A good thesis statement for The Diary of a Young Girl might attempt to explain the power and influence of the book. Many millions of people suffered during the Holocaust, and a fairly large number of them wrote about the experience. However, Anne Frank's diary is by far the most famous diary, and perhaps the best-known book, to come out of that period.
Before the diary was published, it was brought to the attention of the Dutch historian Dr. Jan Romein, who wrote that the book was a more powerful testament to the hideousness of fascism than all the evidence given at Nuremberg. You might incorporate this idea into a thesis statement such as:
The Diary of a Young Girl is such a powerful testament to the evil of fascism because it depicts an ordinary family struggling to live a normal life under extreme circumstances. Unlike many narratives of unrelenting...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
misery in the concentration camps, Anne Frank's diary shows all the good things that were destroyed by the Nazi regime: family, relationships, community, and the chance to live a decent life.
How do I write a good thesis for The Diary of a Young Girl?
Do you have a topic for this paper yet? What sorts of ideas will you be examining? What are you trying to say about the text through your essay?
One possible direction to go in for this book is the idea of hope. Despite the terrible things that are happening to her family and others around her, Anne seems to remain mostly optimistic about life. There are, however, times when this hope falters, and those might be interesting places to examine as well. Why does her optimism waiver in these places, and how does she get through these difficult times? Another topic to consider, which may link in with the previous topic, is the idea of writing. Why is writing important to Anne?
The answers to these questions can help to form a thesis. Remember, a thesis is a claim about the text that you will prove throughout the course of the paper.