Character Sketch: From the Diary of Anne Frank | English Class 10 PDF Download

The  Class 10 English chapter, "From the Diary of Anne Frank," portrays the story of a young Jewish girl who hides during World War II to escape persecution by the Nazis. Throughout the chapter, Anne shares her experiences and emotions, including her struggles with depression. In this article, we will delve into the Character Sketches of the individuals who lived with Anne during this harrowing time.

Character Sketch of Anne Frank

• Understanding – Anne has a deep awareness of her emotions and the situations around her.
• Thoughtful – She reflects a lot on her life and relationships, showing a mature level of thinking despite her young age.
• Strong – Even in tough times, Anne maintains her cheerful attitude and finds reasons to laugh.
• Clear Speaker – Her diary entries are well-written and show that she can clearly express complex ideas.
• Kind – Anne is very compassionate, often considering how others feel and what they are experiencing.
• Inventive – She creatively solves problems, like making her school essays engaging and enjoyable.
• Funny – Anne has a sharp sense of humor, which she uses in her writing and to cope with difficult situations.
• Optimistic – Despite the challenges, she remains hopeful about the future.
• Brave – Anne shows courage by writing honestly during such a dangerous time.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a thirteen-year-old girl from Germany who was very sensitive, intelligent, and mature for her age. Because she was Jewish, she and her family had to move to Amsterdam to escape Nazi persecution. Anne often felt lonely and wished for a true friend to confide in, which she found in her diary, named ‘Kitty.’
Despite the difficult times, Anne maintained her emotional depth. She frequently expressed her love for her grandmother and showed a strong bond with her family. Her lively personality sometimes led her to talk too much in class, which irritated her math teacher, Mr. Keesing. However, Anne won him over with her humor and clever essays.
Through her diary, Anne demonstrated that even in the most challenging times, she could keep her sense of humor, humanity, and hope alive. Her story and diary continue to inspire people worldwide, highlighting the resilience and strength of a young girl.

Character Sketch of Mr. Keesing

• Strict – Mr. Keesing is very strict and serious about keeping his classroom in order.
• Funny – Even though he is strict, he can be funny, especially when responding to Anne’s essays.
• Forgiving – Mr. Keesing appreciates Anne’s cleverness and stops giving her extra work, showing he can forgive.
• Traditional – Anne calls him an “old fogey,” meaning he usually sticks to old ways of teaching.
• Demanding – He expects a lot from his students, like quietness and discipline.
• Engaging – He actively interacts with Anne about her essays, which shows he connects with students more personally.
• Flexible – Mr. Keesing is open to changing his methods. If his usual way of maintaining discipline doesn’t work, he’s ready to try new approaches. 
• Authoritative – Mr. Keesing has a strong presence and effectively controls and leads his class.
• Open-minded – He is open to new ideas and humor, as seen in how he reacts to Anne’s essays.

Mr. Keesing is portrayed as a very strict teacher who values discipline in his classroom. Anne refers to him as an "old fogey," meaning she sees him as traditional and set in his old-fashioned ways of teaching. Despite his strictness, Mr. Keesing has a sense of humor and can be flexible. He often scolded Anne for talking too much in class and initially punished her by assigning extra essays.

However, Mr. Keesing was open to new ideas and enjoyed Anne's humorous and clever essays, which led him to rethink his approach to discipline. Eventually, he stopped giving her extra homework, showing that he could forgive and adapt his methods. 
Mr. Keesing knew how to maintain control in his classroom but also proved he could join in the fun. He was a blend of strictness and tradition with a good sense of humor and a willingness to change, making him a memorable figure in Anne’s diary.

Character Sketch of Margot Frank

• Anne’s older sister. Margot was born in Frankfurt in 1926. She receives little attention in Anne’s diary, and Anne does not provide a real sense of Margot’s character. 
• Anne thinks that Margot is pretty, smart, emotional, and everyone’s favorite. However, Anne and Margot do not form a close bond, and Margot mainly appears in the diary when she is the cause of jealousy or anger. 
• She dies of typhus in the concentration camp a few days before Anne does.

Otto, Edith, and Margot Frank

Character Sketch of Otto Frank

• Anne’s father. Otto is practical and kind, and Anne feels a particular kinship to him. 
• He was born on May 12, 1889, into a wealthy Frankfurt family, but the family’s international-banking business collapsed during the German economic depression that followed World War I. 
• After the Nazis came to power in Germany, Otto moved to Amsterdam in 1933 to protect his family from persecution. 
• There he made a living selling chemical products and provisions until the family was forced into hiding in 1942. Otto is the only member of the family to survive the war, and he lives until 1980.

Character Sketch of Edith Frank

• Anne’s mother, Edith Hollander was originally from Aachen, Germany, and she married Otto in 1925. 
• Anne feels little closeness or sympathy with her mother, and the two have a very tumultuous relationship. 
• Anne thinks her mother is too sentimental and critical. 
• Edith dies of hunger and exhaustion in the concentration camp at Auschwitz in January 1945.

You can go through a complete explanation of the chapter by going through this video lecture.

Cover long answer-type questions of the chapter here.