CHARACTER

SKETCHES

BY
GAURAV SINDHWANI

Peter van Daan

Peter van Daan, a shy boy of sixteen, was unlike
other boys. A thoughtful and sensible observer,
he was different from his loud and brash
parents. As he had no friends and could not
reach out to his parents, he appeared sullen and
difficult. Initially, Anne considered him to be
hypochondriac and lazy. However, he turned out
to be peace-loving, tolerant and extremely
easygoing.
His contemplative years were spent in the
annex. He was much more closed than Anne was
and took time to open up as Anne says is
characteristic of uncommunicative types. He
began confiding in Anne and made a determined
effort to express his innermost self. Their
relationship was not romantic, but forged out of

Mr Van Daan
Mr van Daan was Otto Franks business partner
and friend. His family comprised of his wife Mrs
van Daan and son Peter who came to share the
secret annex with the Frank family in order to
escape arrest and deportation.
Mr van Daan was highly opinionated and
believed in being pushy to get ahead in life. He
was a man of action who would not rest a
moment if there was work to be done. In his
good days, he was an amiable and cheerful
person, a comforting presence in the household.
Although he was a chain smoker and considered
uncouth, he was generally more tolerable than
his wife.

Mrs Van Daan

A figure of ridicule and unintentional amusement, Mrs van Daan
was an egotistical, cunning and perpetually dissatisfied person.
She was an interfering busybody and a hypocrite who meddled in
other peoples affairs. Though neglectful of her own son, she used
to give unsolicited advice on matters of upbringing. She portrayed
herself as a tragic heroine who was misunderstood by everyone
and demanded sympathy for her host of complaints.
She was also vain and coquettish. She would appear to be pleasant
and friendly to strangers, especially men, but become vindictive,
selfish and insufferable with those who knew her. She indulged in
noisy fights with her husband and it was quite difficult for her to
demarcate boundaries between the public and the private.
Her world centered on herself and her immediate family; it did not
matter to her what was happening outside that circle as long as it
did not directly affect them. Despite being a mature woman, Mrs
van Daan could choose to behave as a frivolous young girl who
indulged herself in occasional flirting and took offense at petty
slights.

Anne
One of the victims of the Holocaust, Anne Frank is the
precocious young writer of The Diary of a Young Girl. Her
picture emerging from The Diary is of a playful yet
introspective teen forced to live under extraordinary and
trying conditions. Over the course of The Diary, Anne seems
to grow from an impudent and stubborn girl into an
emotionally independent young woman.
Despite having a loving family and several friends, Anne is
unable to share her thoughts with any of them. Instead, she
turns to her diary for this purpose. She has a troubled
relationship with her mother who she believes falls short of
her ideal mother. She is close to her father; yet, in her
mind, even he fails to provide her the emotional comfort
she seeks. Like any growing teenager, she has a rebellious
spirit; desires to be treated as an adult; and hopes to make
a name for herself in the world.

Mrs frank
Edith Hollander Frank plays a prominent role in the book
due to the fractious relationship that Anne, her daughter,
had with her. The resentment and contempt initially
exhibited by Anne later developed into a mature
acceptance of their differences.
Mrs Frank was a quiet and reserved person: a nervous
sort, unambitious and sentimental. She lacked an
independence of spirit but stood up for her family
whenever called upon to do so. Anne and Mrs Frank were
diametrically different in terms of personality and outlook.
Annes growing disillusionment with her family stemmed
from Edith Franks incompetence as a mother who was
unable to reach out to her daughter. The pointed
references, sarcasm and rebukes were a part of Edith

Otto frank
Otto Frank was the only member of his immediate family to have
survived the Holocaust, dying much later in 1980. Post his marriage to
Edith Frank and the birth of their two daughters Margot and Anne, Otto
Frank had immigrated to Holland in 1933 due to his Jewish descent and
became the managing director of the Dutch Opekta Company. The
Diary was published by him in the memory of his daughter.
Otto Frank had a remarkable presence of mind and fiercely protective
instinct about his family; he was a reassuring and thoughtful figure in
their lives. Anne portrayed her father affectionately in The Diary,
referring to him as the most adorable father. She considered him to
be the driving presence in her life but somehow he fell short of the
ideal that she had envisaged for him. However, he took a genuine
interest in his daughters lives and education, being an anchor of
support for them and setting an example of being normal and
optimistic even under the most extraordinary circumstances.
Otto Frank was a man of frugal means, always putting the needs of
others before him. A levelheaded man, he exhibited considerable tact
and patience in the secret annex taking tough decisions and being
respectful towards everyone around him, irrespective of their age.

Alburt dussel
Albert Dussel had been chosen from a circle of acquaintances as
a single person who could blend in well with the extended family
in hiding. He was a dentist who lived together with a Christian
lady by the name of Charlotte. He had been known to be quiet,
refined and nice as an acquaintance but turned out to be mean,
selfish and extremely narcissistic as he began living in the
annex. Disrespect for others, a high-handed manner, obnoxious
behaviour and self-centeredness made Dussel an unwelcome
presence in the household.
He was a tattletale, hoarding food and being generally selfish
and sullen. Although he was reported to have been friendly with
children, his behavior with Anne tells otherwise. He was quite
lax with observing the rules of the house and it was evident that
he was used to setting down his own rules. Being unmindful of
the needs of other people, he would occupy the toilet at odd
hours or monopolize the study table. When he was not engaged
in his studies, he would open his dental clinic in the annex.