What is the theme of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl?

I would argue that the themes in this haunting diary are war, anti-Semitism, and coming of age.

With regard to war and anti-Semitism, it is the ongoing conflict in Europe that has forced the Frank family into their current situation. Hitler’s hatred for the Jews, and his determination to round them up into concentration camps, has forced these families into hiding. Their move into hiding is brought forward when Anne’s older sister is sent call-up papers, which is indicative of how serious the situation was for Jews in Europe at the time. It is thanks to war and anti-Semitism that the Frank and van Daan families must remain absolutely silent during the day to avoid detection. Similarly, they must move around in the darkness by night. Thanks to war, they live, as Jews, with the constant fear of being captured and sent to their death.

The second theme is coming of age. Despite the unusual nature of life in the annex, life goes on, and Anne’s initial disdain for Peter van Daan gradually turns to love and physical attraction. Of course, no real semblance of normality is possible in the annex, and their relationship is unable to grow as it may have if the circumstances had been different. The ongoing conflict between Anne and her mother is also a common side effect of adolescence or coming of age.

What is the theme of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl?

One of the themes of Anne Frank's diary is the loneliness and isolation of adolescence. Being a young adult can be hard at times, but it's harder still if you're forced to live in such a tense, claustrophobic environment like Anne. Anne is growing up very quickly, but there is really no one around with whom she can share her experiences. She's not particularly close to Margot; her relationship with her mother is fraught, to say the least; she completely adores her father, but there are certain things that she can't really share with him. So she remains alone. And her feelings of loneliness and isolation are compounded by the fact that no one truly understands her. Anne is very mature for her age, full of complex thoughts and feelings and it's so incredibly frustrating for her not to be able to share them with others. Peter van Daan briefly fills the role of confidant, but ultimately his intellectual inferiority and relative lack of maturity count against him.

What is the theme of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl?

There are several themes in the novel "Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl."  One of the themes is the sacrifice of one human being for another.  The act of hiding people at the risk of your own life and giving of your food, living space, and friendship to spare the lives of people around you.

"An underlying theme of Anne's account is man's inhumanity to man. Simply because of her religious beliefs, Anne is confined and lives in constant fear of death. Eventually, she does die, along with over six million other Jews during World War II."

Yet another theme is what happens to people when they are imprisoned.  How do they change?  What happens to people when they try to live, as the Franks did, for two years in a small area with little food, space, entertainment, and no freedom?

What is the theme of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl?

The themes of Anne Frank's diary are developed through the cat-and-mouse relationship between the innocent people who are hiding in the upstairs rooms and the powerful Nazi forces that are searching for Jewish civilians to send to their extermination camps. What gives the diary texture and importance is the deadly game Anne and her family and friends are forced to play. They are in imminent danger of being arrested if they make a bit of noise. They must behave like guilty fugitives, while the real guilty parties, the Nazis, are free to roam the city and intrude everywhere.

What is impressive about the book written by such a young girl is that the fugitives all try to lead conventional lives in spite of the horror of their situation. While terrible events take place outside the rooms, Anne continues to document many of the ordinary parts of her life as she grows up. Anne herself continues to study just as if she were still going to school. She is not oblivious to the danger they are all in, but she insists on remaining civilized in an uncivilized world. The themes of self-discovery and optimism are conveyed as Anne writes about the ordinary struggles and interactions taking place inside her little world. Though they undoubtably face unusual danger, the inhabitants of the annex struggle with normal interpersonal problems such as Anne's sparring with Peter and her conflicted feelings about her mother and sister. Though these minor events may seem unimportant, they demonstrate the unwillingness of the fugitives, including Anne, to let the looming threat of the Nazis completely overshadow or define their own lives. Despite the confining situation in which she must live, Anne manages to grow as into a more thoughtful and perceptive young woman, refusing to lose faith in the ultimate goodness in people's hearts. "The Diary of a Young Girl" has become a classic because of the gravity of the conditions under which it was written. In the end the fugitives are all captured, which shows that the danger was always present and always very real.

What is the moral of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank?

I would be hesitant to reduce Anne Frank’s diary to one moral or to even a few morals. Anne Frank is one of the most iconic individuals in Western history and perhaps in the world. Yet remember, before Anne became an icon, she was a person. She had flaws and prejudices like any other person.

Perhaps I've inadvertently stumbled on a moral you could talk about. You could discuss how honest and truthful Anne is. Even when it makes her look bad or unfavorable, Anne writes it down. Anne doesn't seem to feel the need to repress or censure her feelings. She’s completely—sometimes cruelly—honest.

There's many examples of Anne's loyalty to her true feelings. Some are negative and some are positive. The ones that are more negative tend to link to her mom. As you might already be aware, Anne had a contentious relationship with her mom. “I only look at her as a mother,” writes Anne, “and she just doesn’t succeed in being that to me.” Anne is harsh. Yet sometimes honesty is harsh.

Of course, not all of Anne’s honesty relates to harshness. She’s also sincere and forthright about her developing sexuality and her attraction towards girls. Anne’s candidness has to lead to censorship. Her father removed some outspoken passages before it was first published in 1947. More recently, in 2013, a parent tried to get the book banned due to its explicit passages.

Besides unconditional honesty, another moral or virtue that comes to mind is "be yourself." It might sound cliche or trite, but Anne’s diary is a testament to the power of remaining true to who you are. It doesn’t seem like Anne tries to simplify or confine herself to one kind of person. Throughout her diary, Anne is sad, happy, amorous, manipulative, sweet, vindictive, selfish, generous, and more. Basically, Anne is a dynamic person. Her loyalty to her complicated, messy, ever-changing identity seems like a central virtue—or moral—to me.

What is the moral of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank?

It's hard to glean a moral from what is essentially a diary (even though Anne was editing it before her death), but if one could be found in The Diary of a Young Girl, the moral would likely be the importance of hope in trying circumstances. Despite having her comfortable life taken from her and facing imminent extermination should the secret annex be discovered, Anne still has hope in the future. She continues to dream about becoming a journalist or what life will be like once the war ends. She continues her studies. She continues to wrestle with her thoughts about society, God, and human nature.

Even Anne's writing is an act driven by hope. Anne uses her diary as a conduit for her thoughts rather than bottling them up and giving into despair. Later, she decides to edit her diary for future publication when she hears on the radio that allied officials want ordinary people to document their wartime experiences. Anne believes fervently that she is not wasting her time, that she has something to say to the world.

Even Anne's declaration that people are basically good in spite of everything is a hopeful one. In the face of Nazi persecution, Anne still held out hope that the world could change. Though her diary makes one rueful that Anne's promising future was stripped from her, it stands as a testament to the hopeful nature of its creator.

What is the theme of The Diary of Anne Frank?

The theme of the story is that you can maintain high spirits even in the worst of situations. 

Anne Frank never lost her faith in humanity.  She was a victim, yes.  She was also a survivor.  Although she eventually died, Anne hid for years from the Nazis trying to live her life on her terms.  It was not easy. 

Anne lived in one of the worst time periods in history, but she still maintained her faith in humanity.  In one of the last entries before the family was captured by the Nazis, Anne writes that she still believes that people are inherently good. 

It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. (SATURDAY, JULY 15,1944) 

Despite how bad things have gotten in the world around her, and the horrible things she has seen people do, this shows that Anne has kept her faith.  This is because Anne had a generous spirit.  She was a boisterous girl who wanted to be a writer.  She shared her intimate thoughts in her diary, and many of them had to do with feeling misunderstood.  Despite all of this, Anne still wanted to see the best in others.

What is the main theme of The Diary of Anne Frank?

The Diary of a Young Girl is a classic coming of age story, maybe not in all the typical senses that we imagine teenagers coming of age, but she certainly goes through all the motions, even in her seclusion.  I agree with the prior answer in spite of the presence of all the oppression and war, Anne demonstrated unfailing optimism and childlike innocence in a situation in which most of us would have succumbed to utter depression and given up hope.  This was not true of Anne who maintained as positive an outlook as possible considering the circumstances.  Some other minor themes might be considered to include the loneliness of adolescence and the generosity and greed of people in wartime.  Check the link below for more detailed information on the themes.  Brenda

What is the main theme of The Diary of Anne Frank?

I would be sad to think that Anne Frank’s main legacy as a description of a life of oppression.  I think that the main theme is the tenacity of the human soul to continue to grow and even thrive in the worst of circumstances.  Anne Frank is essentially a coming of age story.  She grows from a child to a woman in that attic room.  Yes, the circumstances are unusual and add intensity to the situation.  However, the point is that she grows.  Even locked within an attic room, Anne can grow.  That is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.  The Nazi’s could take nearly everything away from her: her possessions, her family, and even her life; but they could not take away her spirit.  She is forced to learn at a young age that happiness and contentment are not based on material goods, or even on relationships, but within our own minds and souls.  She not only survives in the attic room but she creates a diary that speaks to the world in timeless truth. 

What is the main theme of The Diary of Anne Frank?

I would say that the main theme is living in oppression.  The Nazis have taken away everything from the Frank family (and many like them).  "Jews could not attend schools with non-Jews, go to the movies, or ride on the streetcars." Anne is denied basic human rights and human dignity.  It affects her physically by living in a cramped environment.  It effects her emotionally by repressing her budding feelings for Peter.  And of course, it effects her life by ultimately taking it away. 

There are other themes in the work, but this one affects all areas of young Anne's existence. 

What is the primary theme in The Diary of Anne Frank?

The thematic coinciding of a personal world with the outer world is unique.  And, it is certainly interesting how Anne relates her small world to the larger one that lies in wait for her family and the Van Daans, especially regarding the theme mentioned in the previous post, that of redemption and condemnation.

What is the primary theme in The Diary of Anne Frank?

I think that you can find many themes in Anne Frank's diary.  For my bet, I would say that the primary theme would be the struggle between good and evil.  Anne's diary is a study in human morality.  While she is writing about her own thoughts, filled with hope because she struggles to live, she is immersed in one of the worst periods in human history.  The theme of contrasting the good in her heart and in her perceptions with the evil that surrounds and envelops her is of vital importance to the message of the diary.  Anne might not have been aware that she was writing a landmark of Western literature, but her diary is a study of the struggle that exists in all human beings between good and evil, condemnation and redemption, eros and thanatos, the forces of life and the death instinct.  She does not make any sweeping generalizations about either, and this is why the struggle between good and evil becomes such an important theme in the diary.  In understanding this ever present struggle, Anne's diary gives the reader much to think about in how we, as human beings, stand on the issue of hope and despair:

In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.

These last lines of the diary bring to light the critical theme that frames not only her diary, but how we, as students of the Holocaust, struggle to understand human nature in the face of such sorrow and such resilience.

What is the primary theme in The Diary of Anne Frank?

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is exactly what the title implies - the record of a young girl's thoughts and reactions as she enters the physical and emotional transition period between childhood and adulthood while living in a very threatening situation.

Through her writings, we gain insight into the ways in which she experienced the changes in her perceptions of herself, of others, and of relationships between herself and others, especially with her parents and with Peter. Because her options for other activities are limited, she has a great deal of time for introspection. Her diary is the record of the deep analysis and thought she is able to give to her maturation process.

The diary also records the dangers of being a Jewish girl, part of a Jewish family, in hiding from the Nazis in Germany during WWII. She is acutely aware of the risks, sacrifices, and hardships being endured by herself and her family and by others. In spite of this, she remains positive and hopeful that a better life is in her future.