Anne was extroverted, while Margot was introverted. In her diary, Anne often complained about the scoldings she received from her mother and from the other adults in their hiding place. Margot, by contrast, was the model child. On 27 September 1942, Anne wrote: “Some people seem to take particular pleasure in not only raising their own children but also those of their acquaintances; Van Pels is one of them. There is nothing to be taught to Margot—she is goodness, kindness and intelligence personified. But I more than make up for her share of mischief.”
Anne’s and Margot’s diaries
Anne confided her deepest feelings to her diary. It served both as an emotional outlet and as a source of inspiration for the novel she hoped to write about her time in hiding. Thanks to the efforts of helpers Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, the diary was preserved, and thanks to her father, Otto Frank, Anne’s account of the Annex was published after the war.
Anne’s diary reveals that Margot also kept a diary. On 14 October 1942, Anne wrote: “Last night Margot and I lay together in my bed. It was incredibly small, but that made it rather funny. She asked if she could read my diary. I said she could read certain parts of it, and then I asked about hers. She said I could read that too.” Unlike Anne’s diary, Margot’s diary has not survived.