From the Diary of Anne Frank 10

 

CLASS X

 “From the Diary of Anne Frank”

 

 Word Meanings

Word	Meaning
Listless	Lacking energy or interest
Confide	To share personal secrets or feelings with someone you trust
Old fogey	An old-fashioned or boring person
Quaking in its boots	Shaking with fear or nervousness
Ramble on	To talk or write aimlessly or without focus
Convincing argument	A strong, believable reason
Incorrigible	Impossible to correct or reform
Inherited traits	Qualities passed from parents to children
Ingenuity	Cleverness or inventiveness
Plunked down	Put down casually

 

 Paragraph-wise Detailed Explanation

 Paragraph 1–3:

Anne says writing in a diary is strange for her because she has never done it before. She thinks no one, not even she, will care about what a 13-year-old girl writes. But she still feels the need to write and share her feelings. She says, "Paper has more patience than people," which means paper listens without judging.

 Paragraph 4–5:

Anne explains that she doesn't have a close friend. Even though she has many people around her—friends, family—she feels she cannot talk deeply to anyone. Her friendships feel shallow. That’s why she decides to keep a diary, and she imagines the diary as her friend, naming it Kitty.

 Paragraph 6–10:

Anne gives a brief sketch of her life. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1929. Her family moved to Holland to escape the Nazis. She and her sister Margot stayed with their grandmother for a while. Anne loved her grandmother deeply and remembers her even after her death in 1942. She recalls her school, especially her headmistress Mrs Kuperus, and how sad their parting was.

 Paragraph 11–14 (Diary Entry: Saturday, 20 June 1942):

Anne writes to Kitty that the class is anxious because the results are about to be announced. Some boys are even betting on whether they'll pass. Anne isn’t too worried except for math. She describes her teachers, especially Mr Keesing, the math teacher who gets annoyed because she talks a lot. He punishes her with extra essays.

 Paragraph 15–18:

Anne describes writing the essay "A Chatterbox." She cleverly defends her talkativeness by saying it is a student’s trait and also inherited from her mother. Mr Keesing laughs at her essay. When she talks again, he gives her another topic: “An Incorrigible Chatterbox.” Later, he gives her the topic “Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox.”

 Paragraph 19–20:

Anne writes a funny poem (with help from her friend Sanne) about ducklings being punished for talking. Mr Keesing enjoys it and shares it with other classes. After that, he stops punishing Anne and becomes more friendly and humorous.

 

QUESTION ANSWER

1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Ans: Anne finds diary writing strange because she has never written before and feels unsure whether anyone, including herself, will ever be interested in the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Still, she feels the need to express herself.

 

2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Ans: Anne wants to keep a diary because she feels lonely and doesn’t have a true friend to confide in. Writing helps her release emotions and thoughts that she can’t share with others, making the diary her trusted companion.

 

3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans: Anne believed that “paper has more patience than people,” meaning her diary wouldn’t interrupt, judge, or get bored. It gave her the freedom to express everything honestly, unlike people who didn’t understand or connect with her deeply.

 

4. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Ans: Anne provides a brief sketch of her life so that her imaginary friend ‘Kitty’ and any future reader can understand her background and experiences. It helps explain who she is and sets the context for her diary entries.

 

5. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Ans: Anne fondly remembers her grandmother’s illness and death and says she still thinks about her often. She lit a candle in her memory on her birthday, which shows her deep love and emotional connection with her grandmother.

 

6. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans: Mr Keesing was annoyed because Anne often talked in class and disrupted lessons. As punishment, he gave her extra homework—essays on topics like “A Chatterbox”—hoping that it would make her realise the importance of being quiet in class.

 

7. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Ans: Anne argued that talking is a natural student trait and something she inherited from her mother. She said she would try to improve but couldn’t completely stop due to inherited habits. Her logical reasoning impressed Mr Keesing.

 

8. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Ans: Initially, Mr Keesing seemed strict because he gave Anne extra work for talking. But later, he appreciated Anne’s wit and creativity, showing he wasn’t harsh. His friendly attitude after reading her poem shows he had a kind side.

 

9. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Ans: Anne’s poem cleverly turned his punishment into a joke, showing her wit and creativity. Mr Keesing enjoyed the poem and shared it with other classes. Impressed by her intelligence, he stopped punishing her and became more friendly and humorous.

 

 

 

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Ans: Anne thought no one would be interested in the thoughts of a young girl like her. But she was wrong. Her diary became famous all over the world. People liked the way she shared her feelings, experiences, and truth during a very hard time. Her diary gave a voice to many who suffered. It is now an important book that helps people understand history and human emotions.

 

2. Compare Anne’s diary with other journal entries. How is it different? What language was it originally written in?
Ans: Anne’s diary is very different from other diaries. Most diaries just record events, but Anne’s diary is full of emotions and personal thoughts. She treats her diary like a close friend and names it “Kitty.” She shares her fears, joys, and life openly. This makes it special and touching. She wrote it in Dutch while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Her words are simple but very meaningful and heartfelt.

 

3. Why does Anne give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat Kitty as an insider or outsider?
Ans: Anne gives a short story about her family so that the readers know about her life and background. She had no real friend to share her feelings with, so she treats her diary, Kitty, like a true friend. She writes to Kitty as if it were a person. She shares everything honestly and openly, like talking to someone who understands her well. So, she treats Kitty as an insider, not just a notebook.

 

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus, and Mr. Keesing?
Ans: Anne loved and respected these people. She thought her father was very kind and loving. She missed her grandmother deeply and remembered her often. She liked her headmistress, Mrs. Kuperus, and cried when they had to say goodbye. At first, she found Mr. Keesing, her teacher, a bit strict, but later she liked him because he had a sense of humor and was kind. These people were important in her life.

 

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?
Ans: Anne’s first essay was called “A Chatterbox.” She wrote it because her teacher punished her for talking too much in class. In the essay, she tried to explain that talking is a student’s habit and that she got this habit from her mother. She said it was hard for her to be quiet but she would try to improve. Her essay was clever and funny. It showed that she was honest and creative.

 

6. Anne says teachers are the most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans: Yes, Mr. Keesing was unpredictable. At first, he punished Anne for talking by giving her extra homework. But later, he enjoyed her funny poem and stopped giving her punishment. He even shared her poem with the class and laughed. This change in his behavior surprised Anne. It showed that he was not just strict but also had a kind and fun side. His change from strict to friendly made him unpredictable.

 

7. What do these statements tell about Anne Frank?

(i) “We don’t seem to be able to get any closer...”
→ Anne is sensitive and wants a close relationship with others.

(ii) “I don’t want to jot down the facts...”
→ She is creative and wants to write with feelings, not just plain facts.

(iii) “...plunked down on the table...”
→ She has a fun and playful way of expressing things.

(iv) “...so many dummies should be kept back...”
→ She is honest and not afraid to speak what she feels.

(v) “...the trick was to come up with convincing arguments...”
→ She is smart and enjoys thinking and explaining things well.