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ACT II “The Diary of Anne Frank” Study Guide
Act Ii Scene 1
1. How much time has passed since the Franks went into hiding?
A year and a half has passed since the Franks first
hid.
2. Why do you think Anne writes about her feelings
toward her mother in her diary?
Because she can’t talk about her feelings toward
her mother with anyone else, so she writes about
her feelings in her diary.
3. What is the signal to let the attic dwellers know
that it is Miep ringing the bell?
V- for victory signal with the buzzer
4. What does Miep bring the attic dwellers?
Miep brings them a cake.
5. What does the dialogue about the cake reveal
about life under German occupation?
It reveals that there isn’t much sugar and other
food items because of the war.
6. What occasion is being celebrated?
They are celebrating the beginning of the New Year.
7. Why does Dussel want Mrs. Frank to cut the cake?
Mr. Dussel wants Mrs. Frank to cut the cake
because she divides things evenly.
8. What does the fur coat incident reveal about Mr.
Van Daan’s character?
Mr. Van Daan is a selfish person. He wants cigarettes
for himself from the sale of the coat.
9. What does the fur coat symbolize to Mrs. Van
Daan?
Her father gave the coat to her and it belongs to her. It
symbolizes happier times and a more prosperous past.
10. What does the Hanukkah celebration in Act I
symbolize?
The Hanukkah Celebration symbolizes hope.
11. Mr. Kraler brings news of a new problem.
Explain.
Mr. Kraler is being blackmailed by one of the
employees. The employee knows about the
bookcase that hides the entrance to the attic.
He says he remembers a door to the loft.
12.
Give evidence that Peter’s feelings toward
Anne have changed.
He seeks her out to talk to her and to give her a
piece of the cake.
13.
Who is Carl?
The employee who is blackmailing Mr. Kraler can
possibly be the thief.
14.
How does Anne’s speech reveal a gap between
the adults’ and the teenagers’ perspectives on the
outside world?
Mrs. Frank is thankful that they have been
protected from the war. Anne would rather not
think of the misery of people dying in the war,
because she considers her own condition to be
miserable. Anne feels that the adults have ruined
the world for the young people.
15.
Why does Peter admire Anne?
Peter admires Anne because she is capable of
sticking up for herself.
16.
What is the effect of the “bad news” on the
people in the annex?
They believe that they are going to be discovered.
Act II Scene II
1. How does Mrs. Frank feel about the time Anne
spends with Peter?
Mrs. Frank is worried that they are spending too
much time together; she may be worried about
how the situation will look to others.
2. How do Mrs. Van Daan’s beliefs about what is
socially acceptable reflect her own upbringing?
She believes that boys should call on girls. This
reflects what was acceptable when she was young.
(She uses the phrase “in my day”)
3. What significance would memories of childhood
have for Anne now in hiding?
Anne’s memories seem full of get-togethers with
friends and outdoor play. They contrast with and
emphasize the darkness and anxiety of her life in
hiding.
4. Why does Anne feel she might be dissatisfied now
with her old life?
Anne feels that she would be bored because she
thinks more seriously about life now.
5. Explain Peter’s inferiority complex.
He feels that he is not good enough and has no
friends.
6. Why do the playwrights have Anne mention that
the rats have been eating the food?
To redirect the readers’ thoughts to the fact that
Mr. Van Daan is still stealing the food.
7. What causes Mr. Van Daan to steal food, and what
is the effect of his action on the others?
Mr. Van Daan steals the food because he is hungry.
This action angers Mrs. Frank, resulting in an
argument in which Mrs. Frank tells the Van Daans
to leave.
8. What effect doe Mr. Van Daan’s action have on the
tensions among the characters?
The tension is increased and things are said verbally
that are hurtful.
9. What is D-Day?
D-Day was when the troops landed on the coast of
Normandy.
10. What is the effect of the news about D-Day on
the people in the Annex?
They know that the Allied invasion has begun and
that the war might end soon. They are hopeful and
happy.
11.
Where did the Allies land?
The Allies landed off the coast of Normandy.
Act II Scene III
1. Why is Mr. Van Daan so cautious about making
noise?
He doesn’t want anyone to wake and see him
stealing food.
2. Why does Mrs. Frank scream in the middle of the
night?
She sees Mr. Van Daan stealing the food from the
food safe.
3. Identify: “We don’t need the Nazis to destroy us.
We’re destroying ourselves.”
Who is the speaker? Mr. Frank
What is the situation? The residents of the attic
are arguing about Mr. Van Daan stealing food.
What does this mean? It means that by turning
against one another, they are doing the same
thing as being captured by the Nazis.
4. Who is General Eisenhower?
General Eisenhower commanded the D-Day invasion.
5. Who is Sir Winston Churchill?
Prime Minister of Great Britain – led military
6. What new threat appears at the end of Scene 3?
The Gestapo has found the radio that was stolen.
They know the police will trace it back to the thief
and he will turn them in.
Act II Scene 4
1. What new goal does Anne set for herself?
Anne wants to be able to write well.
2. Anne tells Peter that she has a way of “escaping”
the annex. Explain.
She takes a mental journey. Thinks about the trees,
playing in the park, etc.
3. How does Anne attempt to explain the war to
Peter? How does he react?
The war is changing everything. Including Anne’s
old ideas of what is and isn’t correct.
4. What is the effect of the ringing telephone? Why
was it of importance?
The ringing of the phone makes Mr. Dussel very upset
and worries Mr. Van Daan. They feel that it is Miep
trying to warn them of something.
5. Why does Mr. Van Daan resent Mrs. Van Daan’s
love of expensive objects?
Because Mrs. Van Daan didn’t want to leave her
expensive furniture behind, the family did not
escape to America or Switzerland.
6. How do Anne’s religious beliefs affect her ability to
cope with a life in hiding?
Her religious beliefs take her outside of herself and
giver her something to believe in.
7. What causes a sudden change in the characters’
actions and mood?
The noise of cars stopping outside the building is
very worrisome, following so closely on the heels of
the ringing telephone. The clanging of the doorbell
below adds to the evidence that they have been
discovered.
8. Why does Anne leave her diary behind?
Because she can take only one bag of clothing and
there is no room for the diary.
9. Where were the families sent after they were
picked up by the police?
They were first sent to a concentration camp in
Holland. Later, they were split up and sent to
camps in Poland and Germany.
10.
Explain: “For the past two years we have lived
in fear. Now we can live in hope.”
a. Who is the speaker? Mr. Frank
b. Who is being spoken to? The residents of the
annex
c. What does this quote mean? Now they can
hope for the future