Question

I want the character sketch of Peter van Dan of the novel The Diary Of A Young Girl according to 10 marks for half yearly exams of tenth class (CBSE Board)

Answer 1

Peter is the sixteen year old son of the Van Daan's. At first when the family joins the Franks in the "Secret Annex", Peter seems lazy and reticent to talk to anyone. He is a loner who likes to escape work as much as possible. Later as the diary progresses, Anne realizes he has an inferiority complex which is why he acts so aloof. Anne seeks him out and pushes him into a friendship with her. She decides that because he is so quiet he would be the perfect person to confide her innermost feelings to. Peter, for his part, is grateful for the companionship. He tells her how much he dislikes his parents and about his feelings of inadequacy. He eventually starts to develop deeper feelings for Anne, but in the end they decide it is best to remain as friends. Peter is also brave, he shows this by confronting burglars when they enter the building the families are hiding in and by how he deals with the stress of living in hiding. Peter evolves into a mature person who tries to be courageous in the face of adversity.

Mrs. Van Daan

Mrs. Van Daan is a spoiled woman who expects everyone to behave as she does. What she does not realize is that her behavior is not exemplary. She especially does not like Anne due to Anne being a very outspoken person. Mrs. Van Daan feels that children should not express their opinions on any subject, because they do not have the experiences to draw upon that adults do. This puts her in direct conflict with Anne and her parents. Mrs. Van Daan also does not get along at all with Mrs. Frank. Their problems started after the Van Daan's moved into the "Secret Annex" and Mrs. Van Daan began hiding some of her things. She felt that she should not have to share items such as furniture, dishes and food with the Franks. In retaliation, Mrs. Frank did the same with some of the Frank items. This caused a great deal of discord among the two women. Mrs. Van Daan felt that she had sacrificed enough so when her husband told her they would have to sell her prized fur coat for money, she was firmly against the idea. She was eventually brought around to selling the coat.

Answer 2

Peter Van Daan was the son of the Van Daans. He was a teenager. He real name was Peter Van Pels. Anne at first thought that Peter was an obnoxious, lazy and hypersensitive boy. But when they became good friends, Anne found that he was a quiet, honest, timid and sweet person. They develop some romantic attraction between each other. Mr. Frank opposed this relation. For the first time, it was Peter with whom Anne had her first kiss. He died on May 5, 1945, at the concentration camp at Mauthausen.