The Diary of Anne Frank: Year 1944 Summary & Analysis

1944 is a year of many changes for Anne, the first of which being her shift in attitude toward her mother. Anne's changing attitude toward her mother can be seen as part of her journey into greater maturity.

Anne's thoughts on her mother are further indication of her growing maturity, and of her feelings of isolation from her mother. The homoeroticism of this passage led it to be excluded from early editions of the journal. This passage shows Anne's simultaneous innocence about and fascination with sex. She's clearly aware and unafraid of being sexual, but at the same time is seemingly unaware that her homosexual feelings could be considered taboo.

Anne is beginning to discern between her outer self and inner self in this passage. She realizes that, like her, Peter contains an "inner self," and she senses that she might be able to confide in this "inner Peter."

Anne's desire both for romantic love and friendship is embodied in her dreams of Peter Schiff. Anne's visions of her grandmother have taken on a new meaning – her grandmother now represents safety and guidance.

Peter Schiff becomes the focus for and the embodiment of Anne's sexual and romantic desires. Anne considers how her younger self regarded sexuality, and realizes that she feels like she's now mature enough to understand sexual desire. At the same time, her longing for Peter Schiff can also be seen as an extension of her desire for a real friend.

In adjusting her attitude toward her mother, Anne is able to see her mother as a human being complete with inner and outer selves. Anne reflects on how her mother's inability to be a real parent is connected with her feelings of isolation. She believes romantic love is the solution to this isolation.

Anne's journey into adolescence involves questioning and assessing the actions of the adults around her. She wonders if this selfishness is just part of human nature. Of course, to some extent, the adult's actions result form their extreme situation confined in the Annex. At the same time, by being confined with the adults Anne is getting a true glimpse into the adult world, and learning that this world—which children often imagine as being rational, virtuous, and good—is much more complex, and filled with both negative and positive traits and actions.

Anne believes that the solution to her loneliness can be found in a romantic relationship. She continues to assess her own behavior in an effort to shape her outer self.

Anne's insights into herself and her relationship to others grow more sophisticated and nuanced by the day. She realizes that all people – not just her – contain inner and outer selves. She reflects on how she only shows her outer self in public, and wonders if she'll ever share her inner self with someone. Her insights into conflicts in the Annex reveal her growing maturity and generosity.

Anne and Peter realize that they can talk to each other about things they never thought they could discuss with another person. It shows that they're both becoming more mature.

Anne's reflection on their generosity offers further evidence of her growing maturity – she is learning to be grateful for the people in her life in a way that she hadn't when she was younger.

This is the first time Anne connects gazing up at the sky with her connection to God. This is also the first time Anne has connected her feeling of isolation with a feeling of strength.

Anne's jaded attitude toward the Allied invasion can be seen as part of being a teenager and as part of the effect confinement has had on her psyche.

Even though there's a war going on and she's in confinement, Anne's feelings of adolescent anticipation and longing are too powerful to be stopped.

Interestingly, it's only now that Anne feels she has truly connected with Peter – their earlier conversation about sex evidently didn't alleviate her feelings of isolation. It's clear that Anne seeks an emotional connection, and she feels she's found a way to experience this with Peter.

Anne seems to be in denial about wanting to see and spend time with Peter, even though she's clearly going out of her way to run into him. She also seems to be in denial about how she feels about him – in this scene, there's clearly a romantic connection.

Anne's romantic idealization of Peter butts heads with the real Peter (both inner and outer). While she's happy and relieved to be able to connect with Peter as a friend, she's a tad dismayed to discover that he's imperfect. She's disappointed in his "dishonesty," but can Peter really be blamed for wanting to (at least outwardly) give up his Jewish faith, given everything the Nazis have put them through?

Anne's relationship with Peter deepens. This relationship is teaching Anne about the differences between friendship and romantic love.

Anne's mood swings and feelings of isolation are typical both of adolescence and of the beginning stages of romantic love. It seems like this is the first time Anne has really experienced these feelings; they consume and confuse her.

This is a pivotal moment in Anne and Peter's relationship. Anne realizes that she's able to connect with Peter without having to talk to him. In Anne's mind, they're both able to appreciate the beauty and joy of nature without having to talk about it.

Anne's romantic interest in Peter has led her to feel a level of responsibility toward him. She feels that, inside, he struggles with the same things she does, and she longs to help him carry his burdens.

Anne is clearly infatuated with Peter, and in her infatuation she assumes that she and Peter share many of the same qualities and struggles. In spite of this, she's able to realize that she and Peter still haven't truly connected as of yet. Anne's "yearning" can be seen as both sexual and emotional.

In a moment of surprising insight, Anne realizes that she's conflated the two Peters in her life. Anne again struggles with her outer and inner selves – she feels she must carefully hide her inner struggles, presumably to keep the peace.

The worsening of the war outside has impacts inside the Annex, as burglaries are becoming more and more common as resources grow scarce.

Interestingly, even though Anne insists that she seeks friendship, she can't find the companionship she seeks with her sister. It's clear that Anne is struggling to understand what she longs for, and that this is all part of her journey through adolescence. Anne's meditation on love can be seen as a way of defining her own individual relationship to love.

It seems that Peter also longs to have someone to confide in. He reveals that his parents present a certain façade to the world (though, to be fair, Anne has seen them fight before). Anne is guilty of the same dishonesty she found so disappointing in Peter!

Anne's visions of her grandmother give her the strength and courage to carry on in spite of the war. She's also bolstered by her growing feelings for Peter. Anne doesn't seem to be sure what it feels like to fall in love, though she imagines she may feel this way for Peter someday.

Central to Anne's desire to connect with Peter, it seems, is her desire to help him. It may be that helping Peter is easier for Anne than dealing with her own problems.

Anne is comparing several selves in this passage. On the one hand, she's comparing her younger, pre-Annex self with her more mature, adolescent self. On the other hand, she's also comparing her inner self with her outer self – the outer self being the Anne who's surrounded by admirers, who's chatty and playful, etc.

Anne continues to distinguish between her inner/outer, past/present selves. She also strives to distinguish her feelings and attitudes from those of her mother. While Anne's optimism can be seen as healthier than her mother's dour reminders about suffering, one might speculate that Anne's optimism is characteristic of her relative inexperience. (Her mother has experienced two World Wars, after all.)

The tenuous nature of life in the Annex is again brought to the forefront with the (temporary) loss of several allies. Mr. van Hoeven's arrest is a wake-up call for Anne – it's the first time one of the Annex's benefactors has been punished for their illegal activities.

Anne's preoccupation with Peter can be seen both as a symptom of heady, teenage love and as a symptom of the war – it's probably easier for her to focus on Peter than on the grim realities of WWII.

Anne continues to try to puzzle out the various selves of the adults around her. The fact that she pokes fun at the van Daans and Mr. Dussel shows that she's still limited in her understanding of those around her. For instance, can Mr. Dussel be blamed for looking out for himself, given that he probably feels like a lone wolf in the Annex? Can Mrs. van Daan be blamed for feeling self-pity, given the war?

Interestingly, even though Anne longs for companionship and connection, she also (perhaps equally) longs for solitude. She again reflects on the person she shows to the world versus the person she hides away. Does Anne really have a "granite mask," though? She may show more of her inner self than she thinks.

Although the close quarters of the Annex are certainly exacerbating these feelings, Anne's desire to get space from her parents is typical of adolescent experience. Anne's feelings of superior maturity may or may not be accurate, given that she's biased!

Anne continues to sort out her ideas about love and sex. In a typically adolescent fashion, Anne (rightly enough) questions the powers that be regarding sex education. She challenges the status quo with her musings on premarital sex.

This is a pivotal moment in Anne and Peter's relationship. In this passage, Anne feels like she truly connects with Peter, and that she's able to reveal her inner self to him. In turn, Anne feels that Peter has revealed his inner self to her. These feelings are all part of teenage experience, and part of Anne's exploration of what it means to be in love.

Anne might not have worried about Margot's feelings if it weren't for the close quarters of the Annex. Anne learns that Margot, too, harbors a secret desire to confide in someone – she, too, feels isolated.

How quickly Anne has changed her mind about whether she loves Peter! (It's been a little over a month since she first sought to confide in him.) Anne takes great comfort in knowing that someone in the world understands that Anne has an inner self.

In some ways, for Anne the drama of WWII seems to hold the same weight and import as the dramas taking place within the confines of the Annex. And that makes sense—this is Anne's life, and the "small" things in life don't stop just because there are also major historical events going on. Anne and Peter continue teaching each other about human sexuality. Peter reveals his insecure inner self after this conversation.

This is yet another controversial passage in Anne's diary, given how unabashed it is in its description of female genitalia. This is again an instance of Anne both wanting to connect with and to help Peter.

Anne has clearly grown far more mature in the nearly two years that she's been writing her diary. She seems to liken her relationship to Peter to a marriage – she believes that her relationship with him will help her change for the better.

While the adults in the Annex initially seemed amused by Anne and Peter's relationship, they now seem to be taking it more seriously (and personally). For her part, Anne has the typically teenage desire to just be left to her own devices.

This is the catalyst that spurs Anne to revise her diaries (which is why they're so polished!) and to take her writing more seriously. Anne seems to have no doubt here that she'll survive the war.

Possibly spurred by the idea that her diary might one day be published, Anne spends more time than usual reporting on the war. The Annex's residents continue to observe birthdays, finding comfort in the ritual of giving. Anne continues to want to help Peter; this time, her help comes in the form of a lesson in sex education.

Anne's decision to shift her attention away from Peter is quite sudden, and it's not quite clear what exactly spurs this decision. It may be that Anne discovered that her passion in life is writing, not loving Peter. This is part of Anne's continued journey through adolescence, and her exploration of her inner self.

Another burglary – this one being by far the most serious to occur in the Opekta building – drives home the idea that the Secret Annex is always a hair's breadth away from being discovered. The grim realities of war are again thrust upon the Annex's residents.

The generosity of the Annex's Christian allies is put to the test with the most recent break-in - it becomes clear that they're in danger just as much as the Jews residing in the Annex, and the fear of imprisonment drives them to use fairly blunt language. The episode forces Anne to consider her Jewish identity—the way that it will stick with her no matter what. Yet her optimism shines through as she hopes that the Jews' suffering will turn out to provide an education in goodness to the world. Anne sees her own suffering now not just in terms of its impact on her but its connection to the world, though her belief in that suffering changing the world is idealistic and somewhat self-aggrandizing. And yet, one can argue that the publication of Anne's diary has done precisely as Anne hopes here, providing an education of sorts to its readers.

Anne's feminism and ambition shines through in the final months of her diary. Her rebelliousness and independence are part of being a teenager; they also seem to indicate that Anne will never be willing to settle for the life of a homemaker.

Anne finds herself feeling more mature than the grown ups in this passage. She feels that others in the house should govern their outer selves the way she does, in an effort to keep the peace.

Mr. Kugler's generosity is seriously put to the test. His selfish anger can't be blamed – Peter's carelessness has put them all in danger. Presumably, Mr. van Maaren has witnessed the open windows.

Anne's very excited about her "first kiss," even if she doesn't feel as close to Peter as she once did.

Anne's feelings of isolation and her hidden fears about the war are eased by her time with Peter. The fact that they've become physical with each other, however, has given Anne pause. Is she as independent as she thinks? Does she have to tell her father?

Anne and Peter continue to learn about love and sex from one another. Tensions seem to have eased, and the Annex's allies return to their gestures of friendliness and generosity.

Anne continues to judge Mr. Dussel's character harshly – though he does seem objectively petty here!

The conflation of Peter Schiff with Peter van Daan seems to have ended – the two have again resumed their separate identities in Anne's mind. Anne feels like she reached a new level of closeness with Peter when he kisses her on the mouth – she feels like her outer self slips away almost completely, leaving her inner self in Peter's arms. Even though Anne has previously written that physical love can't be wrong, she still struggles with guilt about her passionate feelings for Peter.

It's seems like Mr. Frank is torn about Anne's relationship with Peter – it seems like he understands that the relationship brings them comfort, but he also knows that tensions in the Annex can run high and a romantic break-up is the last thing they need.

Although Anne seems to ultimately believe that people are innately good, her beliefs are complicated in this passage, given that she admits people seem to have a "destructive urge." In spite of all she's been through (and perhaps because she's been sheltered from much of the horrors of the Holocaust), Anne still feels that the war is an adventure. That sheltering might also explain why her sense of maturing is still connected to a sense of optimism about the war's end, as such optimism may not be warranted.

Anne's letter to her father is essentially a kind of declaration of independence. What Anne doesn't realize is that she's falling prey to the same selfishness that she condemns in others. At this point, she incapable of seeing her father's point of view.

Part of Anne's journey through adolescence involves understanding when she's been wrong. Her ability to admit that she has character defects shows how mature she's become.

In spite of the war, Anne still harbors the hope that she'll be able to enjoy all the things her parents enjoyed. It's a kind of greed, but it isn't necessarily bad – it's dreams like these that help Anne survive the confinement of life in the Annex.

Anne continues to cultivate her inner self through her writing. She continues to work on becoming the grown up she aspires to be.

It's not clear why Anne feels the need to shut Peter out from her inner self. Is she frightened by intimacy? Is she simply disappointed in Peter? It's not clear.

The question of whether the Allies can ever act in a selfless way calls into question, on a local level, whether the Annex's allies' actions are completely selfless. (Which, to be honest, they aren't – Mr. Kugler, Mr. Kleiman, Bep, Miep, and Jan all benefit from the Annex's food stores, for example.) The growing anti-Semitism in Holland comes as a shock to the Annex, and it's likely that they secretly wonder whether their allies can be trusted.

Mr. van Hoeven's second (and presumably final) arrest comes as a serious blow to Anne, especially given that he was arrested for hiding Jews. Will their own allies be arrested in the same way? Are they all doomed to be caught by the Nazis?

While it's assumed that Anne is doing her best to hide her feelings, it seems like the latest string of incidents have left her with few resources to hide her inner self. Anne observes that war has made their lives absurd, almost bipolar – one minute they're in terror, the next they're laughing.

Given that she's been in hiding for about two years at this point, it's natural that Anne should long for some kind of end to their confinement and suspense, even if that end means death. She now realizes the true gravity of their allies' situation – her beloved Miep could very well be the next person to be arrested.

As the quarreling continues, it seems as if it's easier for the adults in the Annex to quarrel over butter than it is for them to face the grim realities of war. Petty things become an outlet for their feelings of terror and frustration.

D-Day seems to arrive just at the moment the residents of the Annex need hope the most. Anne clings to the hope that she can return to a normal life.

Perhaps spurred by the hope of the Allied invasion, Anne's birthday is celebrated with a surplus of good cheer and optimism. Anne, however, still feels dissatisfied. She craves (perhaps greedily) more closeness from Peter. She still feels isolated, and imagines that he's keeping some part of himself from her.

Paradoxically, even though Anne craves intimacy, she seems to find all the comfort she needs in her time alone with nature.

Given her thoughts on childbirth vs. battle, Anne's thoughts on the patriarchy might be spurred by the (admittedly masculine) war going on around her. Anne's feminist ideas support her dreams of the person she hopes to become one day: an independent woman of the world, a journalist and a writer.

Mrs. van Daan's inner turmoil is rising to the surface. Although Anne doesn't make this connection, it's clear that she suffers from many of the same insecurities that her son seems to have.

Anne's thoughts on Peter's character are simultaneously insightful and selfish. On the one hand, her intentions are clearly good – she just wants to help him. On the other hand, it seems like she wants to help him (and change him) so she can be more satisfied with his companionship. In spite of this, Anne's devotion to examining her own character shows how mature she's grown.

Anne's attitude toward and relationship with her father has clearly evolved as she's entered adolescence. She began her diary practically worshipping the ground he walked on, but now (two years later) she views him with a bit more distance and skepticism. Anne still loves her father very much – she has just come to realize that their relationship isn't as intimate as she once believed it was.

As Anne's interest in Peter cools, she's able to view their relationship with more objectivity.

Anne's assertion that the war is harder on the young holds some truth. Anne neglects to see, though, that the adults around her may not have as strong a sense of themselves as she might think they do – they, too, harbor ideals, dreams, and hopes, and they, too, are crushed by the grim reality of war. Anne's optimism, while appealing, can also be seen as evidence of her youth and innocence – unlike her parents, she hasn't lived through two World Wars.

The assassination attempt of Hitler seems like the ultimate indication that the war will soon end – if those closest to Hitler can't protect him, how much longer can the war really last?

Anne's feeling that she's split in two might be exaggerated given the close quarters of the Annex. If she had more time to herself, and if she didn't have to closely regulate her outer self (for fear of upsetting those around her in the Annex), she might feel like the second Anne were more a part of her life. Anne is ultimately unsure whether she can attain her ideal of living with her inner self on the outside. Anne clearly did not anticipate this entry being the final entry in her diary—she had no way of knowing that the Annex would be betrayed when it was. This makes Anne's statement that she could truly be herself if there were just no other people in the world especially poignant and ironic. Anne was referring to the people in the Annex with her, but of course her life is even more constrained, and ultimately ended, by those ruling outside of the Annex – the Nazis.