Saturday 25 July 2020

ENGLISH_FROM THE DIARY OF ANNIE FRANK


Questions from the textbook.
Thinking about the Text
1.     Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
           A
                             B
  i.         Journal
A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day.
 ii.         Diary
A book with separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day.
iii.         Log
A written record of events with times and dates, usually official.
iv.         Memoir(s)
A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)

2.     Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir.
       i.         Diary
     ii.         Log
    iii.         Journal
    iv.         Memoir

Thinking About the Text
1.     Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl. Her diary was published under the name ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’. It was translated from Dutch into many languages and it became one of the world’s most widely read books. There have also been several films, television and theatrical productions, and even an opera based on the diary. It was described as the work of a mature and insightful mind. It provides an intimate examination of life under Nazi occupation. Anne Frank became one of the most renowned and discussed of the Holocaust victims.
2.     There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s dairy different?
Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary is different from the others in many aspects. She had named her diary ‘Kitty’. She thought of it as her only true friend whom she could confide in. She treated it as another person who was listening to her daily accounts. She wrote all her stories in it. She started by writing ‘Dearest Kitty’ and ended the account by writing, ‘Yours, Anne’. Her diary was a lot more personal than other diaries.
3.     Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Anne gave a brief sketch of her life since no one would understand a word of her stories if she were to plunge right in. She treated Kitty as an insider because she called it her best friend and was ready to confide in it.
4.     How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Anne felt that her father was the most adorable father she had ever seen. Anne remembered her grandmother even after her death. She wrote in her diary that no one knew how often she thought of her grandmother and still loved her. In the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus, who was also the headmistress. At the end of the year, they were both in tears as they had a heartbreaking farewell. Mr Keesing was her Maths teacher. He was annoyed with her because she talked too much. However, Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr. Keesing. On each occasion, he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments. All these incidents show how lovable and intelligent Anne was.  Everybody was attached to her, and even Mr. Keesing could not help but laugh at her essays and acknowledge her intelligence.
5.     What does Anne write in her first essay?
In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. She wrote three pages and was satisfied. She argued that talking was a student’s trait and that she would do her best to keep it under control. She further wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of the habit since her mother talked as much as she did. There was not much that one could do about inherited traits. Mr Keesing too had a good laugh reading her arguments.
6.     Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Anne felt that a quarter of her class was dumb, and should not be promoted to the next class. However, she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth. Mr Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. The way Anne always talked while the class was going on, any teacher would lose his temper. However, after several warnings, all Mr Keesing did was to assign her extra homework. She had to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. In this way, he tried to play a joke on her. Each time that he asked her to write such essays, she wrote very well. She kept countering his jokes. One could not have predicted that he would take all the jokes in the right spirit. Finally, he accepted her talkative nature and actually allowed her to talk in class. He did not even assign her any more extra homework. That is why it can be said that Mr Keesing was unpredictable.
7.     What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?
(i)             We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.
These lines show that though Anne was friendly, she did not have a friend in whom she could confide in. She even blames herself for not trusting people enough to confide in them.
(ii)            I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.
This line shows that Anne wasn’t interested in keeping records. Instead, she wanted a friend who could patiently listen to her.
(iii)          Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
This statement shows that Anne was a fun-loving. She was witty and knew how to present things in a funny way. The use of ‘plunked down’ shows her sense of humour.
(iv)          If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
This statement shows that she considered herself intelligent enough to make it to the next class while a quarter of her class was stupid in her opinion.
(v)            Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.
This statement shows that Anne took the punishment as a challenge. She was intelligent enough to come up with arguments for talking.


Summary
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl. She lived with her parents in Germany. But Hitler’s Nazi Party was against the Jews. The Nazis were killing the Jews or forcing them to work in the concentration camps. The Frank family fled from Germany in 1933 and took shelter in the Netherlands. But in 1940, Germany attacked the Netherlands and captured it. Now the Nazis started arresting the Jews and sending them to the concentration camps. The Frank family went into hiding. They lived secretly in the upper floors of their business premises. They hid there for 25 months. Their non-Jewish friends gave them food.
Anne had started writing her diary before going into hiding. In August 1944, the Germans came to know of their hiding. They were arrested and sent to Germany. Anne, her sister, Margot and her mother soon died in a concentration camp. Her father survived and published part of Anne’s diary. In this diary, Anne gives a moving and tragic account of the difficulties faced by her family and the other Jews. The part of the diary reproduced in this chapter is about the days when Anne was a schoolgirl and she and her family had not yet moved to the secret quarters.
Vocabulary

Word                                            

Meaning
   1.      
musings
-        
a period of thinking carefully about something or telling people your thoughts about it
   2.      
depressed
-        
very sad and without hope
   3.      
brooding
-        
thinking deeply making one sad
   4.      
confide
-        
to tell somebody one’s secrets
   5.      
prompted
-        
to make somebody decide to do something
   6.      
enhance
-        
to increase or further improve the value
   7.      
jot down
-        
to write something quickly
   8.      
plunge
-        
start
   9.      
emigrated
-        
to leave your own country to go and live permanently in another country
10.      
plunked down
-        
placed on
11.      
solemn
-        
serious
12.      
quaking in its boots
-        
tremble with fear
13.      
forthcoming
-        
going to happen
14.      
dummies
-        
stupid people
15.      
crammed
-        
full of things or people
16.      
inherited
-        
to have qualities, physical features, etc. that are similar to those of one’s parents, grandparents, etc.
17.      
trait
-        
a particular quality in your personality
18.      
chatterbox
-        
talkative
19.      
exhausted
-        
completely used
20.      
ingenuity
-        
the ability to solve problems in clever new ways
21.      
incorrigible
-        
having bad habits which cannot be changed or improved
22.      
ridiculous
-        
very silly
23.      
contrary
-        
on the other hand
Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:
1.     Mr. Keesing is a kind, but strict teacher. Explain.
Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne as she was a very talkative girl. He was kind enough to warn her several times but she didn’t change. So, he punished her by giving an essay to write.
2.     How did Sanne help Anne Frank in writing the third essay?
Anne’s friend Sanne was good at poetry. She helped Anne write the third essay in verse. It turned out to be a good poem, and even the teacher, Mr. Keesing, took it in the right way.
3.     How did Anne want her diary to be different?
Anne did not want to jot down the facts in her diary, the way most people do. She wanted the diary to be her friend and she would address the diary as ‘Kitty’.
4.     Explain ‘teachers are the most unpredictable creatures’. 
Anne believed that a quarter of her class was stupid and should be kept back. However, she thought that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures’ as nobody knew what there was in their minds and whom would they pass or fail.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:
1.     “Paper has more patience than people.” Elucidate.
Anne had loving parents, an elder sister and a number of friends. She could talk to them about common everyday matters. But she could not express her inner feelings to them. So she felt depressed and lonely. She wanted a patient listener to whom she could confide in. But she felt that neither did people have the patience to listen to her nor could she trust them with her secrets. So she decided to maintain a diary believing that it would be more patient than anybody. Hence, Anne Frank says that paper has more patience than people.
2.     Why was the whole class shaking in its boots? How does Anne Frank describe the behaviour of her classmates?
The annual results were to be disclosed soon. The teachers were going to hold their annual meeting to decide which of the students would be promoted to the next class and which of them would be kept back in the same class. As a result, the students were nervous and shaking in their boots. Half the class was making bets. Anne and her friend G.N. laughed heartily at their classmates C.N. and Jacques who had staked their entire holiday savings on their bet. They were all the time speculating who would pass and who would not. Anne was angry with many of them. But they would not calm down. According to her, a quarter of her class was dummies and should be kept back. But she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

Questions from the textbook.
Thinking about the Text
1.     Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
           A
                             B
  i.         Journal
A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day.
 ii.         Diary
A book with separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day.
iii.         Log
A written record of events with times and dates, usually official.
iv.         Memoir(s)
A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)

2.     Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir.
       i.         Diary
     ii.         Log
    iii.         Journal
    iv.         Memoir

Thinking About the Text
1.     Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl. Her diary was published under the name ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’. It was translated from Dutch into many languages and it became one of the world’s most widely read books. There have also been several films, television and theatrical productions, and even an opera based on the diary. It was described as the work of a mature and insightful mind. It provides an intimate examination of life under Nazi occupation. Anne Frank became one of the most renowned and discussed of the Holocaust victims.
2.     There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s dairy different?
Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary is different from the others in many aspects. She had named her diary ‘Kitty’. She thought of it as her only true friend whom she could confide in. She treated it as another person who was listening to her daily accounts. She wrote all her stories in it. She started by writing ‘Dearest Kitty’ and ended the account by writing, ‘Yours, Anne’. Her diary was a lot more personal than other diaries.
3.     Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Anne gave a brief sketch of her life since no one would understand a word of her stories if she were to plunge right in. She treated Kitty as an insider because she called it her best friend and was ready to confide in it.
4.     How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Anne felt that her father was the most adorable father she had ever seen. Anne remembered her grandmother even after her death. She wrote in her diary that no one knew how often she thought of her grandmother and still loved her. In the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus, who was also the headmistress. At the end of the year, they were both in tears as they had a heartbreaking farewell. Mr Keesing was her Maths teacher. He was annoyed with her because she talked too much. However, Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr. Keesing. On each occasion, he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments. All these incidents show how lovable and intelligent Anne was.  Everybody was attached to her, and even Mr. Keesing could not help but laugh at her essays and acknowledge her intelligence.
5.     What does Anne write in her first essay?
In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. She wrote three pages and was satisfied. She argued that talking was a student’s trait and that she would do her best to keep it under control. She further wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of the habit since her mother talked as much as she did. There was not much that one could do about inherited traits. Mr Keesing too had a good laugh reading her arguments.
6.     Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Anne felt that a quarter of her class was dumb, and should not be promoted to the next class. However, she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth. Mr Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. The way Anne always talked while the class was going on, any teacher would lose his temper. However, after several warnings, all Mr Keesing did was to assign her extra homework. She had to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. In this way, he tried to play a joke on her. Each time that he asked her to write such essays, she wrote very well. She kept countering his jokes. One could not have predicted that he would take all the jokes in the right spirit. Finally, he accepted her talkative nature and actually allowed her to talk in class. He did not even assign her any more extra homework. That is why it can be said that Mr Keesing was unpredictable.
7.     What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?
(i)             We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.
These lines show that though Anne was friendly, she did not have a friend in whom she could confide in. She even blames herself for not trusting people enough to confide in them.
(ii)            I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.
This line shows that Anne wasn’t interested in keeping records. Instead, she wanted a friend who could patiently listen to her.
(iii)          Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
This statement shows that Anne was a fun-loving. She was witty and knew how to present things in a funny way. The use of ‘plunked down’ shows her sense of humour.
(iv)          If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
This statement shows that she considered herself intelligent enough to make it to the next class while a quarter of her class was stupid in her opinion.
(v)            Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.
This statement shows that Anne took the punishment as a challenge. She was intelligent enough to come up with arguments for talking.


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