Life In The Secret Annex

A world of monotony, fear, and frustration, being hidden for over two straight years is hard to imagine anyone going through, but in the secret annex they were facts of life. These treacherous living conditions were forced upon the Frank family. From July 1942 to August 1944, the Frank and Van Pelt families were in hiding, depending on their protectors and living in constant tension. During those two prolonged years, the living conditions in the Annex had been terrible. Life in the Secret Annex was consistently bland, the members of the Annex drowning in boredom. Regularly the Frank’s and the Van Pelt’s had to be cautious. They no longer could they go beyond the door to the rest of the building. On pages 290 and 348, this problem is

Many times throughout the Anne Frank Drama they mention being deprived of their old normalities of life. For instance, at the end of act 1 as they celebrated Hanukkah, they described their favorite memories of Hanukkah to Mr. Dussel. The latkes, the presents, the candles, and the songs are all missing elements the Franks and Van Pelts were used to before they went into hiding. Equally important is the way the conditions of hiding had caused Anne and Peter to feel caged and cooped up in the Secret Annex. During the entirety of page 349, Anne and Peter discuss the caged feeling that was imposed upon them when they went into hiding. While Anne and Peter talk, Anne tells Peter, “You know what I do when it seems as if I couldn’t stand being cooped up for one more minute? I think myself out. I think myself on a walk in the park where I used to go with Pim…..It’s funny . . . I used to take it all for granted . . . and now I’ve gone crazy about everything to do with nature. Haven’t you?” Later on as they continued talking, Peter complains saying “But when I begin to think, I get mad! Look at us, hiding out for two years. Not able to move! Caught here like . . . waiting for them to come and get us.” From beginning to end of the conversation, both Anne and Peter mention and describe what it is like to not see the light