In Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, what does Anne mean when she says they have freedom after five?

The Franks and the Van Daans hide in a secret loft, or annex, that is attached to a warehouse and business offices. This is also where the men used to work. Life seems to have stopped for Jews who are in hiding, but for the men and women who must report to work each day, they must keep regular business hours. In order to secure their safety and secrecy while living above a busy warehouse,...

The Franks and the Van Daans hide in a secret loft, or annex, that is attached to a warehouse and business offices. This is also where the men used to work. Life seems to have stopped for Jews who are in hiding, but for the men and women who must report to work each day, they must keep regular business hours. In order to secure their safety and secrecy while living above a busy warehouse, the families must not use the toilet or walk around too much during the day. If someone flushes the toilet during the day, for example, someone at work might hear the flushing or rushing of water in the pipes and realize that someone is living upstairs. If the families move around too much during the day, their footsteps might also be heard. Anne says, "We have to whisper and tread lightly during the day, otherwise the people in the warehouse might hear us" (21). Therefore, freedom after five refers to the time when the workers downstairs go home and the families above are free to move about as needed.