Miep Gies Character Analysis in The Freedom Writers Diary

Miep Gies was Anne Frank’s father’s secretary before the war. She is responsible for hiding Anne Frank’s family as well as other Jews in an annex of the building where Anne’s father worked. After the Franks are arrested, Gies tries (but fails) to bribe German officers into letting them go—a bold act that could have gotten her killed. She is responsible for finding Anne’s diary and keeping it until Anne’s father returns from the concentration camps. She is characterized by humility and righteousness, as she believes that she should not be seen as a hero for what she did, but, instead, that she only did what she felt was right. She inspires many Freedom Writers to commit to Anne Frank’s message of peace and tolerance, and to believe that they, too, can change the world.

Miep Gies Quotes in The Freedom Writers Diary

The The Freedom Writers Diary quotes below are all either spoken by Miep Gies or refer to Miep Gies. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance Theme Icon

).

“Do not let Anne’s death be in vain,” Miep said, using her words to bring it all together. Miep wanted us to keep Anne’s message alive, it was up to us to remember it. Miep and Ms. Gruwell had had the same purpose all along. They wanted us to seize the moment. Ms. Gruwell wanted us to realize that we could change the way things were, and Miep wanted to take Anne’s message and share it with the world.

Related Characters: The Freedom Writers (speaker), Erin Gruwell, Miep Gies

Related Symbols: The Diary of Anne Frank

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

Miep Gies Character Timeline in The Freedom Writers Diary

The timeline below shows where the character Miep Gies appears in The Freedom Writers Diary. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

In the meantime, taking advantage of Holocaust survivor Miep Gies’s upcoming trip to California, Ms. Gruwell plans for the historical figure to come meet... (full context)

After meeting Miep Gies, this student concludes that she is her/his new hero. Miep told the students about... (full context)

However, after Miep Gies’s visit, this student realizes that Miep never considered herself a hero, instead insisting that... (full context)

...per week. She is able to save up enough money to go visit Zlata and Miep in Europe. (full context)

In the Netherlands, Erin meets up with Miep and gives her a care package from her students. Miep tells Erin that her students... (full context)

...be punished for writing the truth. She feels the same kind of moral responsibility that Miep Gies described when talking about her involvement with Anne Frank. John Tu donates thirty-five computers... (full context)

Ms. Gruwell shares with her students a letter that Miep Gies wrote them. This student identifies with Miep because, in the same way that Miep... (full context)