Love

First time falling in love

Anne reports in her diary that before the family goes into hiding in the secret annex, she was admired by many boys in her class. She was well aware of the attention of the boys: “I have a throng of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who sometimes have to resort to using a broken pocket mirror to try and catch a glimpse of me in the classroom.” (2%). 

Anne even goes so far as to state that almost every boy who accompanies her home only once immediately “become[s] enamored on the spot” (6%) and never takes his eyes off her again.

However, Anne does not respond to any of the advances. As soon as a boy becomes too pushy for her, she bluntly refuses him: 

Of course, there are those who blow you kisses or try to take hold of your arm, but they’re definitely knocking on the wrong door. I get off my bike and either refuse to make further use of their company or act as if I’m insulted and tell them in no uncertain terms to go on home without me. (3%). 

Nevertheless, she feels flattered by the attention she is given. Only when the already sixteen-year-old Hello Silberberg tries to get Anne's attention is she more inclined to get to know him better. She even introduces him to her parents and finds it “kind of nice for a change” (4%) that someone is in love with her. However, she does not return his feelings.

Anne is in love with her former childhood crush Peter Schiff, but always denies her affection for him vigorously. She was inseparable from the slightly older Peter Schiff “for one whole summer” (48%), until he thought her too c...