Chapter 4: From the Diary of Anne Frank

by Anne Frank

Page No. 51 – Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Ans. For Anne, writing in a diary was strange because she had never written anything before. Also, she felt that no one—including herself—would be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl.

Q2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Ans. Anne felt lonely and lacked a true friend with whom she could share her feelings. She wanted the diary to be her friend, which she named Kitty, and confide in it.

Q3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans. She believed that paper has more patience than people. She thought people might not understand her, but her diary would always listen silently without judgment.

📖 Page No. 51–52 – Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Ans. She felt that no one would understand her diary entries unless she provided some background about herself, her family, and her life.

Q2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Ans. Anne mentions that she often thought of her grandmother with love, and during her birthday celebration in 1942, a candle was lit in her memory. This shows her deep affection and respect for her grandmother.

📖 Page No. 54 – Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans. Mr Keesing, Anne’s mathematics teacher, was annoyed because she talked too much in class. As punishment, he gave her extra homework in the form of essays on topics like “A Chatterbox,” “An Incorrigible Chatterbox,” and “Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox.”

Q2. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Ans. She wrote that talking was a student’s trait and that she inherited it from her mother, who was also talkative. She argued convincingly that it was a natural trait and not easy to control.

Q3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Ans. Initially, Mr Keesing seemed strict as he punished Anne for talking. However, later he appreciated her witty essay written in verse and began making jokes himself. This shows he had a good sense of humour and was not too harsh.

Q4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Ans. Anne’s last essay, written in verse with the help of her friend Sanne, humorously portrayed a duck family punished for quacking too much. Mr Keesing enjoyed the joke and shared it with other classes. Since then, he allowed Anne to talk freely in class.

📖 Thinking About the Text (Page No. 55–56)

Q1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Ans. At that time, Anne believed nobody would care about her writings. Ironically, her diary became one of the most widely read books in the world. It provides deep insights into the mind of a young girl facing extraordinary circumstances.

Q2. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different?
Ans. The ‘Before You Read’ entries are factual and descriptive, while Anne’s diary is intimate and emotional. Her diary was originally written in Dutch. Unlike routine records, Anne’s writing treats her diary as a close friend, making it personal and engaging.

Q3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Ans. Anne shares her background so that her imaginary friend ‘Kitty’ and future readers can understand her better. She treats Kitty as an insider, confiding in her as a trusted friend.

Q4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus, and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Ans. Anne adored her father, loved her grandmother deeply, respected Mrs Kuperus (her headmistress), and found Mr Keesing amusing despite his strictness. This shows that she was affectionate, observant, and capable of valuing people in her life.

Q5. What does Anne write in her first essay?
Ans. Her first essay, “A Chatterbox,” argued that talking is a student’s trait and an inherited quality from her mother, so it was difficult for her to control.

Q6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans. Yes. Mr Keesing shifted from being strict and punishing Anne to laughing at her jokes and even sharing her essay with other classes. His change of attitude shows his unpredictability.

Q7. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

(i) Anne’s wish to confide shows she longed for deep companionship.
(ii) Her desire to treat her diary as a friend shows creativity and imagination.
(iii) Her humour about being a birthday present for Margot shows wit.
(iv) Her remark about dummies and unpredictable teachers shows frankness.
(v) Her clever arguments in her essay show originality and intelligence.

Together, these reveal Anne as sensitive, witty, intelligent, observant, and imaginative.

Extra Questions & Answers

Short Answer Type

Why did Anne name her diary ‘Kitty’?
Because she wanted to imagine her diary as a true friend with whom she could confide her thoughts.
Why did Anne dislike giving a sketch of her life?
She felt it was boring and unnecessary but thought it important for readers to understand her story.
What was Anne’s relationship with her grandmother?
She loved her grandmother deeply and remembered her fondly, even lighting a candle in her memory on her birthday.
How did Anne outsmart Mr Keesing in the last essay?
She wrote a humorous poem about quacking ducks, which turned his punishment into a joke on him.
What shows Anne’s sense of humour?
Her witty remark that she was a “birthday present” for her sister Margot shows her playful side.

Long Answer Type

Q1. How does Anne Frank’s diary reflect her personality?
Ans. Anne Frank’s diary reveals her as witty, intelligent, sensitive, and imaginative. She treated her diary as a friend, “Kitty,” showing her need for companionship. She had a sharp sense of humour, as seen in her essays to Mr Keesing. She loved her family deeply, especially her father and grandmother. At the same time, she was honest about her feelings, admitting her loneliness and her struggles with friendships. Her writing style shows clarity of thought, originality, and creativity. Though she was only thirteen, she displayed maturity by reflecting on human nature and the unpredictability of teachers. Her diary captures both the innocence of youth and the depth of a reflective mind. This blend of qualities makes Anne’s writing timeless and relatable.

Q2. What universal lesson does Anne Frank’s diary teach us?
Ans. Anne Frank’s diary teaches that words have the power to preserve truth and human experience. Though she believed no one would care about her musings, her diary became a global voice against hatred and oppression. It reminds us that every individual’s story matters, no matter how young or ordinary they may seem. Her reflections on loneliness, friendship, family, and teachers are relatable to everyone. At the same time, the diary symbolises resilience in the face of suffering. It shows that even in the darkest times, one can find humour, love, and hope. Thus, Anne’s diary is not only a personal record but also a universal lesson about humanity, courage, and the importance of freedom.

Summary of the Lesson (500+ words)

From the Diary of Anne Frank is an extract from Anne Frank’s world-famous diary, The Diary of a Young Girl. It presents the thoughts and experiences of a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl living under extraordinary circumstances during World War II.

Anne begins by explaining why she decided to keep a diary. Although she had a family and acquaintances, she lacked a true confidante. She decided to treat her diary as her closest friend, naming it Kitty. Writing in a diary seemed strange at first, but she felt paper had more patience than people.

Anne then provides a brief account of her life. She was born in Frankfurt in 1929. Her family moved to Holland after the Nazis came to power in Germany. She lived with her parents and sister Margot, whom she loved dearly. She cherished memories of her grandmother, whose death left a lasting impact.

The extract also describes Anne’s school life. She mentions her classmates’ nervousness about exams and her own confidence in most subjects except mathematics. Her maths teacher, Mr Keesing, was annoyed by her constant talking. He gave her extra homework in the form of essays as punishment.

Anne’s witty and intelligent responses to these punishments show her creativity. In her first essay, she argued that talking was a student’s trait and an inherited quality. Mr Keesing laughed but continued to punish her. In another essay titled “An Incorrigible Chatterbox,” she again defended herself. Finally, when asked to write “Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox,” Anne, with her friend Sanne’s help, turned it into a humorous poem about ducks punished for quacking too much. Mr Keesing enjoyed the joke, read it aloud to other classes, and allowed Anne to talk in class thereafter.

The extract highlights Anne’s personality—witty, observant, intelligent, and sensitive. She could write with humour even about her punishments. She also shows deep affection for her father, grandmother, and teachers.

At a deeper level, the extract reflects the resilience of a young girl living in difficult times. Anne’s diary was written while she was hiding from the Nazis. Though the extract does not directly mention war or suffering, it represents the thoughts of a girl who sought comfort in writing when human companionship was insufficient.

In conclusion, Anne Frank’s diary is more than a record of daily life. It reflects her inner world—her longing for companionship, her wit, her intelligence, and her courage. The extract makes us realise why her diary became one of the most widely read books in the world. It provides a timeless lesson about the power of words to capture human experience, even in the darkest times.

✒️ Biography of Anne Frank

Anneliese Marie “Anne” Frank (1929–1945) was a German-born Jewish girl whose diary became one of the most powerful testimonies of the Holocaust. Born on 12 June 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, Anne was the younger daughter of Otto Frank and Edith Hollander Frank.

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power, the Frank family moved to Amsterdam to escape persecution. However, after the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, Jews faced increasing restrictions. In July 1942, when deportations of Jews began, the family went into hiding in a secret annex of Otto Frank’s office building. They were joined by the Van Pels family and later Fritz Pfeffer.

During two years in hiding, Anne kept a diary, which she received on her thirteenth birthday. In it, she recorded her daily life, fears, hopes, and reflections. She named her diary “Kitty” and treated it as her closest friend. Her entries reveal her sharp observations, humour, intelligence, and deep emotions.

In August 1944, the hiding place was betrayed, and the residents were arrested. Anne and her sister Margot were deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they both died of typhus in early 1945. Anne was only fifteen years old.

Otto Frank, the only survivor of the group, later discovered Anne’s diary preserved by Miep Gies, a helper. Recognising its value, he arranged for its publication. First published in Dutch in 1947 as Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex), the diary was later translated into many languages under the title The Diary of a Young Girl. It has since sold millions of copies worldwide.

Anne Frank’s diary is remarkable not only because it documents life during Nazi persecution but also because it reflects the voice of a young girl growing up in extraordinary circumstances. Her writings show maturity beyond her age, combined with innocence and humour. She wrote about her relationships, ambitions, and dreams, as well as about fear and suffering.

The diary has been adapted into plays, films, and even operas. Anne Frank has become a symbol of the human cost of hatred and war. Her words—“I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart”—continue to inspire readers across generations.

Today, Anne Frank is remembered not only as a victim of the Holocaust but as a gifted writer whose voice continues to speak for millions who suffered. Her diary stands as a testament to resilience, hope, and the enduring power of words.

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