1942: Anne starts her diary. She reflects on the process of diary-writing: she does it just because she enjoys it and doesn’t think that her thoughts will mean much to anyone, wants someone to talk to. She reflects on everything she has- friends, a home, family but she feels like there’s no one she can share her true self with She and her family must go into hiding in a ‘secret annex’ because of the Nazis.
Not being able to go outside really upsets Anne, she describes herself feeling ‘terrified’ that her hiding place will be discovered and describes being shot as a ‘fairly dismal prospect’. This shows that she hasn’t really accepted the possibility of this happening. She also mentions that she feels ‘more than she can say’, which highlights her feeling overwhelmed and reveals her true emotional state as she can’t even describe her feelings in her diary, her one true friend.
After a few months in the annex, Anne reflects on how she feels living so closely with the rest of her family. She feels quite distanced from the rest of them, all the aspects which divide her from her family members are magnified in such a small space. Even though she is physically closer to her family than ever before, she feels even more isolated. Her reflection also emphasizes the fact that she is dealing with teenage angst along with the fear of having to hide.
Anne finds it odd how much adults bicker with each other, she thought that it was only something that kids did, but outgrew. This reflection is an example of how mature she is- she is only a teenager but she can accurately find the flaws in adults. This also highlights the conflict apparent in Anne’s life (between the members of the household as well as political groups in Germany/ the Netherlands.
In October, she describes how Jews are being taken to concentration camps and how the media are trying to cover their deaths up as ‘fateful accidents’, criticizing the Nazis and Nazi sympathizers. Anne’s reflection here shows how Anne uses her diary as her voice but also makes it clear how powerless she really is in this situation.
Anne rereads her diary entries from nearly a year ago. She reflects, ‘I'm surprised at my childish innocence. Deep down I know I could never be that innocent again, however much I'd like to be.’ Anne is able to reflect on how this specific change in her life has changed her as a person, and how these events have matured her. She longs for her former life and innocence rather than material possessions or relationships.
In the last entry of 1942, Anne talks about how she must stop playing pranks on the man she shares her bedroom with. This shows how she is maturing, she has no desire to stir things in an already tense time. She also jokes that her common sense ‘will be used up too quickly and I won't have any left by the time the war is over.’ This shows that she is still trying to make light of her situation, and she still has hope that the war will end.
1943: After hearing her parents argue, Anne remarks that she thinks that God is trying to test her. She thinks that becoming a good person is something she must do on her own as she feels her parents aren’t good role models but knows that in the end, it will make her stronger. This shows how Anne is suffering psychologically in the annex, and also highlights how Anne faces emotional isolation more as she is growing up. Anne raises the question of why she is suffering but can’t find an answer, which also draws parallels with the suffering and isolation of European Jews by a supposedly benevolent God.
Anne begins a reflection informing her diary of the horrors she can see occurring outside her window. She actually reflects that she is grateful that she is removed from it her hiding place which emphasizes how she continues to remain optimistic even in the face of the Holocaust. She ends the passage by remarking that talking about it only makes her miserable and that the only thing she can do is wait for it to end. This is a mature way of looking at the situation and emphasizes how much Anne has had to grow up in such a short space of time.
In October 1943, Anne reflects on the amount of conflict within the Annexe. She says she sometimes forgets who she’s at odds with and who she’s not. This reinforces the unnecessary nature of these conflicts, including the conflict of the war happening in her country.
She also discusses how the idea of a life free from conflict is now unimaginable for her- how it seems like ‘after the war’ will never exist. Again, this displays how Anne is losing the naivety of her youth and is finding it even more difficult to remain hopeful. She even has nightmares about the day the Annexe will be discovered, this seems far more inevitable than being free again.
Again, Anne takes some time to reflect on her recent diary entries. She remarks that she doesn’t want her audience to think she is ungrateful. This is confronting, as Anne is in a horrific situation that she has every right to complain about, but still thinks that it could be worse.
1944: At the beginning of the year, Anne reflects on how the relationship between her and her mother has changed during their time in the annex. She says the main thing that she thinks has helped this is them both ‘holding their tongues’, and they seem to be getting along better ‘on the surface’. But the one thing she can’t do is ‘love her with the devotion of a child’. This highlights Anne’s duality- the inner self that she hides with her exterior. It shows that Anne has matured so much that she is able to disguise her feelings toward her mother to at least give the impression that they get along and suggests that Anne’s feelings toward her are more like mutual tolerance rather than familial love.
“Which of the people here would suspect that so much is going on in the mind of a teenage girl?” This reflection of Anne demonstrates her isolation- she feels that because she is a teenager, her feelings and other thoughts are not respected by those around her.
Mid-1994, Anne’s mood seems to shift in a positive direction. She speaks of longing for something, but she doesn’t know what. This embodies the turmoil of being a teenager that Anne displays throughout the novel. This leads to the following quote: “The best remedy for those who are frightened, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere they can be alone, alone with the sky, nature, and God. For then and only then can you feel that everything is as it should be and that God wants people to be happy amid nature's beauty and simplicity.”
This is possibly what Anne is longing for, to be free amongst nature which she can only be a part of through the attic window. Even though she is in a terrible situation, her hope endures because of the simplicity and freedom she finds in nature.
She then reflects ‘Riches, prestige, everything can be lost. But the happiness in your own heart can only be dimmed; it will always be there, as long as you live, to make you happy again.’ Anne has come to realize that happiness does not depend solely on external circumstances. It is always there, even if in a small amount, it just needs to be found and nurtured.
Anne reflects on how she can feel herself maturing every day, as she feels the beauty of nature and the goodness of people around her. She remarks, “Every day I think what a fascinating and amusing adventure this is! With all that, why should I despair?” She thinks that this transformation can be owed to her own traits such as happiness, cheerful disposition, and strength. This highlights how Anne uses her optimism to shed a more positive light on the events and people around her, and in turn, these things help her to grow further as a person. According to Anne’s perspective, her inner personality and positive outcomes mutually reinforce each other. This reflection on the horrific circumstances Anne was faced with is a testament to the kind of person she was.
“The world’s been turned upside down”. Anne describes what is happening to Jews and the people who are trying to help them after one of the annex’s inhabitants is arrested for helping the Jews. She reflects that only the Nazis know what is happening next. This shows how isolated and confused Anne is, her future is uncertain and she can’t understand why people are treating each other the way they are, why good people are being punished for virtuous actions, or why God is allowing it to happen.
Soon after, Anne reflects on how independent she is becoming from her parents. She shares the perspective that the only thing that will make her happy is if she is allowed to be herself. For Anne, the most important aspects of this are her goals, opinions, her religion, and love. She also talks about how much she values her inner strength as well as her courage.
Even though she is removed from the rest of society, Anne focuses on her internal experience of life. She shares her perspective on religion, that beliefs can help individuals stay on the right path, as they are paying attention to their inner consciences, not out of fear of God. She discusses her own spiritual practice: each day she examines what things she has done right and wrong each day. Even though it is hard to practice her own religion properly in the annex, Anne still finds ways to make spirituality an important part of her daily life.
“It's utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering, and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, and I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, and that peace and tranquillity will return once more. In the meantime, I must hold onto my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I'll be able to realize them!”
Anne is being more realistic about her future and accepts what might happen, but she still has hope that she will experience freedom again. She realizes the importance of her ideals- even if they might get her killed, she will stick to them firmly.
In one of the final passages she ever writes, Anne again discusses how torn she feels between her inner self and the self she presents to those around her. She feels as though she can only be herself with herself, and that others will never know the real her. On the outside, people think she’s confident, a flirt, and a know-it-all, but her diary reveals a more reflective and sentimental side.
In a way, her diary shows that she wants people to find out about the real Anne, just as much as she fears her location in the secret Annexe being discovered.