentration Camps. While they are all fleeing, they must do so inconspicuously, so that they are not caught evading the call-up and are not suspected of going into hiding. They must be completely quiet in hiding, otherwise, someone will report that there are people being hidden, and they will be discovered and either killed immediately by Nazi police or taken to Concentration Camps. Anne is frightened because she is not used to such darkness and silence at night.

The Frank family lived a frightened life in the Secret Annexed so as to keep themselves undetected from their neighbours. They had a radio set but were compelled to listen to at a low voice. Anne writes “I was so terribly frightened that someone might hear it that I simply begged Daddy to come upstairs with me.” In the Secret Annexe, they were very nervous that the neighbours might hear them or see something going on. It was the continued silence prevailing in the Secret Annexed that frightened that hiding peoples the most. They lived in constant fear of being discovered and shot down. Anne’s elder sister, Margot had developed bad cold and coughed at night. They gave her extra doses of medicine so that she could not cough loud. During the daytime, they had to whisper and tread lightly so as to avoid any chance of being heard by the people in the warehouse.

2. Why does Anne go into such details of describing the ‘Secret Annexed’?

Ans. Anne describes the ‘Secret Annexe’ giving minute details as it was the hiding place for the Franks, the Van Deans and a few others after the S.S. sent a call-up notice for Margot Frank, Anne’s elder sister. The Franks, along with a few others had to move to the Annexed in order to escape the atrocities of the Germans.

Anne heaved a sigh of relief when her parents assured her that they won’t allow taking her sixteen years old sister away as Anne’s father had already planned about going into hiding. However, Anne wondered about their hiding place. Where would they go? In a town or the country? In a house or a cottage? When, how, where 9 Anne could not get these questions out of her mind. Anne was highly curious about their future hiding place. What followed only served to increase her curiosity further.

No wonder, Anne, so curious about their hiding place, takes pains to describe the “secret Annexed” with all the minute details. The entire building is described with a carefully drawn map that shows all the floors including details of how they were furnished and also how various parts of the floors were interconnected. Anne herself reveals that Kitty being her best friend ought to know where she ended up. It was also her way of coming to terms with reality.

3. What difficulties did Anne experience at school?

Anne avoided going to school on a regular basis. What made it so painful for her?

Ans. Anne faced various difficulties at school. The whole class B trembled when teachers’ meeting was to be held concerning who would be moved to the next level. Anne though sure of her moving “up” to the next “form” was greatly disturbed by the constant belting going on among her classmates. Anne herself says that neither Mie’s pleas nor Anne’s angry outbursts calmed them.

Though Anne got along quite well with all her teachers, Mr Kept or, the old math master was highly annoyed with her. It was so because Anne chattered a lot in the class. Anne had realized that Mr Kept or wanted to make a fool of her with the absurd theme he had asked her to write on. She vowed to make him the laughing stock of the whole class.

Though Anne finally succeeded to be in the good books of Mr Kept or by composing a poem on a family of ducks and making Kept or sees the joke, she wished she didn’t have to go to school. Anne’s bicycle was stolen in the Easter holidays and Daddy had given Mummy’s to a Christian family for safekeeping. But Anne still had to go to school in the sweltering heat! However, she was glad as holidays were near and after a week, the “agony” of going to school would be over!

4. What impression do you get about Jewish society from the description of dating by Anne?

Ans. Anne gives a vivid description of dating as practised in Jewish society. She herself admits that though Kitty, her diary, would be rather surprised at the fact that she should talk of boyfriends at her age, one simply couldn’t avoid it at her school. It seems as if dating was in the air! Anne says that after having finished playing “Ping-Pong”, the players used to visit the nearest ice-cream shop, Delphi or Oasis, where Jews were allowed. There was no need for extra pocket money as some kindhearted gentleman or “boyfriend” presented them with more ice cream than they could devour in a week.

Anne says that she was often asked by boys at school if they could bicycle her back home. They seemed to be focused more on romance rather than studies and it could not be considered proper by any means concerning their age.

Moreover, the Jewish society does not seem to consider love and romance as great a taboo as it is still considered in many eastern societies.

5. What do you learn about Anne Frank’s family and early life from her entry of 20 June 1942?

Ans. Anne’s diary dated 20 June 1942 reveals that Anne felt quite lonely despite having loving, caring parents, an elder sister and thirty people whom she could call friends. She found paper more patient than people around. It is a sad fact concerning Anne’s family and her early life.

Anne could talk to all around including her family and friends. But she says that it was just fun and joking. There was no bosom friend she could confide in. No one seemed to understand what she was actually going through.

Moreover, a number of boys felt drawn towards Anne. Anne admits that it may seem strange that a girl should talk of boyfriends at her age, but pours her heart out anyhow.

Besides, Anne also describes Hitler’s anti-Jewish laws. The diary entry presents a pathetic picture concerning the Jews. The diary entry dated 20 June 1942 gives a detailed description of her family as well. It mentions her parents’ marriage, her sister Margot’s birth and the family emigrating to Holland from Frankfurt – am – Main. The rest of Anne’s family felt the full impact of Hitler’s anti-Jewish laws. After the pogroms in 1938, Anne’s maternal uncles escaped to the USA. Her old grandmother came to them.

However, Anne sadly pens down that good time “rapidly fled” after May 1940, First, it was the war. Then it was the capitulation. Then arrived the German making the Jews suffer. Anti-Jewish decrees followed in quick succession.

In this way, the diary entry made by Anne, dated 20 June 1942 gives a detailed account of Anne’s family, Germans atrocities and Anne’s early life.

Traits of Anne: The way Anne describes her moth’s teacher reveals some interesting and important traits in her character. She had a sharp and analytical mind as she understood well that Mr Kept or was annoyed with her for a long time because of her continuous chatter. Also, she is a good writer and makes optimum use of her creativity when Mr Kept or punishes her, asking her to write various compositions.

Besides being creative, Anne delves deep into the reasons behind her being loquacious as she understands that talking being an inherited trait can never be cured fully. Thus, her outlook on life is not superficial. She is quite pragmatic paying attention to the cause, consequence and even the feasibility of the solution. Anne is also a person of high self-esteem. She does not allow Mr Kept or and others to laugh at her for long.

7. How did Anne and her family reach the ‘Secret Annexed?

How did the Franks act upon their plan to hide in the Annexed?

How did the Franks execute the plan of their escape?

Ans. Leaving behind some meat and an unlearned house, the Franks left for their hiding place. They walked in the pouring rain carrying their packages. As they were thus walking they got sympathetic looks from people on their way to work. One could see by their faces how sorry they were that they could not offer the Franks a lift. The yellow star that the Franks wore apparently showed them to be Jews and that was the reason for not being offered a lift. Only when they were on the roads that Anne’s parents began to tell the kids all the plan, in bits and pieces. They revealed that for months as many of their goods and other necessities of life as possible had been sent away to the Secret Annexe. Anne’s parents also told the kids that they were sufficiently ready for the family to move into the hiding place on their own accord on July 16, anyway. They also left behind a note with an address in Maastricht written on it, pretending to have left for that place.

8. The family went in hiding at a short notice as the Nazis had occupied Holland in 1942. What were their feelings at the time of packing the things and leaving their house?

Under what circumstances did the Franks have to go into hiding?

Describe the event when the Franks left their house on Mere depleting.

Describe the atmosphere at Anne’s home after the S.S. sent a `call-up’.

Ans. It was on the 8th of July 1942. Anne’s examination results were announced in the Jewish theatre. Anne’s father had been at home a lot during that time on one of these days, he began to talk of the family going into hiding. When Anne asked him why on earth he started talking of hiding already. Daddy replied that they had to disappear on their own accord. He did not want their belongings to be seized by the Germans, not even wait until they came to fetch the Franks. Within a couple of days so much happened at home that Anne felt several years had passed. It was as if the whole world had turned upside down. On Sunday Margot appeared to break the news that the S.S. had sent a call-up notice for Daddy. But Mr Otto Frank was not around. In the meantime, Mrs Frank started discussing her plans with Mr Van Dan whose family would also go into hiding with the Franks. When finally Daddy arrived, they called Mr Koophius to ask if he could come in the evening. Then Mie came to collect her belongings in a bag. Then there was just silence at home and no one felt like eating. Anne was dog tired and slept off. The next morning as they started Anne felt choked with grief. They all left leaving the house in helter-skelter with the only thought of getting away, escaping and arrive safely.

9.Comment on the title of the book ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’.

Ans. This book, as the title goes, is all about the entries made in her diary by a thirteen years old Jewish girl, Anne Frank. The diary, therefore, records the first-hand experience of Anne as a victim of the anti-Jewish decree of Nazis under the leadership of Hitler. Hitler hated Jews and this hatred brought misery for the Jews in the regions ruled by the Germans. Holland was one such region, where Anne Frank’s family lived. Anne Frank’s diary charts two years of her life from 1942 to 1944 when the family had to go into hideouts. Anne’s family, therefore, moved into a hiding place called the `Secret Annexed’. Besides the miserable news about the tortures meted out to the Jews, the circumstances in the enclosed ‘Secret Annexed’ had made the inmates’ life tumultuous. Anne Frank thus records her hopes, frustrations, misunderstandings, the attitudes of others and other feelings of her own as well as of those staying in the Secret Annexe.

10. How does Anne’s Math’s teacher, who punished her with extra homework, give up his dislike for Anne?

Why did Mr Kissing punish Anne? How did Anne devise a plan to stop him from teasing her?

Write a detailed character-sketch of Mr Kept or, Anne’s Math’s teacher.

Ans. Mr Kept or was the old math’s teacher of Anne. He was annoyed with Anne because she chattered too much. Once he made her write a composition with ‘A chatterbox’ as the subject. Anne pondered too much on the title. She could write any nonsense on the subject but Anne wanted to prove beyond doubt to her teacher the necessity of talking. Then she started writing a debate on the topic. She argued that talking is a feminine characteristic and that she would do her best to keep it under control. She also added that she could never be cured of ‘talking’ as it was an inherited quality for her from her mother. Mr Kept or laughed at these arguments but gave another composition to her titled ‘Incurable chatterbox’. Anne wrote this too and Kept or made no complaint. In the third lesson, she has given a topic ‘Quack, Quack, Quack says Mrs N after beak. Her friend Sam came to her rescue this time, offering to do the composition in poetry form. Anne was in joy as it would be a fit for that from her to Mr Kept or who wanted to make a fool of her with the absurd theme. The poem was written about 3 baby ducklings being bitten to death by father because they chattered too much. Mr Kept or read the poem to the class and from that day he allowed Anne to talk.

11. Describe the events of June 12 and June 14 which made Anne happy.

How did Anne celebrate her birthday?

Ans. June 12th, Friday was Anne’s birthday. Though she had woken up at six o’clock, she was not allowed to get up at that time. So she had to control her curiosity until a quarter to the van after that Anne could bear no longer. She went to the dining room where she received a tar? Welcome from Mortem (the cat). Then she went to her mummy and daddy and then to use sitting room to open her presents. The first to greet her was. Her own diary, the nicer sing of Alfaro her. Then there were a bunch of roses, plant and some peonies and more arrived during the day. She also got a lot of things from mummy and daddy and many of her friends. Then Anne was called by Lies along whom she wants to school. During the recess, Anne treated everyone to sweet biscuits.

Anne had her birthday party on Sunday, 14th June afternoon. They showed a film “The Lighthouse Keeper with Ili n-Tin-Tin” which her school friends thoroughly enjoyed. There were lots of girls and boys in her clams and all of them had a lovely time.

12. I low did the diary help Anne overcome her loneliness?

Draw a pen sketch of Anne’s best friend, ‘Kitty’

The diary fulfilled a deeply felt need to write in Anne. Discuss.

Ans. “I’ll Diary of a Young Girl’ is the recordings of a little girl’s feelings in the form of a diary. Therefore, whatever we find here can be understood as her genuine thoughts and feelings. For Anne, writing the diary had been a great relief, an outlet for her pent-up feelings. Her family consisted of four members — she, her father, her mother and her sister Margot. Her father Mr Frank had been the only person whom she loved most. Her mother Mrs Frank had always felt that Anne was a small girl who needed guidelines. So, she showed more friendliness toward Anne’s sister Margot. These things had somewhat made Anne feel lonely. As long as she went to school, she did not feel this much. Once in the hideout, Anne started feeling lonely. Though she tried to be on good terms with other members of the Secret Annexe, no one showed her love, care or respect. Anne longed for everything and beyond these a companion with whom she could share her feelings. Being in the hideout increased her longing to take her freedom and her friends and her ‘Diary’ had thus been her only reliable companion.

13. What restrictions had been imposed by the Nazis on the Jews in Holland?

Ans. It was the time when Hitler ruled Germany. He had hatred towards the Jews and that resulted in bringing misery to them in the regions overpowered by the Germans. Holland being one where Frank’s family lived, they had to abide by several ‘anti-Jewish’ laws. The people living there had to lead a life filled with anxiety. The anti-Jewish decrees imposed by Hitler were:

(i)Jews had to wear a yellow star and had to hand in their bicycles.

(ii) Jews were banned from trams and were forbidden to drive.

(iii) They wore allowed to do shopping only in ‘Jews shops’ between three o’clock to five O’clock.

(iv) They were also forbidden to visit theatres, cinemas and other places of entertainment

(v) Jews should not take part in public sports.

(vi) They were prohibited from tennis courts, swimming baths, hockey fields and other sports grounds and were not even allowed to visit Christians.

(vii) Jewish children were permitted only in the Jewish schools.