Question

Attempt a character sketch of Otto Frank, Anne's father.

Answer 1

Anne's depicted her father Otto Frank in the diary as a kindly and a sensitive man. Her fondness for her father is evident in the way she addressed him, ‘most adorable father’. Otto, who was the only one to have survived the Holocaust, worked for the Dutch Opekta Company. He married Edith Frank and had one more daughter apart from Anne, Margot.
Though Otto as a father could not meet the ideals set by Anne, he did everything within his means to keep his family safe. He was a responsible father who looked after his daughters' education and was a constant source of support for them. Even during the most trying times, Otto exhibited equanimity and positivity while taking decisions in the secret annex. Through Anne's accounts, we know that Otto was an intelligent, humble, altruistic and a sensitive man.

Answer 2

Otto Frank was Anne's father. He had a remarkable presence of mind and fiercely protective instinct about his family; he was a reassuring and thoughtful figure in their lives. Anne portrayed her father affectionately in The Diary, referring to him as the ‘most adorable father’. She considered him to be the driving presence in her life but somehow he fell short of the ideal that she had envisaged for him. However, he took a genuine interest in his daughters’ lives and education, being an anchor of support for them and setting an example of being normal and optimistic even under the most extraordinary circumstances.

 

Otto Frank was a man of frugal means, always putting the needs of others before him. A levelheaded man, he exhibited considerable tact and patience in the secret annex taking tough decisions and being respectful towards everyone around him, irrespective of their age.