I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.

Anne writes this on the inside cover of her diary just after she receives it for her thirteenth birthday. At the time, she feels that she does not have any true confidants, which makes her feel lonely and misunderstood. Anne does, however, have many friends and admirers, and she is a playful, amusing, and social young girl. Thus, her sentiments in this passage may seem odd and a bit exaggerated, but she later explains that even though she has friends, she is never fully able to open up to them. Anne finds that she and her friends talk only about trivial things, even when she has deeper things on her mind that she wishes to share. For example, she never broaches the subjects of her developing body or Germany’s occupation of Holland. Having a diary—which she addresses as “Kitty,” like a friend—enables her to express her thoughts without fear of being criticized by others. Anne’s relationship with her diary helps comfort her through her insecure, lonely, and fearful time in hiding.

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