The Diary of a Young Girl

In her first entry Anne hopes that she “will be able to confide everything” to the diary, “as I have never been able to confide in anyone” (9). In a comment added in September 1942 as part of her revisions, Anne remarks that the diary has been “a great source of comfort to me” (9).

Anne recalls receiving the diary as a birthday present along with other presents. At school, she and her classmates sang “Happy Birthday.” The next day, she had a birthday party and watched a movie starring Rin Tin Tin, a real dog who was featured in a series of films at the time.

After describing her birthday festivities, Anne lists her classmates. These include Jacqueline van Maarsen, whom Anne icily describes as “supposedly my best friend [… at] first I thought Jacque would be one, but I was badly mistaken,” and J.R., whom Anne calls “a detestable, sneaky, stuck-up, two-faced gossip who thinks she’s so grown-up” (11). Anne has kinder things to say about Hanneli “Lies” Goslar and Eefje de Jong. Next, Anne lists the boys of her class. These include Sallie Springer, who is very funny; Rob Cohen, an obnoxious, sniveling liar; Harry Schaap, “the most decent boy” in Anne’s class; and Apple Riem, who is “pretty Orthodox, but a brat too” (13).