Anne Frank started writing her diary in 1942. Originally, she was just writing it for herself. Then, in 1944 she heard a member of the Dutch government on the radio say that after the war ended, he hoped to collect eyewitness accounts of the suff ering of Dutch people under the German occupation, including letters and diaries. Anne started rewriting and editing her diary with this use in mind.
Use the RAFT technique to analyse the role of Anne when she is writing the diary for herself and when she is editing and rewriting with another audience in mind.
Original diary
Role: What is the role of the writer? Audience: Who needs to read this?
Format: In what format is Anne writing?
Topic: What information does she have to share?
Edited/Rewritten diary
Role: What is the role of the writer now?
Audience: Who needs to read this now?
Format: In what format is Anne writing now? Has it changed?
Topic: What information does she have to share now? Is it the same or do you think she has added to it?
Working with a classmate or in a small group, compare the extracts from Anne Frank’s diary to those of Adrian Mole’s. Make a list of the diff erences and any similarities between the two. Show your answers in a Venn diagram or in a table.
