Quote 1
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.
