The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank-Friday-April 28-1944-onwards

Anne begins her diary entry by writing as to how Peter Schiff haunts her mind.

She also describes here as to how she used to allow herself in passionate kissing with Peter. She also writes as to how she wanted to know if she was doing the right thing in letting herself yield to physical involvement with Peter at her tender age. Several questions went through her mind. She felt herself torn between two extreme points: one was to desist from all this and the second one was to derive pleasure out physical contact. She was in utter confusion if she was right or wrong.

Tuesday May 02, 1944

Anne talked to her father about her relationship with Peter. He advised her that she should be careful. On Sunday morning, Anne’s father asked her if Peter was in love with her. She replied that he was not. After that, he instructed Anne like a father to put restraint on her, not to go upstairs very often and not to encourage him more as far as possible. He informed her that it is always the man who takes active role and it’s up to the woman to set the limits. He added that things were different when she was outside the Annex. She was free to go out, meet boys and girls, and take part in sports and various other activities. But in the Annex, she has to live together and she cannot help seeing each other almost frequently. The need is to be careful and not to take it all so seriously.

After that, Anne told her father that Peter was a nice boy. Her father added that he could easily be influenced to do good and bad also. But he is basically a good boy. Her father also agreed that he would talk to Peter also.

On Sunday afternoon, both of them talked together and agreed to be good friends and trust in each other.

She also told him that she would not come upstairs so often and she has promised to her father.

Anne also reports that Dussel has reconciled with Mr. van Daan by apologizing to him. His birthday was also celebrated in a normal manner.

Tuesday, May 3 1944

First of all, Anne expresses her hope that the invasion on the German & Russian forces would occur again.

The she writes that Mr. Kleiman visits office every morning now. He has brought a new set of spring for ‘Peter’s divan and also flea powder for cats. Their cat Boche has also disappeared from the warehouse. To save at least one meal a day, they have started eating lunch at eleven-thirty and they take only a cup of hot cereal in mornings. No vegetables are there at present for them. 

Only lettuce, spinach, potatoes will be used for meal. She also raises one general question as to why people do not live peacefully; why countries engage themselves in wars; why England is manufacturing bigger and better airplanes and bombs, etc.; why millions are spent on war each day while no money is spent on the medical science, artists or on the poor. Heaps of food  are rotting in the world, but still, in other parts of the world people have to starve and die.

Anne writes that she does not simply believe the war is just the product of the minds of politicians and capitalists. She also holds the common man responsible for wars because they do not revolt against their governments for promoting wars. She believes that people have definitely ‘a destructive urge’ in them to rejoice in rage, murder and killing. Then she believes that it will go on until all humanity without any exception undergoes a metamorphosis (a complete change).

Anne further writes that she is often sad and depressed but, at the same time, she comes out of it by giving a twist to her thoughts. She takes life in the Annex with a sort of adventure, full of danger and some romance in it. She says that she is not going to be like other girls ending up becoming just a home-wife. The Secret Annex has given her a good opportunity to learn something new out of most dangerous and miserable conditions. 

She is well-aware of her hidden potential and she cannot spend all day complaining about one thing or the other. She is blessed with so many things like happiness, a cheerful nature and inner strength. She finds herself maturing each day. She feels the presence of beauty of nature and goodness of the people just around herself.