April 5, 1944 – Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank

Although Anne Frank was not the only young diarist during the Holocaust, her works are the most familiar. Readers are caught up in her story; a girl whose life is suddenly turned upside down by war, a family forced to hide in a tiny attic for over two years, and the bravery of friends who managed to supply them with both the necessities and information of what was happening in the outside world. As Anne’s writing evolved over time, she became confident in her ability to write well, and to use her talent to create a better life for herself. We can only imagine what she might have achieved had she survived. 

“I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met.”

On April 5, 1944, just a few months before Anne and her family were discovered and sent to their fate, she wrote about her determination to become a writer. “I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write, […] but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent. And if I don’t have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can’t imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! […] I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me! When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?”