kitty was a trusted friend to anne. elaborate
Why Was Kitty a Trusted Friend to Anne Frank?
Anne Frank’s diary, famously published as The Diary of a Young Girl, is one of the most widely read accounts of World War II. Throughout its pages, Anne refers to Kitty, the fictional name she gave to her diary. Despite it being an inanimate object, Anne treated Kitty as her confidante and closest “friend.” This deep relationship between Anne and her diary reveals her inner thoughts, fears, and hopes during one of the most harrowing times of her life. Below, we will explore why Anne considered Kitty a trusted friend and the role Kitty played in Anne’s life.
1. Kitty as a Trusted Outlet for Anne’s Emotions
- During their time in hiding, Anne was surrounded by her family and the van Pels family in the Secret Annex. While surrounded by people, Anne often felt isolated. She found it difficult to fully express herself to her parents, sister (Margot), and others in the annex.
- Kitty became an emotional outlet where Anne could honestly and freely express her feelings without fear of judgment. For Anne, it was a space of emotional refuge, enabling her to share her thoughts:
- On relationships, like her complicated feelings regarding her mother and her budding affection for Peter van Pels.
- On her fears about being discovered by the Nazis.
- On her aspirations for the future, such as her goal to become a writer.
2. Kitty Provided a Sense of Companionship
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Imagine being in hiding, unable to go outside, talk to friends, or participate in regular activities for over two years. The diary filled Anne’s need for companionship. She wrote to Kitty as if she were writing to a loyal best friend, someone who always listened, never interrupted, and never betrayed her trust.
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For example, multiple diary entries start with the salutation “Dear Kitty,” as though she were addressing a real friend. This marks a level of intimacy, emphasizing that Anne had established an emotional connection with her diary.
3. Kitty Was a Witness to Anne’s Growth
- Over the course of Anne’s writing, she underwent significant personal development from a chatty, immature teenager into a reflective and deep-thinking young woman. Her diary was the only “person” who witnessed and documented this transformation.
- Because Kitty never judged or diminished her thoughts, Anne was able to openly reflect on significant themes such as:
- The meaning of human suffering.
- Her evolving identity.
- Her dreams of becoming an author after the war.
4. Kitty Allowed Anne to Escape Reality
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Writing in her diary was almost like an act of rebellion. Anne was able to create an alternate world where her thoughts and dreams transcended the confines of the Annex and the horrific reality outside. Kitty gave Anne the freedom to imagine, dream, and escape:
- Anne often fantasized about life after the war.
- She even wrote fictional stories alongside her diary entries.
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This act of creating herself as a writer and imagining a better future provided Anne with an emotional release and a sense of hope.
5. Anne Could Be 100% Honest with Kitty
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Unlike with people in the annex, Anne could disclose her truest thoughts to Kitty without any fear of consequences or hurting anyone’s feelings. This total honesty is particularly evident in how candid she is about sensitive topics, such as:
- Her disagreements with her mother.
- Her romantic feelings for Peter van Pels.
- Her frustrations toward Margot (her sister) and the adults in hiding.
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This honesty created a unique trust between Anne and Kitty. In a situation where she felt silenced due to the circumstances of hiding, Kitty became her voice.
6. Kitty Helped Anne Achieve Her Lifelong Dream
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Anne’s diary not only served as a trusted friend but also became a means for her to fulfill her dream of becoming a published writer. In one of her most reflective entries, Anne writes:
“I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that I feel."
(April 5, 1944) -
In writing to Kitty, Anne honed her skills as a writer. She later revised sections of the diary, with the dream of publishing her work someday—which ultimately happened after her death. Kitty thus became the medium for Anne’s legacy.
7. The Cultural and Historical Significance of ‘Kitty’
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If Anne had not poured her trust into Kitty, the world might never have known about the atrocities of Nazi occupation from the viewpoint of a young Jewish girl. Kitty became a historical witness to the fears, struggles, and dreams of Anne and so many others during the Holocaust.
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Kitty, in essence, became not only Anne’s trusted friend but also a literary device through which she spread universal messages of empathy, courage, and humanity that have transcended time.
Key Quotes to Reflect Upon:
To understand why Kitty was so important, here are a few significant quotes from Anne’s diary that demonstrate her deep trust and reliance on her diary:
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“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”
This shows how the act of writing to Kitty gave Anne emotional strength. -
“I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”
Writing to Kitty fulfilled Anne’s aspirations of making a difference in the world.
Conclusion:
In the midst of the harrowing challenges Anne and her family faced during the Holocaust, Kitty was not merely a diary to Anne but a trusted confidante, emotional crutch, and companion. Kitty empowered Anne to articulate her innermost thoughts, process her emotions, find hope, and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Through Kitty, Anne’s voice continues to resonate across generations, educating and inspiring millions of people worldwide.
By referring to her diary as Kitty, Anne transformed an ordinary object into a lifeline of trust, resilience, and friendship.
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