The Franks were your general German family and Anne was your general Germangirl. This family of four lived in Germany, Mr. Frank was an average businessman, Mrs. Frank was an average mother and Margot and Anne were average students. The one thing that made them different in the eyes of Hitler, was the fact thatthey were Jewish. Once Hitler rose to power, the Franks fled to Holland, wherethe hoped to be safe from the Jewish-blood thirsty Nazis, they went on withtheir normal lives, until once again Hitler took over.
This caused the Franks toflee again, only this time they would be in hiding. A plan was devised; theFranks would stay in an abandoned section of the Kraler office building, alongwith another family of three: the Van Daans. The Franks set off for their new”home” before the Van Daans. They had to carry with them things thatwould last for as far as they knew, years.
Anne took with her two vests, threepairs of pants, a dress and skirt, jacket, summer coat, shoes, two pairs ofstockings, a cap and a scarf. During the journey through the streets, non-jewslooked at them with pity and sorrow, they knew that there was nothing they coulddo to help them, no rides, no food, no help period. Once they arrived to whatthey called, the “Secret Annexe” they set their things in their rooms. Anne decorated her wall with all of her favorite actors and actresses.
About aweek later the Van Daans joined them, Mrs. Van Daan brought with her, her”chamber” Mr. Van Daan brought a folding tea table and Peter broughthis cat Mouschi. Each of them had their own individual personality, Mr. Van Daan,was pretty mellow with most of the Franks, especially Margot, but often had aword or two to say about Anne, he didn’t like her constant chattering.
Mrs. VanDaan was loud and flirtatious, constantly pestering people and never willing todo her part of the work around the Annexe. Then there’s Peter, the quiet, dulland boring one. At first Anne cannot stand Peter’s laziness, but she later growsquite fond of him. As time goes on, they each get to know each other a littlebetter, Miep brings them news from the outside world as often as she can alongwith some small amounts of rations.
The families decide to let one more personstay with the seven of them in the already crowded space they have. AlbertDussel is a dentist who has come to stay with the Franks and Van Daans, sincethe outside world has become too dangerous for a Jew to stay in. Anne offers toshare her room with Mr. Dussel and to her surprise he is a friendly guy. Theeight of them now begin to realize just how crowded the Annexe is, each personis annoyed by something that one person or the other is doing or saying.
Notonly does Anne have to put up with her mother, who she feels treats her like ababy and her sister who she is stuck in the shadow of, but now she has Mrs. VanDaan complaining, Mr. Van Daan who is always in an uproar over something Annedoes, Mr. Dussel constantly shhing her, and now her father telling her she needsto show more compassion for her mother! She begins to feel like no one everlistens, she can never seem to please anyone. All she wants to do is be backhome with her friends, talking when she wants to talk, going to the bathroomwhen she needs to, taking a bath when and where she feels like it and goingwhere she wants to. Anne then finds someone to lean on, she begins to confide inPeter.
They start to tell each other what they are feeling, what it is thatbothers them so much, they tell each other of all their wishes and dreams. Andeventually they both come to realize that they each share a secret crush on oneanother All of the tension and bickering finally took its toll. The Franks andthe Van Daans had a huge argument. The Franks asked the Van Daans to leave,which only made things worse. They reconciled and just in time. Tuesday August1, 1944, was the last day Anne wrote in her Diary.
She did not get the chance todescribe all that went on with being caught and taken away, but her father did. On August 4, a Gestapo caught the Franks, Van Daans and Albert Dussel and sentthem all to Westerbork. They were then taken to the death camp Auschwitz. Anne,Mrs.
Van Daan and Margot were considered healthy and taken to the typhusinfested camp Belsen, located in Germany. While at Belsen, Mrs. Van Daan died. Margot died towards the beginning of March 1945 from typhus.
Anne, who did notknow of her sisters death, had a strong feeling that something had happened, tothe only person she knew for sure was still alive, this strong sense, caused herto give up die.
