Written by scholar Francine Prose, the introduction first focuses on the literary merits of The Diary of a Young Girl. Prose cites the poet John Berryman, who argues that the circumstances of Anne Frank having to hide from the Nazis forced her to mature quickly. Although the situation of living through Nazi occupation and a war was extreme, Prose argues that there is much in The Diary of a Young Girl that readers will find familiar. She argues that Anne’s diary “speaks to us about the universal experiences of first love, family entanglements, hope and despair, society and solitude, terror and even boredom” (viii).

Next, Prose discusses how The Diary of a Young Girl is one of the most widely taught books in the world, being discussed even in classrooms in the totalitarian nation of North Korea. Then, Prose summarizes the historical context of Anne Frank’s life. She discusses how the Franks fled Germany for the Netherlands to escape the Nazi government’s increasing persecution of Jews, but Germany invaded and occupied the Netherlands in May 1940. As the occupation continued, the Nazis and local police began deporting Dutch Jews to concentration camps.