The Diary of a Young Girl Blog Post

          I’ve just started reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. It’s a good book about Anne’s life in the secret annex, her hiding place during World War Two. Anne is so removed from the “real” world in the secret annex, that when she’s brought information about the war from people who bring her and her family food and company, it’s shocking to hear. It’s a hard book to relate to, because it’s set in such horrible circumstances that are hard to imagine. The secret annex is very secluded and cramped with two families living there at the moment. They clash on many topics and instead of the proximity bringing them closer, it seems to be tearing most of the members apart. It’s starting off to be a good book, but hard to relate to due to the harsh and traumatic circumstances.

            Anne’s family is staying above her father’s old office building, and their allies are her father’s old colleagues. They bring the Franks and Van Daans (the other family staying with them) food, news about the war, and company when they stay over and act as a buffer for the clashing families. It’s particularly shocking to hear of the news of the war and Anne’s reaction to the news. I know a lot of the horrifying things that took place during WWII, and hearing Anne’s innocent reaction, thinking she will probably never experiences the horrible things happening, is heart breaking, since she doesn’t deserve any of it. I’ve read about WWII, and though it is shocking and disgusting, it has more of an impact to hear about it through the voice of a fourteen-year old girl (like me) actually experiencing (and about to experience) the harsh consequences the war had to offer. I think it’s very fitting that this book is written in the form of a diary, because even though it’s quite hard to relate to and connect to Anne, the diary aspect of it sort of breaks the barrier between author and reader.

            The secret annex is only a few rooms on two floors. The description was very detailed but it was hard for me to imagine so I’m still not totally sure what the layout of it was. They packed two families into it (at least for the start of the book), so they’re constantly together all the time. This can bring certain people closer together for a while, maybe at first they learn more about each other but still aren’t comfortable enough to get mad at one another. After so much time spent together, the Franks and Van Daans are definitely close enough and are comfortable enough together to snap at one another, and all this closeness is tearing them apart, because they’re starting to not be able to stand each other.