The Diary Of A Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Table of Contents
December 6, 1943 - April 5, 1944
Summary: December 6, 1943-April 5, 1944
With the widespread scarcity of food and sundry comforts, Anne comes up with an amusing alternative to St. Nicholas Day gift-giving. She and her father collect a shoe from each member of the annex and write a poem for each person to place in the shoe. On St. Nicholas Day, Anne decorates the basket brightly and delivers the gifts, to everyone’s enjoyment. Small gifts are exchanged for Hanukkah and Christmas, mostly precious cakes and yogurt. Anne continues to have dreams about Hanneli and about her grandmother, whom she misses terribly. She struggles with feelings of ingratitude because she knows that she is in a better position than most Jewish people, but she cannot help feeling sad and confined. She longs for exercise, privacy and fresh air, and envies those allowed to go outside.
On January 2, Anne looks back at her diary entries from the previous year and is “shocked” by how often she wrote in such strong terms about her mother. She wonders at the amount of anger and hatred she expressed. She thinks that in the past she was unable to see other people’s perspectives, and tended to think only about her own feelings. Now, she has more sympathy for her mother. Although she still gets angry with Mrs. Frank at times, Anne can now see how much her mother has to deal with. Later, Anne makes note of her mother’s comment that she views Anne and Margot as friends rather than daughters. Anne believes that this is just the problem with their relationship—she does not need a “friend” as much as she needs a mother.
Anne writes that she has started having her period, and that she can feel changes going on inside her body. The changes are thrilling and she is happy about them, but she longs for a girlfriend in whom to confide. In the absence of a girlfriend, Anne decides to start confiding in Peter van Daan. It is awkward at first, but Anne is determined. She and Peter talk honestly about the differences in male and female genitalia. Anne is surprised and...
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