The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank-Friday-July 23-1943 onwards

 The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank

Friday-July 23-1943 onwards

Anne begins this entry mentioning that Bep is able to get notebooks, particularly journals & ledgers for Margot, who is also thinking of doing calligraphy course.

Mother would not allow Anne to do that due to her weak eye-sight. Another thing, she mentions here is that Margot and Mr. van Daan wish to have a hot bath for about half an hour in a tub filled to the brim. Mrs. Van Daan would like to eat a cake while Anne’s mother strongly desires to have a cup of real coffee. He r father would like to visit Mr. Voskuijl and Peter wishes to go downtown. Anne longs to have a home of their own to move around freely and also have someone who can help her in doing her homework. It means she wishes to go back to school.

Bep has offered them to have some fruit at the so called ‘bargain prices’.

Monday, July 26, 1943

Anne writes that the previous day was full of excitement, confusion and surprise. There was a first warning siren in the morning. They were at the breakfast table at that time. They knew that the warning meant to inform them that all the planes were just crossing the coast. So they did not bother much. Anne had a severe headache, so she lay down in her bed for one hour after having breakfast.

At 2:30, Margot just started gathering her things after having finished her work. Immediately then, the sirens sounded again. So, both of them went upstairs. After about five minutes, the guests were booming loudly. Anne got so much frightened that she wished to run away. But she knew that running was equally dangerous for her.

After half an hour, the drone of engines faded and the house began to hum with activities again. Peter came out of his position and Dussel was in the front office. Mrs. Van Daan felt secured in the private office and Mr. van Daan had been watching all from the loft. Smoke had engulfed the city like a thick fog.

At the time of dinner, there was another raid alarm. But nothing happened and after forty five minutes later, ‘the all clear’ signal was sounded. After some time, there was another air raid warning and it was soon followed by ‘gun fire and swarms of planes.

The bombardment ruined the other parts of the city this time. Schiphol Airport was ruined. The planes were diving and the drone of engines of the planes filled the air cause scare in the minds of the people.

At seven o’clock Anne woke up all of a sudden. She had heard Mr. van Daan say “everything”. But as the effect of sleep left her, she came to know that Mussolini had resigned and the king of Italy had taken over the government. It was big news for them. They hoped for an early end to the war. Kugler reported to them that the ‘Fokker aircraft factory’ had been hit hard by the air strikers. Air-raid warnings continued as it normally happens during the war days.

Thursday, July 29, 1943

This diary entry informs us that Mrs. Van Daan, Dussel and Anne are presently doing the dishes quietly. But Anne wanted to break the silence by uttering something. After racking her brain, she reached the conclusion that mentioning the book “Henry from Across the Street’ would fit the bill (suit the situation). It made Mr. Dussel deliver a long lecture.

“How can you possibly understand the psychology of a man?...but you’re far too young to read a book like that…”

Mrs. Van Daan and Dussel also had an opportunity to continue with their harangue (criticism or angry speech):

“You’ve been brought up all wrong. Later on, when you’re older, you won’t be able to enjoy anything anymore. You’ll say, “Oh, I read that twenty years ago in some book.” You’d better hurry if you want to watch a husband or fall in love, since everything is bound to be disappointment to you…”

Amazingly Anne replied to them calmly on the point of being raised properly or not. But she was filled with so much rage (extreme anger) that she could have slapped both of them for making fun of her. But she had to contain her anger. anger) that she could have slapped both of them for making fun of her. But she had to contain her anger.

Anne says that Mrs. Van Daan is excessively pushy (aggressive), egotistical (boastful), cunning, calculatying and perpetually (for ever) dissatisfied. She is vain-glorious and a coquette woman. Anne further adds that she can write a whole book on her bad points. She is friendly to the strangers, especially men. Her family members have different views on her personality traits. Her mother believes that she is too stupid for words; for Margot, too unimportant; for Pim, too ugly in both ways! Anne believes that Mrs. Van Daan has many more bad traits in addition to the ones quoted above.