From the Diary of a Young Girl | Lesson 3 | Prose | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

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English | Class 10th | Tulip Series |

From the Diary of a Young Girl | Lesson 3 | Prose | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

SHORT SUMMARY

            "From the Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank is a poignant and powerful memoir that chronicles the experiences of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl, during the Holocaust. Written while Anne and her family were in hiding from Nazi persecution in Amsterdam, the diary provides intimate insights into Anne's thoughts, emotions, and observations of the world around her. Anne writes about her dreams, frustrations, and fears, as well as her relationships with her family and the other occupants of the hiding place. Through her diary, Anne expresses her longing for freedom and her hopes for the future, even as the horrors of war and persecution loom large. Tragically, Anne and her family were discovered by the Nazis in 1944 and sent to concentration camps, where Anne died at the age of 15. "From the Diary of a Young Girl" remains a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring legacy of one girl's indomitable courage and optimism in the face of unimaginable adversity.

 

Thinking about the Text

Question 1: Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?

Answer: Anne Frank's statement that the world may not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl was a reflection of her uncertainty and self-doubt at the time of writing in her diary. However, history has proven her wrong. While Anne may have doubted the significance of her musings as a thirteen-year-old girl, history has shown that her words have had a lasting impact on the world.

Question 2: In which language was The Diary of Anne Frank originally written?

Answer: "The Diary of Anne Frank" was originally written in Dutch. Anne Frank, a Jewish girl living in Amsterdam during World War II, wrote her diary entries in Dutch while she and her family were in hiding from Nazi persecution. After the war, Anne's father, Otto Frank, who was the sole survivor of the family, published Anne's diary in its original Dutch language. Later, it was translated into numerous languages and became one of the most widely-read books in the world.

Question 3: Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch of her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or outsider?

Answer: Anne provides a brief sketch of her family at the beginning of her diary to introduce the key individuals in her life and to provide context for her subsequent entries. This helps readers understand the dynamics within the hidden annex and the relationships between the occupants. Anne's family members include her parents, Otto and Edith Frank, and her older sister, Margot. By briefly describing her family, Anne sets the stage for her personal, reflections and experiences throughout the diary.

Anne treats "Kitty," the imaginary friend to whom she addresses her diary entries, as an insider. She confides in Kitty as if she were a trusted friend, sharing her thoughts, feelings, and experiences without reservation. Anne often turns to Kitty for solace, companionship, and understanding, treating her as a confidante and a source of comfort during the challenging times she faces in hiding. Therefore, even though Kitty is an imaginary entity, Anne considers her a trusted companion and insider in her world.

Question 4: How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing?

Answer: Anne has a complex relationship with her father, Otto Frank, whom she respects but also finds distant at times. She feels close to her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls "Oma," and values her wisdom and support. Anne holds mixed feelings towards Mrs Kuperus, the cleaning lady, finding her to be nosy but also recognizing her kindness. Regarding Mr. Keesing, Anne initially sees him as strict and unapproachable, but later develops a playful and witty rapport with him.

Question 5: What does Anne write in her first essay?

Answer: In her first essay, Anne writes about the topic of "A Chatterbox." She describes herself as a chatterbox and reflects on the consequences of talking too much. Anne acknowledges that she often talks without thinking and considers how her habit impacts those around her. She explores the idea of finding a balance between speaking and listening, recognizing the importance of moderation in communication.

Question 6: Anne says teachers are the most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

Answer: Anne describes teachers as the most unpredictable because she finds their behaviour inconsistent and often unexpected. Regarding Mr. Keesing, her English teacher, she initially perceives him as strict and unapproachable. However, as the school year progresses, Mr. Keesing's behaviour becomes more unpredictable in a different sense. He begins to respond humorously to Anne's antics, such as her tendency to talk excessively in class. For example, when Anne repeatedly talks out of turn, Mr. Keesing assigns her a punishment to write an essay on the subject of "A Chatterbox." Anne expects a harsh response, but instead, Mr Keesing surprises her by finding a creative and amusing way to address her behaviour. This unpredictability in Mr. Keesing's response contrasts with Anne's initial perception of him, showing a different facet of his character and adding depth to their teacher-student dynamic.

I. Look at the following words.

 

Headmistress     long-awaited    homework Notebook    stiff-backed   outbursts   forthcoming

 

These words are compound words. They are made up of two or more words. Compound words can be:

• nouns: headmistress, homework, notebook, outbursts

• adjectives: long-awaited, stiff-backed

• verbs: sleep-walk, baby-sit

 

Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Then use each in a sentence.

 

Column A	Column B
1. Heartbreaking 2. Homesick 3. Blockhead 4. Law-abiding 5. Overdo 6. Daydream 7. Breakdown 8. Output	– obeying and respecting the law – think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present – something produced by a person, machine or organisation – producing great sadness – an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working – an informal word which means a very stupid person – missing home and family very much – do something to an excessive degree

 

Answer:

 

Column A	Column B
1. Heartbreaking	– producing great sadness
2. Homesick	– missing home and family very much
3. Blockhead	– an informal word which means a very stupid person
4. Law-abiding	– obeying and respecting the law
5. Overdo	– do something to an excessive degree
6. Daydream	– think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present
7. Breakdown	– an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working
8. Output	– something produced by a person, machine or organisation

 

II. Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb. Its meaning is often different from the meanings of its parts. Compare the meanings of the verbs get on and run away in (a) and (b) below. You can easily guess their meanings in (a) but in (b) they have special meanings.

 

(a) She got on at Agra when the bus stopped for breakfast.

Dev Anand ran away from home when he was a teenager.

(b) She’s eager to get on in life. (succeed)

The visitors ran away with the match. (won easily)

Some phrasal verbs have three parts: a verb followed by an adverb and a preposition.

(c) Our car ran out of petrol just outside the city limits.

(d) The government wants to reach out to the people with this new campaign.

1. The text you’ve just read has a number of phrasal verbs commonly used in English. Look up the following in a dictionary for their meanings (under the entry for the italicised word).

(i) plunge (right) in (ii) kept back (iii) ramble on (iv) get along with

2. Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below. Match them with their meanings. (You have already found out the meanings of some of them.) Are their meanings the same as that of their parts? (Note that two parts of a phrasal verb may occur separated in the text.)

(i) plunge in – speak or write without focus

(ii) kept back – stay indoors

(iii) move up – make (them) remain quiet

(iv) ramble on – have a good relationship with

(v) get along with – give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)

(vi) calm down – compensate

(vii) stay in – go straight to the topic

(viii) make up for – go to the next grade

(ix) hand in – not promoted

Answer:

(i) plunge in – go straight to the topic

(ii) kept back – not promoted

(iii) move up – go to the next grade

(iv) ramble on – speak or write without focus

(v) get along with – have a good relationship with

(vi) calm down – make (them) remain quiet

(vii) stay in – stay indoors

(viii) make up for – compensate

(ix) hand in – give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)

 

III. Idioms

Idioms are groups of words with a fixed order, and a particular meaning, different from the meanings of each of their words put together. (Phrasal verbs can also be idioms; they are said to be ‘idiomatic’ when their meaning is unpredictable.) For example, do you know what it means to ‘meet one’s match’ in English? It means to meet someone who is as good as oneself, or even better, in some skill or quality. Do you know what it means to ‘let the cat out of the bag’? Can you guess?

1. Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

(i) Our entire class is quaking in its boots.

(ii) Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

(iii) Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.

(iv) Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

Answer:

(i) Meaning – Trembling with fear

(ii) Meaning – To get disheartened

(iii) Meaning – For quite a long time

(iv) Meaning – Insulting or making fool of himself

2. Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in sentences of your own.

(i) caught my eye    (iii) laugh ourselves silly

(ii) he’d had enough        (iv) can’t bring myself to

 

Answer:

(i) caught my eye – I was driving very when a close relative caught my eye.

(ii) he’d had enough – He worked very hard for one month and thought that he had enough now for the whole year.

(iii) laugh ourselves silly – We laughed ourselves silly at the way he had dressed himself.

(iv) can’t bring myself to – I can’t bring myself to eat these fishes.