Contents
From the Diary of Anne Frank, Class 10 English, First Flight
Introduction
This is a story of a young girl named Anne Frank. The chapter is an extract from the diary of Anne Frank, 13 years old Jewish girl who has to go into hiding during World War to avoid the Nazis. At the time of invasion of Germany over Holland , her family hid itself. She shares her experiences in the story when she is depressed. At that time, she started to write in her diary. She spent her adolescent years hidden from outside world , and her diary kept all her secrets. The chapter is an excerpt from the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Summary
A thirteen year old school girl, Anne Frank was under some depression and despair. She thought of the saying, “Paper has more patience than people.” Then she started writing a diary but she was in need of a real friend and who could be more than a diary.
The writer explains that no one believed that the girl was alone in the world because she was actually not alone. She had her loving parents, a sister and thirty other people. She had a decent family except her one true friend. With friends one can have a good time. We can talk of ordinary things everyday but we won’t get closer. Even we cannot confide in one another. Since the written facts cannot be changed, Anne started writing the diary. That was her everlasting friend. She called that friend ‘Kitty’.
Anne wrote that her father was the most adorable person. At the age of thirty six, he got married to Anne’s mother, Edith. In 1926, her sister Margot was born. Then she was born on 12th June, 1929. They lived in Germany. In 1933, her father emigrated to Holland. She along with Margot, went to Aachen to stay with their grandmother. By December, both the sisters went to Holland. There, she started studying at the Montessori Nursery School. When she was in sixth class, Mrs. Kuperus was her headmistress. At the end of the year, there was a farewell function. The separation from head mistress was full of tears.
Anne loved her grandmother very much. She fell ill in the summer of 1941. She had an operation but she died in January, 1942. Her death was all the more troublesome. At Anne’s birthday celebrations, a separate candle was lit for the grandmother. In her diary, Anne wrote that all the four members were doing well.
She was much dedicated to her diary. This event was written by Anne on 20th June, 1942 on Saturday.
In her diary, Anne made a mention of her school-experience. The complete class was nervous about their going to the next form. Some of the students had made bets and staked all their savings. Regarding her, they were declaring Pass’ but Anne was not sure of maths. All had been telling one another not to lose heart. There were nine teachers. Mr. Keesing taught Maths. He remained annoyed with Anne because of her talkative nature. So, he had given her some extra work to write an essay on ‘A Chatter Box’.
After the homework, Anne started thinking on the essay. An idea flashed in her mind. She wrote “Talking is a student’s trait and I would do my best to control it. But I won’t be able to cure this habit since my mother is also talkative. So moving from the inherited trait cannot be done.” On reading her arguments, Mr. Keesing had a good laugh.
Then the teacher gave her another essay. ‘An Incorrigible Chatter Box’. It was a sort of punishment for Anne for talking in class. At this topic, the whole class roared. Anne too laughed. Though Anne tried for this essay but her friend Sanne became ready to help her. In a way the teacher was playing a joke on her but in other words it was a joke on him. So Anne wrote this essay like a poem. Anne read the poem in the class. It stated, “There was a mother duck and a father Swan with three ducklings. The ducklings were beaten to death by the father since they quacked too much”. It was Anne’s good luck that the teacher took it in the right way. He read the poem, gave his own comments. After that Anne was allowed to talk and no extra work was given. Since then, Mr. Keesing too started making jokes.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
| musings | thoughts |
| listless | lacking energy or enthusiasm |
| brooding | thinking seriously |
| stiff-backed | with a hard cover |
| prompted | encouraged |
| Confide | to tell someone a secret |
| liable | responsible |
| long awaited | expected for a long time |
| jot | write, put together |
| plunge | to go into |
| adorable | loveable |
| emigrated | went to settle |
| plunked down | put down forcefully |
| solemn | serious, grave |
| quaking | shaking because of fear |
| forthcoming | about to happen |
| outbursts | a sudden release of a strong emotion |
| chatterbox | one who speaks too much |
| tucked | carried |
| ramble on | write at length |
| Convincing | making agreeable |
| inherited traits | features taken from one’s parents |
| proceeded | went ahead/forward |
| incorrigible | incurably bad, something that cannot be corrected |
| ingenuity | skill |
| quacked | talked |
| on the contrary | opposite to |
| staked | Put on bet |
| pleading | requesting |
| glances | looks |
| dummies | persons of low intelligence |
| fogey | a dull, old-fashioned person |
| assigned | given |
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