I never knew that the Anne Frank diary we have today is not exactly what Anne Frank herself wrote. Those she shared with were not the Van Daans and there wasn't a Mr. Dussel either! Or, to be more specific, they were made up names.
There is, in fact, an A, B and C edition of the diary and numerous versions in between. A is what she originally wrote as she went along. However, late in the war she heard over the radio that the Dutch government wanted to collect memoirs of war-time experiences. Having heard this she started to edit her diary ready for publishing! She took out items that were too personal, added the now-famous "Dear Kitty" to all the passages, changed everyone's names and revised some of the more harsh entries about her mother. This is version B.
When the war was over, Otto Frank decided to fulfill his daughter's requests to publish her diaries. However, he edited the diary further. He took out anything that wouldn't be "becoming" of a young girl in early 20th Century Britain, as well as the more unflattering remarks about other members of the annexe. He reinstated his families names but left everyone else's pseudonyms. This version- the one to become "A Diary of a Young Girl" - was made up of a mix of A and B and thus, became C.
The interesting question is which one is the most definitive edition or the one we should read today? Is it A because this is Anne's unadulterated thoughts? Alternatively, is it B because this is how Anne wanted it to be read? Or is it C because this is the diary that many generations have come to know, love and draw inspiration from?
No comments:
Post a Comment