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The Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

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Student Question

In "The Diary of a Young Girl", what correspondence course do Anne, Margot, and Peter take?

Quick answer:

Anne, Margot, and Peter take a correspondence course in shorthand. Anne values this skill as it allows her to write in a secret code, providing a sense of privacy in the confined and shared space of the Annex. She sees shorthand as a way to safely express her thoughts and feelings in her diary, "Kitty," without the risk of others, like her father, reading her private reflections.

Expert Answers

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The correspondence course is in shorthand. Anne feels the value of learning shorthand is the ability to write in a secret code. She desperately needs the outlet of writing in "Kitty", her diary. I think she sees shorthand as a way to express her thoughts and feelings without anyone else, like her father, being able to read what she's written. One of the hardest things for Anne is the lack of privacy in the Annex. She would feel safer writing in her diary in a secret code.

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