The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank Friday August 21, 1942

 The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank

Friday August 21, 1942

Anne proceeds further by telling us that Mr. Kugler thought that it would be better “to have a bookcase built in front of the entrance’ to their hiding place. It would open like a door and Mr. Voskuijl do the carpentry work on it and Anne says that Mr. Voskuijl was also told that seven of them were in hiding and he had been very helpful to them.

 Now they had to bend low and then move out of that ddo if they wanted to go downstairs. In the beginning, they were not habitual of doing it. So thye had bumps (slight swelling due to some hitting) on their foreheads. Peter cushioned it by nailing a towel stuffed with something soft.

Anne gave herself vacation upto September, so she did not do much homework. There was not much change in their lives there. Peter’s hair was washed that day. Mr. van Daan and Anne’s mother were always at loggerheads (in a quarrelling mood) with each other.

Anne always felt irritated when her mother treated her like a child. Peter was an obnoxious (annoying) boy and kept on lying on his bed all the time. Her mother delivered another one of her “dreadful sermons (preaching) that morning. Anne liked her father very much although he got mad at her, but that did not last for more time. It was a beautiful day outside, but they had to pass it by lounging (passing time in a lazy , relaxed and idle way)

Wednesday, September 02, 1942

In this entry, Anne describes a terrible fight Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan. She says that it was so horrible that even her father and mother could never dream of shouting so loudly as they did. The cause of the argument was was very trivial (small) She takes pity on Peter, who is caught between them, but she calls him “hypersensitive (highly sensitive) and lazy.

She uses the word “hypochondriac” (the person who always thinks that he is ill while there is nothing wrong with him or her).

She quotes several instances to prove it. She says that he remained much worried the previous dy because his tongue was blue intead of pink and it became pink after some time.

Today he is walking with a heavy scarf wrapped around his head as he has got a stiff neck. He has been complaining of lumbago (a pain in the lower part of the back). Aches and pains are very common in his kidney, heart and lungs. The relation between Mother and vaan Daan are not cordial. The issues are very trivial. Mrs. Van Daan becomes annoyed if her cup-plates are used by Frank family. Mrs. Van Daan’s soup bowels got broken the previous day by Anne accidently and she angrily explained, “Can’t you be more careful? That was my last one.”

She also tells us that both of the ladies speak Dutch language horribly. After that, Anne narrates to us about Peter’s attempt to read book that was meant for adults. He took it secretly and went upstairs to read it and satisfy his curiousity about what the book contained. After two days, Mr. van Daan noticed it and snatched the book from Peter in a fit. Peter was not in the least fazed (worried / embarrassed) by his father’s action.

 After that, Mrs. van Daan asked Anee’s mother for her opinion on that. Her mother gave reasons that girls are more mature than boys. She also adds the difference between Peter and Margot by saying that “Margot’s much more sensible and intellectually advanced as a result of her four years at an excellent school.” But Mrs. Van Daan was not in favour of letting youngsters read books that are meant for adults.

In spite of all that, Peter found suitable time to pick up that book and read it at the same place. It was seven thirty in the evening when the entire family went downstairs in Anne’s father’s private office to listen to the radio. But Peter was lost in the book and forgot about the time also. 

He was coming down when his father entered the room. There was ascene after that and then a tuf-of-war between the two. The book lay on the floor. It was the time for dinner for all, but Peter went upstairs. No one gave a thought to him. He was to pass night without eating.

They were all busy eating and chatting when suddenly they heard a piercing whistle and then they stopped eating.their faces were pale and they also heard a voice through chimney,

“I won’t come down.”

Mr. van Daan was furious as he heard it. He jumped up and shouted, “I’ve had enough!” Anne’s father was afraid of what might happen next and he grabbed Mr. van Daan’s hand and both of them went upstairs. There was much struggling and kicking and then Peter was in his room with door shut and the rest of them went on eating.

Mrs. van Daan wished to save some bread for her darling son, but her husband didn’t allow her to do that.

Peter didn’t apologise and went up to the loft. The next morning Mr. van Daan noted that Peter had slept in his bed and had gone to the attic again. But he came downstairs when Anne’s father spoke some polite words to him. It took three days to make the thing normal in the house.