A novel for class 10- English CBSE
By Anne Frank
Chapter 8- Notes and Study Material
Following is the novel of CBSE class 10 – The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. All the aspects like chapter wise summary in simple words, downloadable pdf files, short story of the novel, book review, Anne Frank Biography, Important Extra questions and Answers for SA 1 and SA 2, short Summary, main characters, Anne Frank autobiography, solutions of the diary of a young girl,Chapter wise Notes and Study Material, Introduction, Analysis, Understanding the Theme, main characters, Chapters in short, Conclusion and much more you will find below. Just get dive in-
Letters from 13 February 1944 — 15 March 1944
1. Do you feel Anne suffered from low self-esteem? Give a reasoned answer.
Ans. Anne suffered not only from low self-esteem but also from lack of confidence to some extent. She felt lonely and unloved. Being too sensitive, she was easily hurt by the comments made by her mother, Mrs Van Dan and Dr Dassel, etc. At times, Anne felt that she was not loved even by her father. She felt that she was not understood by anybody.
It is remarkable that though she had her parents around her, there was her sister Margot, and almost thirty friends, and she didn’t feel close to anyone at all. It was Kitty, the diary that she confided in concerning her few joys and multiple sorrows. Anne often says that paper is more patient than humans. Having no meaningful relationship in her life whether it is with parents, sibling, or friends, she suffers from terrible inferiority complex and loss of confidence in herself.
Besides paper, Anne finds solace in nature. However, it is not that she loves to be close to nature. Rather she finds nature therapeutically. She says that the “best remedy” for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God.
2. Anne writes about a distinct change in her personality after living in hiding compared to her life in 1942. Comment.
Ans. Anne used to be a friendly and amusing girl. She was sociable and had many friends — both boys and girls in her school days.
Anne recalls her various boyfriends and acquaintances of her age. She was a darling of nearly all the teachers. She remembers how the teachers were entertained by her cute answers and amusing remarks, her smiling face and her questioning looks.
1942 saw Anne as a girl who was always laughing and smiling. She was at the centre of all social activities.
However, the Secret Annexed had changed her personality. She had become more demanding, vexed and easily irritable. The hideout had snatched from her the joys of being young and vibrant, which people of her age naturally enjoyed. It also left a deep impact on the way she thought about various aspects of life, situations, and relationships.
Later, things gradually improved, and Anne realized her desire for all that was beautiful and good. She decided to see the good in life and not the misery, marking the change in her attitude. She realized that the previous Anne was superficial, while now she was more in tune with herself.
3.’An unexpected development tore the residents apart’. Explain on the basis of your reading of ‘Diary of a Young Girl’.
Ans. Anne Frank records in her diary that the people from whom the inhabitants in the `Secret Annexed’ obtained food coupons had been ‘caught’. As a result, they were left only with five ration cards, no extra coupons, and no fats. This development was quite unexpected. It also resulted in tearing the residents apart, for the atmosphere became dreary and dejected, chiefly because both Mie and Kowhais were ill and Elli didn’t have time to go shopping. There was not even a scrap of fat, butter, or margarine left. Besides, the residents in the Annexed could not have fried potatoes for breakfast any longer, they had to be content with porridge instead. The helpless inhabitants in the hiding had opted for potatoes in order to save bread and now, they could not have even that! Mrs Van Dan thought that they were starving. So, some full cream milk was purchased ‘under the counter’.
Mrs Van Dan kept complaining and getting angry, Mr Van Dan was sick of living in hiding, Mrs Frank hated the Van Danes, Dassel was too full of himself to think about others, and Mr Frank was complacent. Thus, the unexpected development had curtailed the food supplies of the residents of the ‘Secret Annexed’ panda made the atmosphere in the hiding quite dreary and dejected, tearing the resident’s art
4. Was Peter an obedient and a devoted son? Which aspect of his personality is revealed through his relationship with his parents
Ans. Peter Van Dan was never close to either of his parents. It is evidently more than once if one carefully goes through the entries recorded by Anne Frank in her diary. Peter is punished by Mr Van Dan when he retires with Margot’s book. The drama continues for quite a few days. After all, comes to light, Peter has to do without supper. Mrs Van Daan wants to save a slice of bread for the poor dear boy but is not allowed to do so.
However, Peter does not feel close even to Mrs Van Daan, his mother. There are several instances when Anne writes that Peter lacks a mother just as she does. Though both Mrs Frank and Mrs Van Daan are alive and very much there, their children do not feel close to them.
Anne writes in her diary that Peter confided in her about how his parents quarrelled over politics, cigarettes, and all kinds of things. Besides he could not express himself easily and effectively. He was too shy.
The way Anne Frank describes Peter Van Daan, he certainly cannot be considered as an obedient and a devoted son. His relationship with his parents does not bring him out in a very bright light. He lacks in self-confidence. He is too shy to express himself properly.
5. What was Anne’s opinion about the people living alone? How can they change their loneliness to happiness? Explain.
Ans. While Anne was desperately in need of a company to share her feelings, she found Peter to yearning the same way. She started developing an interest for Peter but at the same time had doubts if he would reciprocate. However, the lovely weather outside brought in her fresh hopes. Every morning she went to the attic and looked up at the blue sky and bare chestnut tree. There, on its branches, little round drops shone. Then Anne felt that as long as she lived to see the sunshine and the cloudless skies, she could not be unhappy. She felt that the best remedy for those who were afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside and be with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then could one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of Nature. She thus started believing firmly that nature brings solace in all troubles.
6. “Anne’s life in hiding is an adventure of sorts.” Explain.
Ans. Once in her diary entry, Anne records her thoughts as she looks back into the days before her family came into hiding to the present. Her life earlier was different from now. She enjoyed the heavenly existence when she had boyfriends and other friends of her age, she is the darling of nearly all the teachers, had lots of sweets, enough pocket money and the like.
Whatever experiences she underwent here in the hiding were not only adventures but great lessons that she learnt. These experiences moulded her thoughts and made her mature. In the first half of 1943, when she had fits of crying and loneliness she began to slowly see all her faults and shortcomings that were very great and also seemed much greater then.
In the second half things improved slightly. She became a young woman, started to think and even write stories. She wanted to change in accordance with her own desires. As for her practical experiences, she had lived in a forced shortage of food cloth and every little thing she needed, she had lived in fear of being caught by the Gestapo and getting executed. Everything and every minute had some uncertainty. Also, there were dreams and the reality of Jews being captured and killed. Thus almost every little experience of Anne was an adventure.
7. Describe the ways you find Anne different from other members in the Annexed.
Ans. Anne Frank introduces herself as a young girl of just thirteen years at the beginning of the diary. She shares her experiences at the Secret Annexed along the way recording her feelings and thoughts about others, living there and of her own. We find her to be a girl of self-confidence who loved to enjoy freedom. But when her joys are snatched away and her freedom restricted at the hiding, she displays varied attitudes and we find her to be a fearful, hopeless meek girl sometimes.
As days progress, there are ups and downs in her moods and thoughts. Towards the end, she shows herself to be a matured girl. The outstanding trait in her character is this ‘knowledge about herself’. She says that she could watch herself and her actions, just like an outsider. This way she is different from the other inmates. Also, she exhibits a lot of courage when she says herself to be feeling strong, not easily bowed down before the blows that inevitably came to everyone.
Anne’s self-knowledge is unique in a girl of her age and in fact, this trait of her has led to her maturity. The only thing that remains in her forever is the feeling of loneliness.
8.Human spirit to live, triumphs in every circumstance. Discuss in detail in light of The Diary of a Young Girl’.
Ans. The Diary of a Young Girl’ is a record of Anne Frank’s thoughts when her family was in hiding during the Second World War. The determination of Otto Frank and proper planning helped them find refuge in the ‘Secret Annexe’, their hideout. In the beginning, Anne and others found their new life in the hiding as thrilling. They hoped that it would be a temporary arrangement. But days rolled to months and months to years with the situation not improving. The inmates lived in constant fear of being taken away by German soldiers for execution. The unending war and the air raids outsides dampened their spirits sometimes. Besides, there were compromises as a result of a shortage of ration, inadequacy of electricity, water etc. These things resulted in quarrels, arguments, yelling and shootings. Everyone knew that there was the result of their desperations and frustrations. The inmates had constant touch with the outside world as they got the news updates from the radio or from their visitor’s helpers. Sometimes the inmates felt that the war would prolong and they would be caught. But every time, they had the spirit to live perhaps, that they were able to overcome every little adversity along the way.
9. “Misfortunes never come singly.” When did Anne observe it?
Ans. During their hiding period, the Frank and Van Daan families had to face a number of difficulties. They were dependent on a few people to sustain their lives in the hideout.
Mr Kowhais who was a great help for the families and who always cheered them up met haemorrhaged of the stomach. He was suggested to stay in bed. Elli was suffering from the flu. Mr Vessel was going to the hospital next week. He had got an abdominal ulcer. The hiding families were sort of helping hands. The situation led them to a miserable state.
To add to this problem, an important business conference was to be held whose main points Mr Frank discussed with Mr Kowhais. The gentleman who had been expected duly arrived, Mr Kowhais was not available for the meeting. Mr Frank was in hiding so he could not attend the meeting. There was no time to explain everything thoroughly to Mr Karle who was going to participate in the meeting.
All this created a very puzzling situation for the Frank family. It was for this situation that Anne said, “Misfortune never comes in single.”
