One of the leading themes of Anne’s diary is the loneliness of adolescence. Anne constantly feels of being lonely. She has also developed a thinking that she is constantly being misunderstood, ignored or snubbed by others, particularly the adults. She doesn’t seem to come to terms with the adult world. She has problems with her mother who lacks understanding and fails to give her emotional support. She is not very friendly with her elder sister Margot. She doesn’t like Mrs. Van Daan and Mr. Dussel as she finds them vain and selfish. She adores her father and looks towards him for emotional support. Anne finds her diary ‘Kitty’ which can act as a confidant. She can share her innermost thoughts with ‘Kitty’.
Another very important theme of the diary is the Holocaust or the persecution of the Jews in Germany, Holland and other parts of Europe. Anne displays a rare maturity in understanding the political conditions prevailing in Europe during the World War II. She writes about the constant air-raids, persecution of the Jews and the fear of the Gestapo. She hopes that the war will end and the Jews will have a new dawn of peace, prosperity and freedom.
The struggle between the “two Annes’ and the inward versus the outward self is another important theme of the diary. Anne struggles with her two selves throughout the diary. She considers herself a German but has lost her citizenship. She considers Holland her second home but find people there turning against the Jews. Being a Jew, she feels alienated and isolated from the mainstream of the outerworld. Only her faith and belief in God consoles her.
