Sharing her small room with a man as old as her father was a challenge for Anne. Likewise, Fritz Pfeffer found it difficult to cope with Anne, an audacious teenager. It wasn’t long before the first indications of tension emerged between them.
Their main conflict had to do with the writing desk. When Anne indicated that she would like to divide the time at the table more evenly, so that they could both work in peace, Fritz refused. He felt that Anne’s work was not important, unlike his study of Spanish, Dutch, and English. Anne was enraged and calm at the same time. ‘Stay calm, this fellow isn’t worth worrying your head about!’ [Anne Frank, The best little table, 13 July 1943]
Anne requested her father’s involvement when the situation became intense. Fritz yielded eventually, although he did so with reluctance. When reflecting on the dispute, Anne wrote: ‘Pfeffer looked very sullen, didn’t talk to me for two days and made a point of sitting at the table from 5 to 5.30 anyway… childish, of course.’ [Anne Frank, The best little table, 13 July 1943]
