Anne Frank is a very social girl who writes that her closest friends from the Jewish Secondary School are Lies Goosens an Jopie de Waal. On June 21, 1942, Anne writes about her classmates, worrying over testing and whether they will move up to the next level in school. She says the following about them:
"According to me, a quarter of the class should stay where they are; there are some absolute cuckoos, but teachers are the greatest freaks on earth, so perhaps they will be freakish in the right way for once. I'm not afraid about my girl friends and myself, we'll squeeze through somehow" (6).
It would be interesting to know specifically what Anne's definition of "freaks" is. The next entry tells about Anne being the chatterbox of the class, so maybe she is one of the reasons that the class is full of freaks. However, one can infer that since she believes that one quarter of the students should be held back, it is possible that "freaks" means to Anne that they are not smart enough, or capable enough, to move on in school. On the other hand, she also says the teachers can act "freakish," so these words could also connote acting in a different way than Anne feels they should. Either way, Anne seems to judge people according to her own prejudices and whether someone meets her expectations or not.
As far as the disclosure to Dussel of the rules for living in the annex, Anne writes them down in the entry dated 17 November, 1942. Anne cites the fact that the rules were produced by Mr. Van Daan and entitled, "Prospectus and Guide to the "Secret Annexe" (51). The listing reads like a luxurious vacation brochure or a rental advertisement, which is humorous because of the sad irony that the annex is anything but luxurious or a vacation spot. The "brochure" is sectioned off into categories such as "Board and lodging," "Special fat-free diet," "Running water," "Own radio center," "Rest hours," "Holidays," "Lessons," "Mealtimes," "Duties," "Baths," and "Alcoholic beverages." After each category, the rules are displayed, although the words ring with sarcasm that suggests the harsh reality they must really face. For example, under "Use of language" it says the following:
"Speak softly at all times, by order! All civilized languages are permitted, therefore no German!" (52).
This rule indirectly states that Germans are uncivilized, thereby making a political joke of the situation. Another funny comment regarding "Running water" says, "in the bathroom (alas, no bath) and down various inside and outside walls" (51). This comment creatively shows that even though they don't have a bath tub, one could find water leaking down the walls at any time for use. The rest of the rules follow the same pattern; the rule is given through some sort of sarcastic comment, which also reflects the irony of their situation. Anne ends the entry, however, by stating that she is grateful for what they do have in the annex because so many of her Jewish brothers and sisters do not have what they do.
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