Anne Frank Diary Essay

Articles Discussing the Diary of Anne Frank

The article, “One Girl’s Diary Opened the World’s Eyes,” which was written by Pam Becker, is divided into three significant topics. These topics not only discuss how Anne Frank’s diary changed the world, but also the history behind the diary and why the audience should take the time to read the diary. Becker first describes how the diary has made an impact to its audience as it provided a perspective of a young girl whose family was in hiding from the Nazis until they were arrested in 1944. She includes several quotes in her article from renowned book editor, Judith Jones such as: "I think that nobody had grasped" what happened, she says. "I just think the idea of destroying a whole race of people

Here was evidence of how it touched human lives.” The next topic focuses on the history of Anne Frank’s diary. Becker reports how Anne’s diary entires began in 1942, just before Anne and her family were forced to go into hiding in Amsterdam. Becker also mentions how Anne writes about her everyday life while in hiding and her fear of being found by the Nazis. She includes a small entry from the diary in her article that states, “terrible things are happening outside," she writes. "At any time of night and day, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. … Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.” Becker notes that after two years, the diary entries had stopped as Anne and her family were arrested. Anne and her sister, Margot, were believed to have died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp, weeks before it was

Carvajal first describes how the Anne Frank Fonds, a Swiss foundation which owns the copyright of the diary, claims that Otto Frank is the co-author of Anne’s diary. Copyrights in Europe only last 70 years after the death of the author. Consequently, this claim was made by the foundation in order to extend the copyright as it was due to expire 70 years after Anne’s death. Considering that Otto Frank did not die until 1980, the copyright would be extended to last until the year 2050. Carvajal notes how the claim made by the foundation had provoked an uproar. She includes a quote in her article from Agnès Tricoire, a French lawyer who specializes in property rights, which states that, “If you follow their arguments, it means that they have lied for years about the fact that it was only written by Anne Frank.” Carvajal also mentions how tension between the foundation and the Anne Frank House museum has increased as they have fought over ownership of such archives. However, Carvajal also mentions that the foundation insists that the extended copyright was not for the sake of money, but for the sake of Anne Frank. The foundation’s officials explain that their goal was to, “make sure that Anne Frank stays