The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

4. Describe the momentous event when the Frank family left their house for the ‘Secret Annexe’

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At three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, she was reading on the verandah, waiting for Harry to come visit her. When the doorbell rings, she barely notices it. Her sister Margot comes to her, very excited, and says that the SS has sent up a call notice for Mr. Frank. Anne is instantly frightened--a call-up notice means "concentration camps and lonely cells." Their mother has already gone to see Mr. Van Daan. The Van Daans will be living with the Franks in their hiding place. The two girls sit quietly, lost in thought.

The doorbell rings again--Harry. Margot warns her sister not to go downstairs, but Anne needs no such warning. Mrs. Frank and Mr. Van Daan go downstairs and talk to Harry, then close the door and do not allow anyone else in. Mrs. Frank and Mr. Van Daan send the two girls upstairs so they can talk alone. In the privacy of their bedroom, Margot tells Anne that the call-up notice was for her, not for Mr. Frank. Anne is horrified that the SS would call a sixteen-year-old girl alone. With questions swirling in her head, she begins packing "the craziest things" into a school satchel in preparation to go into hiding. At five o'clock Mr. Frank arrives, and the speed of the preparations picks up. They leave the next morning, wearing layers and layers of clothes. ("No Jew in our situation would have dreamed of going out with a suitcase full of clothing," Anne explains.) Only Anne's cat is left behind.

They walk to their hiding place in the rain, and Mr. Frank explains that they were to go into hiding on July 16 anyway, but had to speed up their relocation because of the call-up. Anne describes their hiding place, the rooms on top of Mr. Frank's office building, and adds a drawing. When they arrived, Margot and Mrs. Frank were too miserable and depressed to do anything--it was up to Mr. Frank and Anne to clean up the living area and unpack all the boxes. This they do, and Anne barely has time to think for several days. When she does she talks about the clock, which disturbs the others by striking every fifteen minutes, but comforts Anne. She is impressed with the "Secret Annex," calling it "an ideal hiding place." However, all of the Franks are nervous about being heard and restless about being cooped up for good.

 

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-diary-of-a-young-girl-by-anne-frank/study-guide/summary-june-12-1942-to-july-8-1942