Study Guide: The Diary of Anne Frank, the play
1. Why are Anne and her family living in the annex behind Mr. Frank’s office? How
severe were the problems Jews faced in Europe? What historical events led up to the
Franks going into hiding?
2. Based on what you learn from the play, why do you think Anne wrote her diary? Did
she plan on having the diaries published?
3. Not all the names in Anne’s diary are the real names of the people involved. Why
would Anne have changed the names?
4. From your web research, do you remember what Kristallnacht was? If so, please
describe and explain its (potential) impact on Anne.
5. Do you feel Anne’s relationship with her mother is a productive, healthy relationship?
Is it a normal relationship? Use evidence to defend your position.
7. What is the importance of Hanukkah in life of the Frank family? What is its
importance to the prisoners of the Annex? What does a candle symbolize?
8. What did it take for non-Jewish people to help the Jews in countries where Nazis were
in control? What other times do you know of when people have helped others in times of
persecution? If you were put into such a situation, what would make it easy and what
would make it hard for you to help others who were being persecuted?
9. After reading Act II, Scenes 1 and 2, describe how a sense of despair, monotony, and
anger created in the dialogue and action.
What is the nature of Anne's relationship with Peter? What effect does it have on her life?
10. Anne wrote her diary about 60 years ago. If Anne Frank had survived, she would
have been 75 years old right now. Does Anne Frank's language sound “old” to you, or
does she write like a “regular” teenager would today? Use examples for evidence to
defend your position.
11. Try to imagine what life would be like living inside for over 20 months. Would
living in hiding depress you? Why or why not?
12. If you had to live in hiding, and could not make a sound from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
everyday (except Sunday), and had no electronic toys to entertain yourself, what would
you do? Make up a schedule for one of your days by filling out the time blocks below. Be
realistic about the constraints, but be creative within those boundaries.
8:00 am
9:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
14. On Tuesday, 7 March, 1944, Anne wrote, “If I think of my life in 1942, it all seems
so unreal. It was quite a different Anne who enjoyed that heavenly existence from the
Anne who has grown wise within these walls.” How did Anne change? Why?
15. In her diary entry from Thursday, 23 March, 1944, Anne wrote how both Peter's and
her parents don't understand them: “they seem to take us seriously if we make a joke, and
[they] laugh at us when we are serious.”
Do your parents understand you? Give an example of a time when they did or didn't
understand what you were feeling.
16. On Tuesday, April 4, 1944, Anne wrote “I want to go on living after my death!” Do
you believe that Anne Frank will be remembered? Why do you feel this way?
17. We discussed the plot of the play in class. Describe the rising action, the climax, and
the falling action here.
18. How does Anne escape the attic? How does she get outside? Support with evidence/
19. Identify and give examples of the types of conflicts in “The Diary of Anne Frank.}
20. Describe ways in which the large threat to the Franks, the conflict that kills nearly all
of them, from time to time makes its presence known to the characters in the play
(and to the audience.
21. Describe and interpret symbols in the play: objects that represent a concept, idea, or
quality.
Throughout your answers on the test, you should be able to freely and accurate use facts
about the history of the Holocaust and vocabulary of the Holocaust.