2026 IJRSE – Volume 15 Issue 6
Available Online: 9 March 2026
Author/s:
Pangatungan, Rona A.
Leyte Normal University, Philippines (1500462@lnu.edu.ph)
Abstract:
Although The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition has been widely examined from historical, literary, and developmental perspectives, limited psychoanalytic attention has been given to Anne Frank’s censored diary entries. This study addresses that gap by examining how these censored entries reflect Freudian concepts—id, ego, and superego; levels of consciousness; and psychosexual stages of development—within the context of Anne Frank’s personal relationships and wartime confinement in the Secret Annex. It further investigates the “I-positions” constructed in these entries to better understand her psychological development. Employing a qualitative, descriptive-interpretive design and document analysis, the study reveals that the id manifests in Anne Frank’s sexual curiosity, bodily exploration, humor, and impulsive emotional expressions, indicating progression through the Genital Stage. The ego mediates these impulses through reflection, rationalization, and emotional regulation, particularly in her attraction to Peter and her conflicts with her mother. The superego appears variable: it strongly governs moral judgment aligned with internalized social norms, yet remains comparatively less restrictive regarding sexual curiosity. These dynamics operate predominantly at the conscious level, with selective preconscious repression of socially sensitive emotions. Moreover, the censored entries illuminate Anne Frank’s dialogical “I-positions,” revealing an internal negotiation among competing desires, roles, and emerging identities. The findings demonstrate that, even amid extreme confinement and trauma, Anne Frank maintained awareness of both instinctual drives and an evolving ethical conscience. This study underscores the importance of censored or unpublished historical texts in deepening psychoanalytic and developmental understandings of adolescents in traumatic environments.
Keywords: Anne Frank’s diary (The Definitive Edition), psychoanalytic study, Freudian concepts
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26805
Cite this article:
Pangatungan, R. A. (2026). Psychoanalytic appraisal of Anne Frank’s The diary of a young girl: The definitive edition. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 15(6), 47-52. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26805