From the Diary of Anne Frank

Chapter Summary

Written by: Anne Frank
Genre: Autobiographical Diary
Taken from: The Diary of a Young Girl
Theme: Loneliness, the power of writing, innocence during war, and self-expression

Introduction to Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who lived during the time of World War II. She received a diary on her 13th birthday, which she named Kitty. In the diary, she wrote about her life, thoughts, feelings, and the time she spent hiding from the Nazis.

Why Anne Started Writing a Diary

Anne started writing because she felt lonely. Although she had many people around her — parents, a sister, and classmates — she felt that she had no true friend to share her real thoughts and emotions with.

She believed in the saying, “Paper has more patience than people”, which means paper listens without judging, unlike people.

Her Relationship with the Diary

Anne treated her diary like a real friend and decided to share everything with it. She didn’t want it to be like a normal record of events. Instead, she wanted it to feel personal and emotional. That’s why she gave it a name — Kitty.

A Glimpse of Her Family Life

In her diary, Anne gave a brief background of her family:

• Her father, Otto Frank, moved to Holland in 1933.

• Her mother and sister followed him, and Anne joined them later.

• She shared happy and emotional memories of her grandmother, especially her birthdays.

• She also spoke about her school life and how she was close to her teacher, Mrs. Kuperus.

Her School Experience

Anne described the tension in her classroom before results. Students were nervous about promotion to the next class. Some were even betting on who would pass or fail.

Anne was confident in all subjects except mathematics. She also mentioned how some students didn’t study seriously and might be held back.

The Incident with Mr. Keesing

Mr. Keesing was Anne’s math teacher. He used to get angry because she talked too much in class. So, he gave her extra homework — essays as punishment.

• First, she wrote an essay titled “A Chatterbox”. She argued that talking was a natural student trait and also inherited from her mother.

• Then he gave her another essay: “An Incorrigible Chatterbox”. She completed it too.

• The third essay he gave was “Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox”, which was meant as a joke.

Anne, with help from her friend Sanne, turned it into a funny poem about a duck family. This creative idea impressed Mr. Keesing.

Change in Mr. Keesing’s Behaviour

Instead of punishing her further, Mr. Keesing laughed and enjoyed her poem. He even shared it with other classes. After that, he never gave her extra work again and started making jokes himself. This showed a positive change in his attitude towards Anne.

What This Chapter Tells Us About Anne

From her diary entries, we learn that Anne was:

• Intelligent and witty

• Emotionally mature for her age

• Creative and humorous

• Sensitive and thoughtful

Her simple words show deep feelings. Her diary gives us a window into the life of a young girl during a time of fear and conflict.

Moral / Message of the Chapter

• Writing helps express emotions when there’s no one to talk to.

• Creativity and honesty can change people's minds (like Anne did with Mr. Keesing).

• Even young people can feel deep loneliness and want real connections.

• The story also reminds us about the harsh reality of war and what Jewish families like Anne’s had to go through.

NCERT Questions with Answers

Oral Comprehension Check – Page 51

Q1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Ans. Anne finds writing in a diary strange because she has never done it before, and she feels that no one would be interested in what a 13-year-old girl writes. Still, she writes because she wants to express her thoughts.

Q2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Ans. Anne wants to keep a diary because she feels lonely. She has many people around her but no true friend with whom she can share her feelings. So, she decides to treat her diary as a friend.

Q3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans. Anne believed that paper had more patience than people. She felt that people didn’t understand her deeply, but her diary would listen silently without judging her.

Oral Comprehension Check – Page 51

Q1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Ans. Anne gives a short summary of her life so that readers can understand her background and her family before she starts writing about her personal thoughts and experiences.

Q2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Ans. Anne loved her grandmother very much. She missed her during her birthday, lit a candle in her memory, and said she often thinks about her, even after her death.

Oral Comprehension Check – Page 54

Q1. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans. Mr Keesing was annoyed because Anne talked a lot in class. As a punishment, he asked her to write essays about being a chatterbox.

Q2. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Ans. Anne wrote that talking was a habit of students, and she inherited it from her mother. She also promised to control it, but said she couldn't stop it completely.

Q3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Ans. At first, Mr Keesing seemed strict because he punished Anne for talking. But later, he laughed at her creative essay and became friendly. So, he wasn’t too strict; he just wanted discipline.

Q4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Ans. Anne wrote a funny poem for her third essay with the help of her friend. Mr Keesing enjoyed the poem and understood her creative side. After that, he allowed her to talk and even joked with the class.

Thinking About the Text – Page 54

Q1. Was Anne right when she said the world would not be interested in the musings of a 13-year-old girl?
Ans. No, Anne was not right. Her diary became one of the most read books in the world. It showed how deeply children can think and how important their words can be, especially during difficult times.

Q2. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different from other diary entries?
Ans. Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary is different because it is not just a record of events. She writes her real feelings, emotions, and deep thoughts. She also writes in a storytelling style, which makes it interesting.

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 gives a short sketch of her family to help readers understand her life. She treats ‘Kitty’, her diary, like a close insider friend. She shares everything with it, like she would with a best 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 feels a deep emotional connection with the people around her. She loves her father very much and describes him as adorable, showing her affection and admiration for him. She misses her grandmother deeply and often thinks about her, which reflects her strong attachment to family and the value she gives to memories. Anne also shared a close bond with her headmistress, Mrs. Kuperus, and was heartbroken when they had to part ways. Although Mr. Keesing, her maths teacher, was initially annoyed with her for talking too much in class, Anne used her creativity and writing skills to impress him, and they eventually developed a good understanding. These experiences show that Anne was a kind, sensitive, and thoughtful girl who cared deeply for others and valued relationships.

Q5. What does Anne write in her first essay?
Ans. In her first essay, “A Chatterbox,” Anne wrote that talking was a natural habit for students, and she got it from her mother. She said she would try to talk less but couldn't stop completely.

Q6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans. Yes, Mr Keesing is unpredictable. At first, he scolded Anne and gave her extra work. But later, he laughed at her poems and became friendly. His change in behaviour shows unpredictability.

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

(i) “We don’t seem to be able to get any closer…”
→ She wanted real friendship and emotional connection.

(ii) “I don’t want to jot down the facts… but I want the diary to be my friend.”
→ She was creative and treated her diary like a person.

(iii) “I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present…”
→ She had a good sense of humour and imagination.

(iv) “Teachers are the most unpredictable creatures…”
→ She was observant and honest about her thoughts.

(v) “The trick was to come up with convincing arguments…”
→ She was intelligent and had strong reasoning skills.

Previous Year Questions with Answers

3 Marks Questions (30–40 words)

Q 1: Why did Anne Frank feel the need to maintain a diary even when she had family and friends? (CBSE 2020)
A: Anne felt lonely despite having friends and family. She believed no one truly understood her. So, she treated her diary as a close friend with whom she could share her real feelings.

Q 2: Why did Anne give her diary a name and call it 'Kitty'? (CBSE 2016)
A: Anne gave her diary the name 'Kitty' because she wanted to treat it like a real friend. She felt she could open her heart to it and share her secrets freely.

Q 3: How did Anne feel about her father? (CBSE 2022)
A: Anne was very close to her father. She admired and loved him deeply. He was more understanding and gentle with her than her mother, which made Anne feel more attached to him.

Q 4: How did Mr. Keesing punish Anne for talking too much? (CBSE 2023)
A: Mr. Keesing gave Anne essay-writing as punishment for talking during class. Anne cleverly wrote funny essays, which made the teacher laugh. He stopped punishing her after that.

Q 5: How does Anne introduce herself in the diary? (CBSE 2019)
A: Anne begins by talking about her birthday, school life, and her family. She shares that she is 13 years old and lives in the Netherlands. She also writes about her longing for a true friend.

6 Marks Questions (100–120 words)

Q 6: How does Anne’s diary reflect her inner thoughts and emotions during the war? (CBSE 2020)
A: Anne’s diary gives us a deep understanding of her inner world during the war. Though she was young, she thought and felt deeply. She wrote honestly about her fears, loneliness, and hopes. She missed having a true friend, so she created one in the form of her diary, Kitty. Writing became her emotional outlet. Even while hiding from the Nazis, she tried to remain hopeful. Her words show maturity, intelligence, and a strong will to live. The diary also shows how she grew mentally and emotionally. It has become a powerful symbol of courage and a record of the pain faced by innocent people during the Holocaust.

Q 7: What does Anne’s diary tell you about her personality? (CBSE 2023)
A: Anne’s diary shows she was intelligent, thoughtful, and sensitive. She was honest about her feelings and aware of her emotions. Though young, she understood people well and often felt misunderstood herself. She loved reading, writing, and had a dream of becoming a writer. Anne had a good sense of humor, which she used in her essays to deal with punishments. She was emotional and shared her true self only with her diary. Despite fear and danger during the war, she stayed strong and hopeful. Her words reflect her strength and deep thinking. She wanted to be remembered even after her death—and she was.

Q 8: Why did Anne think writing a diary was unusual at first, and how did her opinion change? (CBSE 2018)
A: At first, Anne thought writing a diary was strange because she had never written one before and believed no one would care about the thoughts of a young girl. But over time, as she felt lonely and misunderstood by everyone around her, she started writing to her diary like a friend. She named it 'Kitty' and began sharing her thoughts, dreams, and daily experiences. Her diary became a source of comfort, strength, and emotional release. It helped her cope with fear and sadness during the difficult times of war and hiding. Later, she found joy and peace in writing and dreamed of becoming a writer.

Q 9: Describe Anne’s school life and her relationship with her teachers. (CBSE 2021)
A: Anne enjoyed school and had many friends, though she often talked too much in class. One of her teachers, Mr. Keesing, gave her extra homework as punishment. Instead of getting upset, Anne used her creativity and humor to write essays that entertained him. This changed his view of her, and he stopped punishing her. She was curious, intelligent, and loved learning. She also wrote about her classmates and how the class joked about who would fail or pass. Her school life was full of fun and little challenges, and her cheerful nature helped her build good relationships even with strict teachers.

Q 10: What message does Anne’s diary give to today’s readers, especially teenagers? (CBSE 2017)
A: Anne’s diary gives a timeless message about hope, self-expression, and emotional strength. Even though she lived during a painful and dangerous time, she did not lose her will to live or dream. Her writing teaches teenagers the importance of staying strong in tough situations. It also shows how writing and creativity can help us handle our emotions. Anne encourages us to stay true to ourselves, even when others don’t understand us. She wanted to be remembered not just as a victim, but as a person with dreams and a voice. Her diary remains an inspiration for young people around the world.