The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank was without question one of the most gripping historical/personal narrative accounts I’ve ever read. From beginning to end my heart was simultaneously pounding and aching for Anne Frank. Although not originally intended to be read by the public, The Diary of a Young Girl still reads very smoothly. This is due in part of course to Anne Frank self-identified as a writer to begin with; even when she was just writing for herself it is clear that time and thought went into her prose and the way she described her daily life in hiding. However, her diary also translates well into manuscript form because of the epistolary nature of Anne’s writing. An epistolary novel refers to a unique structure utilized by writers, where the narrative is formatted as either a series of letters or, as in Anne’s case, a series of journal entries.
When Anne was writing her diary she wrote each passage
as a letter or message addressed to the diary itself that the she personified
as a character called Kitty. The epistolary format impacts the overall
text by creating a channel through which the reader can truly connect with Anne
and her family. Anne openly acknowledges that Kitty is fictional and because of
this the reader can step into the role of Kitty themselves. At a certain point
when I was reading the book, it no longer felt like Anne was writing in her
diary, it felt as though she was writing to me, as though I had become Kitty.
Anne engaged with Kitty, but since Kitty did not exist and could not engage in
return, that role becomes subconsciously filled by the reader. It allowed for a
closer, more emotional, and more connected reading of almost any book I’ve ever
read.
A prime example of this close reading occurred midway through the
book, an entry from Friday, 29 October, 1943. A row was happening within the
household between Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, that all members of the Frank familiar
were privy too. In Anne’s words “the yells and screams, stamping and abuse-you
can’t possibly imagine it! It was frightening. My family stood at the bottom of
the stairs, holding their breath, ready if necessary to drag them apart! All
this shouting and weeping and nervous tension are so unsettling and such a
strain…” In that moment, I felt so in sync with the characters; empathizing
with the fear that led to the built up frustration of constant confinement and
the ultimate eruption of emotions. The constant state of mounting tension kept
my heart pounding and my nerves on edge throughout the entire book. By allowing
the reader to become Kitty, the reader is able to connect with Anne in a way
that I’ve personally never experienced before in a book. It was an especially
humbling experience to be able to read Anne Frank’s diary and connect with her
and the history she represents, even if only in my own small way.
Erin Brandenburg
I read Anne Frank's diary when I was about 12 or 13 years old and really struggled with it. For some reason, I couldn't grasp the concept of why Anne would be writing letters to Kitty in her diary. However, after reading the diary now, I think Anne's technique really helped her diary flow together as a whole. I agree with you that I began to feel as if Anne were writing to me personally. Allowing me in on everything running through her mind and what not.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the epistolary format is quite genius for Anne's purpose. It particularly allows modern readers to feel as if Anne is writing directly to us since Kitty is imagined as someone removed from Nazi occupation and not in hiding, much like us today. I would like to see a clearer statement of thesis earlier in the response. So, after you provide the definition of the Epistolary novel, then tell us what this format does for Anne's diary. Even though it is such a brief response, it helps to have the thesis mapped clearly in the beginning.