Summary
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is one of the most widely read and influential accounts of the Holocaust. Written by a Jewish teenager hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II, the diary provides a vivid, poignant, and deeply personal perspective on one of history's darkest chapters. First published in Dutch in 1947, it has since been translated into over 70 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
Anne Frank began writing in her diary on June 12, 1942, shortly before her family went into hiding in a secret annex behind her father's business. For two years, she recorded her experiences, thoughts, and emotions as she and seven others lived in cramped quarters, fearing discovery. Her last entry was dated August 1, 1944, just days before the group was betrayed and arrested. Tragically, Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early 1945 at the age of 15.
The diary was preserved by Miep Gies, one of the Dutch citizens who had helped hide the Frank family. She gave it to Anne's father Otto, the only survivor of the group, after the war. Otto Frank edited and published his daughter's writings, which have since captivated readers with Anne's keen observations, humor, and unflagging spirit in the face of persecution. The most famous adaptation is the 1955 play The Diary of Anne Frank, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1959.
Plot
In June 1942, Anne Frank receives a diary for her 13th birthday. She begins writing in it, addressing her entries to an imaginary friend named Kitty. Shortly after, Anne and her family are forced to go into hiding in a secret annex behind her father's business in Amsterdam to escape persecution from the Nazis who are occupying the Netherlands. They are joined by another Jewish family, the van Pels, and later by Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist.
For over two years, the eight people live in cramped quarters, trying to maintain silence during the day and relying on friends to bring them food and supplies. Anne writes about the day-to-day challenges of their confined life, including food shortages, the tensions between the inhabitants, and her own adolescent struggles. She also expresses her hopes, fears, and budding romantic feelings, particularly toward Peter van Pels.
Throughout her writings, Anne reflects on the war raging outside, her dreams for the future, and her desire to become a writer. She revises and edits her diary entries after hearing a radio broadcast calling for people to document their experiences during the occupation. Anne's final diary entry is on August 1, 1944.
On August 4, 1944, the annex was discovered by the Gestapo and its occupants arrested. The diary ends abruptly at this point. Anne and the others are sent to concentration camps. Anne died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in early 1945, just months before the camp's liberation. Her father Otto, the only survivor of the group, returned to Amsterdam after the war and was given Anne's diary, which had been saved by his former employees. He decided to publish it, fulfilling Anne's wish to become a writer.
Themes
Coming of age and self-discovery
Hope and resilience in the face of adversity
Human nature and the duality of good and evil
Family relationships and conflict
Identity and discrimination
The impact of war on ordinary people
The power of writing as self-expression
Setting
The diary takes place during World War II, specifically from 1942-1944, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This was a time of great upheaval and persecution for Jewish people across Europe, as Hitler's regime systematically targeted and murdered Jews. The war created an atmosphere of fear, oppression, and secrecy for those trying to avoid Nazi capture.
The primary setting is Amsterdam, Netherlands, where the Frank family lived before going into hiding. More specifically, most of the diary is written from the “Secret Annex” - a hidden set of rooms in the building where Anne's father Otto worked. This confined space, which Anne describes in great detail, becomes the entire world for the eight people hiding there for over two years.
Within the Secret Annex, Anne writes about the various rooms and how the inhabitants use the limited space. She describes the attic where Peter van Pels stays, the main living area, the small bathroom, and the bedroom she shares with others. Though physically restricted to this area, Anne's imagination and writing allow her to explore the outside world she remembers and longs to rejoin someday. The contrast between the cramped hiding place and Anne's rich inner world is a key element of the setting.
Key Figures
Anne Frank: The 13-year-old Jewish girl who wrote the diary while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Anne is introspective, outspoken, and has dreams of becoming a writer. She struggles with her identity and relationship with her mother while in hiding. Anne's diary entries reveal her innermost thoughts and observations about life in the Secret Annex and her hopes for the future.
Otto Frank: Anne's father and the only member of the Frank family to survive the Holocaust. Otto is level-headed and tries to keep peace in the Secret Annex. He has a close relationship with Anne and encourages her writing. After the war, Otto works to publish Anne's diary and preserve her legacy.
Edith Frank: Anne's mother. Anne has a strained relationship with Edith and often feels misunderstood by her. Edith struggles to maintain order and discipline in the cramped living quarters of the Annex.
Margot Frank: Anne's older sister. Margot is quiet and studious, in contrast to Anne's more extroverted personality. Anne admires Margot's intelligence but sometimes feels jealous of her.
Peter van Pels: The teenage son of the van Pels family who hides with the Franks. Anne develops romantic feelings for Peter during their time in hiding. Peter is shy and struggles with the confinement of the Annex.
Auguste van Pels: Peter's mother. Anne finds her to be argumentative and critical. Auguste often clashes with the other residents of the Annex.
Hermann van Pels: Peter's father and Otto Frank's business partner. He tries to maintain a sense of normalcy in the Annex by discussing business matters with Otto.
Fritz Pfeffer: A dentist who joins the group in hiding and shares a room with Anne. Anne finds him annoying at times due to their cramped living situation.
Quick facts
The diary was originally written in Dutch and has since been translated into over 70 languages.
Anne received the diary as a 13th birthday present on June 12, 1942, just weeks before her family went into hiding.
The diary covers the period from June 14, 1942 to August 1, 1944 - a span of just over two years.
Anne addressed many of her diary entries to an imaginary friend named “Kitty".
Otto Frank, Anne's father, was the only member of the family to survive the Holocaust. He published the diary in 1947.
The original manuscript consists of three volumes written by Anne, plus additional loose sheets.
Anne had rewritten and edited portions of her diary in 1944, hoping to publish it as a novel after the war.
The diary has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling books of all time.
It was adapted into a Pulitzer Prize-winning play in 1955 and an Oscar-winning film in 1959.
In 2009, the diary was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, recognizing its historical significance.
About the Author
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl whose diary has become one of the most widely read accounts of the Holocaust. Born in 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, Anne and her family fled to Amsterdam in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution. In July 1942, the Franks went into hiding in a secret annex of Otto Frank's office building, where they remained for two years before being discovered and arrested by the Gestapo in August 1944.
During her time in hiding, Anne kept a diary documenting her experiences, thoughts, and dreams for the future. She wrote candidly about the difficulties of living in cramped quarters, her relationships with her family members and the others in hiding, and her hopes of becoming a writer after the war. Anne's final diary entry was written on August 1, 1944, just days before the annex was raided.
After their arrest, Anne and her sister Margot were sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they both died of typhus in February or March 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated. Otto Frank was the only member of the group to survive the war. Upon returning to Amsterdam, he was given Anne's diary that had been saved by his former employee Miep Gies. Recognizing its literary and historical value, Otto worked to have the diary published in 1947 under the title Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex).
Since its publication, The Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into over 70 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Anne Frank has become an international symbol of the Holocaust and the dangers of intolerance and discrimination. The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where the Frank family hid, is now a museum that attracts over a million visitors annually. Anne's words continue to resonate with readers of all ages, serving as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and persecution.
