The Diary of a Young Girl Summary
5 min read ⌚
A “… Diary of a Young Girl”?
What could possibly be interesting (and worth reading) about that?
Well, as it turns out, many things!
Who Should Read “The Diary of a Young Girl”? And Why?
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is the story of Anne Frank – as she told it. It is a coming-of-age non-fictional story about the hardships one girl who is in the midst of her teenage years and discovering herself, goes through, as the world puts a heavy burden on her shoulders: The Second World War.
We recommend this book to all teenagers, who will certainly resonate with this story, as well as lovers of historical narratives.
About Anne Frank
Anne Frank was a young German-born Jewish girl who wanted to become a writer – and with her sole diary, became one.
She is one of the most well-known and discussed victims of the Holocaust.
“The Diary of a Young Girl Summary”
Anne Frank is one of those historical characters who have become a fictional ideal of dreams and hope.
She was a real girl living during the Second World War, but her spirit continues living even today.
The world got to know Anne through her diary, which is now read as more of a fictional book than an actual diary.
Maybe that is even better since it is truly hard to think that you are reading the true story of a girl who lost her life too early.
Anne got her diary as a present for her thirteenth birthday.
She was truly excited about the present because she had always wanted a place where she could store all of her thoughts and secrets safely.
Anne is a girl with an abundant social life, and yet, she feels like everyone around her fails to grasp her personality.
So, at the beginning of the diary, Anne writes about everything you would expect a teenager to write about school, friends, boys, et cetera.
However, she cannot even imagine the turn that her life takes just on the next corner.
Anne is a Jew, and she and her family have all the right to be afraid of living in German-occupied Holland.
So, when Anne’s sister is called for an appearance in front of the authorities, they are confident that she is about to be sent to a concentration camp, so they go into hiding.
Their hiding place is her father’s office building. They live behind a swinging bookcase for two years.
However, they are not the only ones hiding there.
The Van Daan family is also living with them. They have a son, Peter, for whom Anne soon starts having feelings about.
But, in the end, they both realize that despite their passions, they actually need each other more as a support to one another in those hard times.
Anne spends her time listening to the radio or reading books. Her dream is to become a writer, and when she hears that the war is nearing its end, she starts to edit her diary passionately, thinking that the world will be looking for books like that.
She was right, it seems, but sadly she did not live to see the day when that happens.
As her vigorous edits continue, she grows more sensitive to the sufferings that are flooding the world. Her own suffering and sense of loneliness increase as well.
She has never felt more isolated and misunderstood in her life.
Somewhere among these complicated feelings that arise in Anne’s heart, she ends her diary. We do not know what happens next when it comes to her thoughts and emotions.
What we know about is the historical information that two days after her last entry in the diary, they find her family in the Secret Annex.
Things soon get worse. We can just imagine how Anne and her family must have felt.
They are all taken to different concentration camps, where they lose their lives. The only one who survives the war is her father Otto Frank, and this piece of writing has become one of the most-read books of all time.
If she were alive, Anne would have probably been happy to see the world acknowledging her passion. Sadly, she did not see her dream turning into reality.
But still, there are many lessons that we can learn from the character of this young girl.
Key Lessons From “The Diary of a Young Girl”
1. No Matter the Circumstances, a Teenager is a Teenager
2. Never Give Up Dreaming
3. Having a Vision is Crucial
No Matter the Circumstances, a Teenager is a Teenager
Although Anne has been put through circumstances that are not usual for most teenagers, she goes through the same phases that everyone experiences at that point in their lives.
She struggles to find herself and her identity and goes through ordinary hardships such as friendships, love, and creating her dream.
Never Give Up Dreaming
Although Anne is put in a position from which many people would not be able to find even a glimpse of hope, she handles it with utmost strength. She believes in the world, in the good in people, and in her dream, as she continues dreaming it and working on it.
The edits she makes in her book are done while she imagines the day she will again be free in her head.
We do not know if Anne lost hope by the end since her diary ends too soon to reveal that to us, but we have to believe she did not.
Having a Vision is Crucial
Anne was thrown into a situation no one would wish even for his biggest enemy to be in, yet she had a vision about herself and her purpose.
That is why she has grown to be one of the most well-known historical figures of all time.
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“The Diary of a Young Girl Quotes”
It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them because, in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Click To Tweet I've found that there is always some beauty left -- in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you. Click To Tweet I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains. Click To Tweet People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion. Click To Tweet In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit. Click To Tweet
Our Critical Review
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is a wonderful book. Although it is a diary, and thus non-fiction, it reads like a novel. The wording is wonderful, and the thoughts in it will leave you thinking about the meaning of life for days.
It is strange to think that all of this came from a young teenage girl.
I can just imagine the kind of writer Anne would have become if she survived. Sadly, the days of her glory never came to her in her lifetime.
If you are not too sentimental about the fact that the book is the story of an actual person who lost her life in the War, then I urge you to read this wonderful piece of work.
Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.
