Diary of Anne Frank
Act I
Questions & Responses
¨1. At first, Anne is unaffected and considers the hiding place “a very peculiar summer boarding house”.
¨2. While the workers are in the building, there had to be complete quiet. There could be no noise from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. They could move only in their stockinged feet and could not speak above a whisper. They could not run any water.
¨3. Her father’s command that she must never go beyond the door of their hiding place makes Anne realize the severity of their confinement.
¨4. Margot, Anne, and Peter do school assignments under the guidance of Mr. Frank. Mrs. Frank and Mrs. Van Daan do sewing, embroidery, and prepare dinners. They all celebrate Hanukkah. The families cannot make any noise for fear of people becoming aware that they are hiding upstairs. They are never allowed to leave the attic to go outside. When a thief enters the warehouse, his noise fills everyone with fear. They think the intruder is the Green Police
¨5. Anne wants to be able to ride her bike, to laugh, to have new clothes, to have a hot bath, and to be back at school with her friends. Her nightmare was that the Green Police broke down the door and grabbed her.
¨6. Hanukkah is a time of celebration. It is a way of renewing your faith in God. Anne has managed to surprise the group by finding appropriate Hanukkah presents for each one
¨7. Peter is gentle and well mannered. He is shy and at times withdrawn. Anne is intelligent, honest, and eager for perfection. However, at times she can be difficult and temperamental. Peter impulsively rips the Star of David off his shirt and burns it. Anne has stronger feelings about what the star stands for and can’t burn it.
¨8. Margot is quiet, courteous, and distant. Anne is boisterous, self-assertive, and engaging. Their mother prefers Margot’s character to Anne’s. Anne feels she is not understood and has nothing in common with her mother.
¨9. The statement means that, even though they are virtually prisoners in the attic, they can go anywhere through books. Anne is eager for intellectual activity and Mr. Frank is a great source of intellectual stimulation for her.
¨10. Everyone is fearful that the intruder will go to the Green Police and tell of their hiding. Yet they try to renew their faith and courage by continuing to celebrate Hanukkah.
¨11. Traditions help us get through difficult times by giving people a sense of security. The idea of sharing long-established values prevents a sense of rootlessness.
¨12. Answers may vary…Yes. Students should note that Anne provides firsthand observations on the barbarism of the Nazis.
Act II
Questions & Responses
¨ 1. The people from whom Miep had gotten the ration books have been arrested, and so the refugees are particularly hungry.
¨ 2. Answers may vary…Some examples include Mr. Van Daan’s attempt to sell his wife’s fur coat, Peter’s resentment over Dussel’s remark about the boy’s lost cat, news of the workman’s blackmail of Mr. Kraler, Mrs. Van Daan’s disapproval of her son’s growing affection for Anne, and Mr. Van Daan’s theft of food.
¨ 3. News of the D-Day invasion of Normandy and expectations of imminent liberation give the group hope.
¨ Mr. Kraler tells the group that he thinks one of the workmen is trying to blackmail him and knows that there are people hiding in the attic.
¨ 4. Mrs. Frank wants to turn out the Van Daans because she discovered Mr. Van Daan stealing bread that should have gone to the children.
¨ Mrs. Frank has always been shown to be concerned about the health and well-being of the children
¨ 5. The Gestapo traces the stolen radio back to the thief, who reveals the location of the hideout to the Nazis.
¨ 6. Peter provides her with the security she craves, and now this confidence in his affection for her enables her to be less defensive with the other occupants.
¨ 7. Ulcers can be caused by stress and aggravation. Mr. Frank feels that Mr. Kraler’s ulcers were caused by constantly worrying about their safety.
¨ 8. Mr. Frank refers to the fact that living in confinement, compounded by the strain and tension of war, causes problems among people which might otherwise never occur.
¨ 9. Anne’s successful struggle to achieve courage, hope, and compassion allows her to believe that people are really good at heart.
¨ 10. The implication is that Mr. Frank has lost his faith. Reading his daughter’s entries restores his own faith in humanity.
¨ 11. Answers may vary. Like Anne in this speech, some young people think they can ignore the world’s evils and on the strength of their hopes and ideals make the world a better place.
¨ 12. Anne’s diary is an enduring testimonial to the power of courage and positivism to prevail over despair
