Anne Frank received the diary that was to make her famous, on her 13th birthday in 1942. She had pointed out the red and green book to her father only a few days previously, and although it was for autographs, Anne used it as a diary, faithfully writing in entries from the day it was given to her. Many of the earlier entries contain details of the increasing restrictiveness of the German occupation, a regime which forced her and her family to go into hiding less than a month later. Leaving behind false trails to confuse potential captors, the family took up residence in rooms behind Otto's office and were helped by a few employees, including Miep Gies.
It was of their dedication that Anne wrote in her diary, along with her relationships with her family, each aspect magnified due to their confinement. Indeed, she even wrote of her 'contempt' of his mother, going so far as to say, 'she's not a mother to me'. Yet she also took the opportunity to confide in her diary deeper feelings, the nature of which she felt could not be shared with human ears. Hopes, ambitions, feelings towards God and human nature were all expressed, thus creating a more involved and poignant narrative, which has been able to transcend time to influence readers today. Her last entry was written on August 1st 1944, and 'The Diary of a Young Girl' was published in 1947.
