From the Diary of Anne Frank Questions and Answers Class 10

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 provide comprehensive answers to the questions from the poignant literary work “From the Diary of Anne Frank.” These solutions help students grasp the emotional depth and historical significance of Anne Frank’s experiences during the Holocaust. Covering themes of hope, resilience, and the human spirit, the solutions offer clarity on Anne’s thoughts and struggles while living in hiding. With these answers, students can gain a deeper understanding of Anne’s perspective, her dreams, and the impact of her diary on the world.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 From the Diary of Anne Frank Questions and Answers

Page no. 51

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

Ans: These words were prompted by the fact that Anne had never before written a diary. Moreover, she felt that with time, neither she nor anyone else would be interested in the thoughts of a 13-year-old school girl.

2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Ans: Anne started writing a diary because she felt like writing one. She felt that writing a diary would help her get the load off her chest.

3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Ans: Anne was of the opinion that she could confide more in her diary than in people because her friends, or rather her acquaintances were all quite different from her. She could talk with them only about the trivial and not-so-important aspects of daily life. For her, a best friend was the one with whom she could share just about everything and anything without any hesitation.

Page no. 51

Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life? 

Ans: Anne goes on to give a brief sketch of her life because if someone was to read her diary, he/she would not understand the word if she plunged right in. A brief sketch would help the readers to understand her stories.

2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother? 

Ans: Anne lost her grandmother in January 1942. Her birthday cake in June 1942 had Grandma’s candle along with the others. In addition, she tells us that she missed her grandmother and loved her immensely even now.

Page no. 54

Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why was Mr Kesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

Ans: Mr Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she was a very talkative student and kept talking throughout the class. He gave her extra homework, which was to write an essay on the topic “A Chatterbox”.

2. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Ans: In the essay A Chatterbox, Anne wrote that talking was a trait of every student. She added that she would try to keep it under control. She mentioned that she could never cure it because she had it from her mother, who talked just as much as Anne did.

3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?

Ans. Mr Keesing was not a strict teacher, although he expected students to conform to the expected code of conduct. At the same time, he did not miss the humour in any situation.

4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in the class?

Ans: Mr Keesing well understood and appreciated the humorous Twist given by Anne to her poem on the subject Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mrs Chatterbox. Following this, he allowed Anne to talk in the class.

Thinking about the text

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?

Ans: No. Anne was not right in saying that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl. She is proved wrong by the fact that even today her Diary is being read across the world not just by children but by adults too.

2. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section (of the textbook, Footprints without Feet). Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different?

Ans: Anne’s diary was originally written in the Dutch language. In contrast to the various examples of diaries and journals, as presented in the Before You Read section, Anne’s diary is a very detailed personal account. This account deals with not just the life of Anne but also her family and friends with whom she lived in the Annexe. Anne’s diary gives the readers an in-depth insight into the lives and relationships of all residents and people who were a part of her life.

3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch of her family? Does she consider ‘Kitty’ as an insider or outsider?

Ans: Anne gives a brief sketch of her family to help her readers understand her mental and emotional state of being as they read through the diary. Details of her family background make it easier for Anne to establish the position, status and character of all her family members. This account makes it easier for the readers to understand the relationships shared by the family and their personalities. Anne considers “Kitty to be an insider because right from the very beginning, she referred to Kitty as her best friend.

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these say about her?

Ans. Anne looked up to her father as the most adorable father in the world. She was very deeply attached to her headmistress, Mrs Kuperus and was in tears while bidding farewell to her at the end of the year. The relationship shared between Anne and her grandmother was so strong that the thirteen-year-old refused to celebrate her birthday following her operation in the summer of 1941. Despite being repeatedly punished by Mr Keesing, Anne continued to honour him. Anne’s relationship with all these characters proves that she was a very sensitive and loving young girl. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was a genial and amiable girl.

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?

Ans. Mr Keesing, Anne’s mathematics teacher, asked Anne to write an essay on the subject ‘A Chatterbox’ as a punishment for being talkative to the girl. As she sat down to write the essay, she decided to present in it convincing arguments to prove to her teacher the necessity of talking in class. Anne wrote a three-page essay arguing that talking was every student’s trait. She assured her teacher that she would try her best to keep her trait of talking under control. However, she added that, since she had inherited this trait from her mother, she couldn’t cure herself of it completely.

6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

Ans: Mr Keesing is an unpredictable teacher. When he caught Anne talking in the class, he gave her the most unexpected punishment, asking her to write an essay on the subject ‘A Chatterbox. Reading Anne’s essay. Mr Keesing was very easily convinced by her arguments. The same happened again and the second time too, Mr Keesing asked her to write an essay on the topic. An Incorrigible Chatterbox. Yet again, Anne succeeded in convincing him. The third time around, he gave her the task of writing on the topic. Quack Quack, Quack Said Mrs Chatterbox. This time he was so impressed by her poetry on the subject that he quoted it in other classes Unexpectedly, he gave Anne permission to talk in the clan and never assigned her any extra work.

7. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

(a) We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other.

Ans: The above lines tell us that Anne Frank was quite an introvert. This made it difficult for her to confide easily in everyone. For her to be able to confide in her friends, it was essential to be close to them and be emotionally attached to them.

(b) I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.

Ans: Anne Frank, as a young girl, kept to herself and did not mingle too much with her peer group. She preferred to share her life and emotions, not with family or friends. but with her diary, Kitty. Her diary was a patient listener and non-judgmental. The diary, for Anne, was a living entity with whom she could share everything without any fear or inhibition.

(c) Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

Ans: The above lines reveal Anne’s disappointment with being the second child in the family. It reveals her displeasure with the fact that she was treated as nothing more than a plaything for her elder sister, Margot. Hence, we get to see her sense of self-pride and dignity.

(d) If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

Ans: Ander was a young guy with a mind of her own. She was a sharp girl who could not only evaluate people but also did not hesitate from voicing her opinion. She was upfront and bold girl.

(e) Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.

Ans: Anne did not take things casually. Even a punishment was taken in all earnestness and she put in her hundred per cent to complete the task assigned. When writing the essay assigned by Mr Keesing, she was determined to convince him of why it was imperative for students to talk.