Class 10 NCERT Solutions English Chapter 4: June 1944

In this entry, Anne writes about the troubles arising in the annex due to Dussel's behaviour and gives information regarding the progress of the war. She writes that a quarrel had started between the Franks and Dussel over the sharing of butter. Anne called the subject of the argument 'a trivial matter' which did not deserve such attention. She then writes about the closeness and casual flirtation between Mrs van Daan and Dussel. Anne observed their casual kisses and friendly laughs and concluded that Dussel was beginning to long for a woman's company. Anne ends her analysis of Dussel here and goes on to talk about the war situation. In short sentences, she notes that Rome had been taken over by the fifth army but with little devastation. She mentions that there had been heavy bombardment at the French coast and Pas de Calaris. Anne also mentions that the weather continued to be bad and that vegetables were scarce.

On the morning of 6^th June 1944, news came with the opening line 'This is D-day'. The news reports announced that the invasion had finally begun. The news first came in at eight o'clock. After this, there were continuous reports at intervals of one or two hours. The news reports kept updating the listeners with the progress of the war. The first news that they received was of heavy bombardment at Calais, Boulogne, Le Havre, Cherbourg and Pas de Calais. To minimise loss of civilian lives, people living close to the borders were instructed to be prepared for bombardments. The German news announced that English parachute troops had landed on the French coast and their landing crafts were in a battle with the German navy. The English news at one o'clock gave a detailed report of the troops and resources deployed for war. On the English news which was aired at twelve o'clock, General Eisenhower told the French people that the military would fight a tough battle, that victory was sure to come after it and that 1944 would bring complete victory to everyone. Speeches were made one after the other by leaders of all countries confirming the news of the invasion and assuring their masses of the same outcome.

The news reports assured everyone that the time for the final invasion had come. They were relieved that the troops were coming to rescue them. Anne writes that they were oppressed and in hiding for so long that the news came as a great relief. At the beginning, it had been difficult for them to trust the news. They had heard such news on many occasions in the past which had later proved to be mere trial attempts. However, this time, there was a certain confidence in the reporters of the news that even the people in the annex felt hopeful. Anne writes that hope was all they had to rely on. The fear, privations and suffering which they had gone through could only be countered by steadfast courage and belief. They did not even have the freedom to cry over their own miseries like the French, Russians, Italians or Germans. They had to clench their teeth and be strong. They had to endure the knife of oppression pressed against their throats and yet wait for deliverance to come. They knew that it would come. For it was no more a question of just a few thousand Jews. It now concerned Holland and all the occupied European countries. The knowledge of having someone come to their rescue brought a pleasant feeling to the Jews.

The latest update of the invasion informed the people that Bayeux, a village on the coast of France, had been taken over by the Allies. The Allies were now fighting to take over Cane. By doing this they were planning to cut off the peninsular where Cherbourg was located. Courageous reporters brought detailed reports directly from the war front for their listeners every evening. Although the weather had been bad for a few days, it did not deter the fighters from duty, especially the air force which was up and watching at all times. Army officials on the battlefields and even the ones who had returned after being wounded narrated their experiences with great zeal. Even leaders like Churchill showed eagerness to fight alongside the troops. Such news kept the people hopeful, but their excitement had withered off a little. They now gauged that the invasion was not so easy to achieve. It would not be coming as soon as the common man expected. They estimated the war to culminate by the year end. Because none of them could do anything but to wait patiently and hope for a positive outcome, they did just that and returned to their regular lives.

Franz Liszt was a musician and an artist. Anne had read about him in the trilogy Hungarian Rhapsody. This book recorded information about his personal life and his life as a musician. Anne writes that the man was a virtuoso and a child prodigy in music. The man was the greatest pianist of his time. Anne notes that the book was very interesting and mentioned great people like Beethoven, Victor Hugo and Cherubini. Anne's opinion was that Liszt was a modest and generous man, though exceptionally vain at times. While on one hand, his art meant everything to him, on the other hand, he was crazy about a high-quality French brandy (called cognac) and about women. He was a gentleman in terms of generosity and concern for others. He spent money lavishly and went out of his way while granting favours. He had liberal religious beliefs and supported world freedom. All in all, Anne considered him a fine man.

Anne begins this entry by listing the various presents she received on her fifteenth birthday. She then moves on to give updates on the progress of the invasion. This focus on the invasion highlights the mood of the age. Life in and around Europe during the war was not as complicated as it generally appears to be. People living in the countries fighting the war could not get bothered or excited about mundane happenings. Their lives were constantly threatened. They could not, under such circumstances, celebrate birthdays or grumble over household chores. However, as the war extended for about two years now, some people such as the Franks and others in hiding tried to lighten the mood, if only for a short time, by celebrating special occasions like birthdays. They exchanged small gifts and treated each other to some snacks. However, that was the extent of their happy moments. They could not truly be happy in the absence of the freedom which they deserved and longed for. Anne's updates of the war give an indication of the mindset of all people like her trapped in hiding places and hanging on to any piece of news which could give them some hope.

Overshadowed and disheartened by the misconceptions which people had of her, Anne expresses herself in this entry. She writes that she understands her own mistakes and limitations better than anyone else; she wishes to improve herself and was also working towards achieving it. Anne questions herself why people judge her for being forward and knowing. She believes that the only reason for this could be that they themselves have not developed their thinking skills and knowledge, and thus, they cannot tolerate others who know or understand better than them. Anne's biggest accuser is Mrs Van Daan. Anne plainly calls her 'stupid'. According to her, Mrs van Daan sees faults in Anne because those faults are present in her. Anne accepts that she is well-read and knowing, but she does not see it as a reason for being questioned and criticised. She believes that she does a good job of assessing and reproaching herself. She therefore cannot tolerate it when others, such as her mother, add to the scolding. The overload of harmful criticism could dishearten and discourage her.

Anne believed that the people in her life who judged her were more than enough. Her own sternness was sufficient at times to bring her to tears. What she really needed was someone who would understand and accept her as she was and give her sound advice when she needed it. Anne writes that she does not see Peter filling this void within her. She knew that there was some force which was holding both of them back and only letting them be good friends. She believed that Peter would not be able to understand these dilemmas within her and give her the kind of advice she was looking for. Also, Anne did not approve certain aspects of Peter's character. Because these could not be done away with, it was difficult for her to hold him and his advice in high regard. Their friendship had lasted long only because they had agreed not to argue over topics on which their opinions differed.

In this entry, Anne writes about her love for nature. She elevates the qualities of nature by equating it to a gift from God. She says that people tend to learn the importance of things only when they lose them. Similarly, she too learned to appreciate nature when the liberty of being in its presence and enjoying it was taken away. She mentions two instances when she went out of her way to spend a few moments enjoying nature. The first being an evening on Whitsun when she remained awake till half past eleven only to enjoy the beauty of the Moon. On this occasion, her desire was not fulfilled as the Moon was too bright that night, and if the window was kept open, its light would illuminate the room within and make them visible to the people outside. On another night, Anne waited upstairs enjoying the dark night, the gale and blowing clouds until it was time for the window to be shut. Although it was a stormy night, Anne saw beauty in it too and appreciated it. The other windows in the house also had a view of the outside, but they were all sealed with dusty nets. These nets, Anne notes, diminished the beauty of nature, which according to her, always had to be unadulterated and pure. Anne loved to sit in the presence of nature as it calmed her mind and composed her thoughts. It made her feel something which she never felt before.

Peter's mother, Mrs van Daan, was going through another phase of despair. She could not tolerate living in hiding any longer. She was also disgruntled over the closeness between Peter and Anne. She did not like the fact that Peter chose to confide in Anne and not her. Also, Dussel was not receiving her with equal interest. To vent her negative emotions, she resorted to self-pity, arguments and abusive language. Her behaviour angered Peter, and his anger reflected in his relation with everyone else. There were other problems too in the annex. Kraler had received a second call for the digging work. He would have to go away for four weeks. This meant even more shortage of resources in the annex. About the same time, Koophius had to get his stomach operated. Because the two would be away for a long time, there would be a great shortage of food in the annex.

By this time, everyone had got used to the steady progress of the Allies in the invasion. Anne writes that the English had begun their attack on Cherbourg. The phrase 'nothing special' indicates that they were all sure that now that the invasion had begun, it would surely lead to its culmination in the form of a victory. Anne writes that her father and Mr van Daan expect freedom to come by 10^th October. Anne also writes about the Russians who had entered the war and had begun their attack near Vitebsk. While the war continued outside, inside the annex they faced another problem, the shortage of potatoes. The next step was to count the number of potatoes each got, so that everyone got equal food to eat.

As expected, the Allies were taking over countries each day and freeing people from the dictators. This gave hope to everyone including Anne. It improved everyone's mood and gave them renewed hope. Anne was surprised and proud that the English had managed to take control of the whole Cotentin Peninsular just within three weeks of beginning the invasion. The English now had a harbour on the enemy's coast and could land their arms and ammunition there. The Germans in the meantime were sending off their women and children to Groningen, Friesland and Gelderland for protection from the invaders. One of their leaders Mussert stated that he would not shy away from putting on the uniform and taking up arms should the Allies reach as far as their hiding place. Anne here comments that the 'fat man' was no match for the forces of the English and his words did not hold much of a threat for the powerful Allies.

In this entry, Anne puts her knowledge of English to a test. In English, she describes the bad weather and praises herself for having gained basic knowledge of English. She says that she has been reading an Ideal Husband with the aid of a dictionary. Meanwhile, she writes that the war continued. Bobroisk, Mogilef and Ors had fallen, and many people were taken as prisoners. She gives other general information in short sentences only to test her command over English. She writes that Elli had changed her hair style and that the temperature had improved. She ends this entry in the form of a news report with the line 'That's the latest news'.