The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank -October 09-14-20-1942

 

The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank
October 09, 1942

  We come to know from this entry what Anne describes as ‘dismal (gloomy very sad) and depressing news’ about their many Jewish ‘friends and acquainted’, who are being taken away in ‘droves’ (crowd, in a large number). The Gestapo (This is secret Nazi police-staff, infamous for its cruelty) is treating them very roughly. The Jews are being taken by them in cattle trucks to Westerbork, which is a big camp in Drenthe. Anne further writes that they have been reported by Miep about all that. The situation in Westerbork is reported to be very terrible. The hostages are given nothing to eat and water is available to them only for one hour a day. There is one toilet and one sink for thousands of people. Men and women are forced to sleep in the same room only. The heads of women and children are shorn off to give them a special identity. Such was the situation in Holland. One can well imagine the situation in faraway and uncivilized places where Jews are being sent there by the Germans. It is also assumed that the Jews are being murdered at those places. According to a report by the English radio, they are being gassed (being exposed to poisonous gas).

Anne feels horrified at the account given by Miep, who is herself very distraught (worried and upset). She also writes here about an elderly and crippled Jewish woman, who was brought on Miep’s doorstep by Gestapo, but Miep dared not let her come inside as she feared the German’s punishment for sheltering Jews.

Bep is also depressed as her boy-friend in being sent to Germany. Every time p[lanes fly over heads. Jews are being filled in them and are daily being sent to Germany. Innocent people are made prisoners, who wait for their execution. If the Gestapo are unable to find any rebel (), they simply pick up five hostages, line them up against a wall and shoot.

Anne ends up this diary entry by describing the Germans the greatest enemy.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1942

Anne writes that she was busy yesterday in translating a chapter from La Belle Nivemaise and she also wrote some vocabulary words. After that, she worked on ‘an awful math problem and translated three pages of French Grammar.

She does not like to do Math daily, so, she takes French grammar and history today. She is also learning these days.

She has read ‘The Storm Family’ which is quite good. She mentions another book ‘Joop ter Heul’ also and both the books are written by the same author Cissy van Marxveldt. She also writes that she has read a lot of plays written by Korner.

Then she describes how Margot and she were lying side by side on the same bed. She felt it nicer. Margot also asked her if she could let her read her diary for once. She allowed her to read in parts and in return she also read hers. (500 words)

Tuesday, October 20, 1942

We come to know from this diary entry as to how Anne was scared when she heard the hammering sound coming across from the book-case. They were not forewarned by the office employees below so that they could have put restraint on their voices and sounds created by their activities. Actually, the carpenter was at work there downstairs. Anne immediately went upstairs to warn Bep about this. He was, at that time, was eating lunch. Then Anne and her father remained at the door in order to listen to the hammering sound if it was coming or not. After working for fifteen minutes, continuous “knocking, pulling, pushing and jerking the book case” started coming from the bookshelf and Anne writes that their faces turned white as they thought their hiding place was detected by the German forces and they were about to be lifted from there.

After that, she heard Mr. Kleiman’s voice saying, “Open, it’s me.” He explained to that the hook fastening (holding) the book case had got stuck and, so, no one from the office could forewarn them about the carpenter.

After this scaring incident, Anne describes the fun they did on Monday. Miep ( a woman who works in her father’s office) and Jan (Miep’s husband)  spent the night with them. Anne and Margot slept in Father and Mother’s room so that guests could sleep in their bed. The meal was delicious as it was prepared according to the guests’ taste and choice.

The festivities were interrupted for short time as the light went off due to short circuit. So the candles were lit.

After having breakfast, the guests left.

Anne and her father made the beds and after that, she learned fives irregular French verbs. After learning them, she joined Peter and Margot and read ‘The Woods are Singing for All eternity’.