The play ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett was set in Amsterdam at the time of the second world war. The Frank family went into hiding in 1942, and hid up in the attic above Mr Frank’s old office. In the attic lived Otto Frank, Edith Frank, Margot Frank, Anne Frank, Mr Van Daan, Mrs Petronella Van Daan, and Peter Van Daan, later they are joined by Mr Jan Dussel. I would like Anne to be one of my friends as she is humorous, thoughtful and even in very distressing circumstances she tries to cheer others up.
From when Anne starts the diary on Monday the sixth of July 1942, Anne describes her relationships with her mother, father, sister and friends, throughout the two years in the attic. Over the two years we realise that Anne is a thoughtful person as Anne demonstrates when she makes presents for the others on Hanukkah
“This is all Anne’s idea.”
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Mr Frank says as Anne presents the others with presents that she hade made. Mrs Van Daan then says guiltily
“This is awful…I haven’t got anything for anyone…I never thought…”
This proves how thoughtful Anne is as she is the only one of them who thought of giving the others presents, also that she expects nothing in return. Anne would be a great friend as she has an excellent sense of fun as she is always playing practical jokes on the others to lighten the heavy atmosphere in one case Anne steals Peters shoes, Peter chases her round the room, then they both fall on the floor, Peter wrestling with Anne to get his shoes back.
The further into the play you get the more that it is revealed about Anne, when Dussel arrives Anne is very helpful with suggestions for the sleeping arrangements, her first idea is that Anne moves in with her mum and dad, Margot could moves into Peters room so Dussel and Peter could move into Anne and Margot’s room, then Anne suggests she could move in with her parents, and Dussel could sleep in Anne’s bed, Mrs Frank then makes it perfectly clear that that would be inappropriate by saying
“No. No. No! Margot will come in here with us and he can have her bed. It’s the only way.” Anne shows initiative by making Dussel’s earplugs out of cotton wool and candle wax also the shampoo she made for Mrs Van Daan from odds and ends of soap then mixed them with the last of her toilet water. Anne is also creative we know this because of the poem she wrote to give to Margot with the old crossword book Margot had already done but Anne rubbed out the words so it was like brand new, the poem reads as follows:
“You have never lost your temper
You never will, I fear,
You are so good,
But if you should,
Put all your cross words here.”
This poem is witty, creative and compassionate which would all be great qualities to have in a friend. The Hanukkah presents are all appropriate e.g. Margot’s puzzle book is appropriate as she is smart so this challenges her mind and stops her getting bored in the attic, Peters razor is also appropriate as he is starting to grow a moustache, he is maturing in other ways as well, though Anne was the only who appeared to notice. Anne is observant not only that she notices Peter’s moustache but also the bargeman and his family that live on the canal.
Anne loves when Miep comes to visit as she hears about the parties Miep goes to and what everyone is wearing, as Anne cannot go to parties herself she lives through Miep’s. Hanukkah is an exciting time for Anne as she gets to remember all the happy Hanukkahs at home before the war, Anne also gets to give the others their presents and watch their reactions. Anne can be unkind to others though she only realises afterwards though, an examples is when Anne has a nightmare her mother wants to be there for her but Anne rejects her and asks for her father then afterwards saying
“And the worst of it is, I can stand off and look at myself doing it and know it’s cruel and yet I cant stop doing it. What’s the matter with me? Tell me. Don’t say it’s just a phase! Help me.”
When Mr Van Daan is caught stealing food Anne says
“I don’t care about the food they can have mine! I don’t want it!”
Anne is very forgiving, as she would have given up some of the little food they had so that they would not leave.
“I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.”
This quote shows that Anne is not only forgiving but also optimistic and has a remarkable personality as in this quote she includes the Germans whom have taken pride in humiliating and imprisoning them in concentration camps. What makes us notice Anne’s optimism are the last few sentences of her diary
“So dear Diary, that means I must leave you behind, Goodbye for a while. P.S. Please, please, Miep or Kraler, or anyone else. If you should find this diary, will you please keep it safe for me, because some day I hope…”
Those last few sentences shows that one day she hopes to be reunited with her diary and will be able to finish it. In those two years Anne matured from a teenage girl into a woman with the spirit to face anything that may happen next.
Anne would be a great friend as she is cheerful, optimistic, forgiving, thoughtful, selfless and intelligent which would all be great qualities in a friend.
