The Diary of Anne Frank
Act I
Answers to Questions
• 1. Mr. Frank has suffered the loss of his family and
probably doesn’t want to be reminded of his former life.
• 2. They may have been taken away by the Nazis,
perhaps to a jail or a concentration camp.
• 3. The families know that the footsteps might mean that
the Nazis will discover their hiding place.
• 4. Peter feels too old to be asked whether he might be
afraid. Also, he may not want his mother fussing over
him, regardless of the situation.
• 5. The families are hiding until the Germans are
defeated. Once the Nazis are out of power, Jews will no
longer have to identify themselves by wearing a Star of
David on their clothing.
• 6.Peter resents the star because it is a symbol of
oppression. Anne also resents having to wear the star
and the persecution it represents; at the same time,
though, she sees the star as an important religious
symbol.
• 7. Anne’s young age and her optimistic spirit probably
kept her from fully appreciating how different and difficult
her life would now be.
• 8. Mr. Frank is telling Anne that even though she is
confined physically to the hiding place, her mind and
imagination are still free to wander, grow and learn. He
is assuring his daughter that with their minds, they can
venture beyond the confining walls of their hiding place.
• 9. Anne is neither a little girl nor a grownup. Mrs. Frank
seems caught between being protective of Anne and
giving Anne more room to grow up. Either way, Mrs.
Frank risks angering Anne, whose spirited and
headstrong nature contributes to the problem.
• 10. They reveal a desire to maintain a normal routine
and keep up with the outside world. They also reveal a
belief that life will one day return to normal.
• 11. Anne and her mother often quarrel.
• 12. Mr. Frank means that Anne now knows as much
about algebra as he knows himself.
• 13. Perhaps Anne is thinking about having a boyfriend
and wishing she could or she may simply be interested
in Mrs. Van Daan’s life as a young girl.
• 14. Perhaps Mr. Van Daan fears that his wife might be
embarrassed if someone else were to read Anne’s
account in her diary.
• 15. Mr. Frank is suggesting that the school be expanded
to include a boy. He is inviting Peter to join Anne and
Margot as his students.
• 16. The Van Daan’s bickering may mean that the two do
not communicate well, or they lack respect for each
other; or they are simply in the habit of treating each
other that way. Their bickering may also be magnified by
stressful living in cramped quarters.
• 17. Anne’s surprise at hearing the Van Daan’s quarreling
suggests that in her home, her parents did not argue in
front of their children.
• 18. Mrs. Frank leads Anne away, telling her that it is
time for her milk. Earlier, Mrs. Frank asked Anne to get
her knitting.
• 19. Earlier, Mrs. Van Daan was friendly and
accommodating when Anne wanted to try on the coat.
Now she is furious with Anne, ignoring Anne’s apologies
and accusing her of ruining the coat on purpose.
• 20. Anne feels this way because her mother often tries
to control or change her behavior.
• 21. Anne does not want to show Margot how badly her
feelings are hurt. Perhaps Anne thinks that crying in
front of others is a sign of weakness.
• 22. All three show that they are generous and selfless,
even in trying circumstances.
• 23. Mr. and Mrs. Frank are accepting of Mr. Dussel—
eager to make him feel welcome. The Van Daans, used
to an extravagant lifestyle and plenty of space, are
unhappy at the prospect of sharing their hiding place
with yet another person.
• 24. He thinks that Anne has heard enough upsetting
news already.
• 25. She is optimistic and takes pleasure in even the
smallest advantage.
• 26. He is stealing food.
• 27. Anne refuses her mother’s offer of comfort and asks for her
father.
• 28. Mrs. Frank stays calm and supportive and hides her hurt
feelings.
• 29. He is more familiar with the rites of the Christian religion than he
is with the Jewish religion.
• 30. They are hoping that the Germans will be defeated and that
their lives will be normal by this time next year.
• 31. Anne wants to give everyone presents to create a happy
moment for herself and for the others. Also, making presents gives
Anne an outlet for her energy. Finally, by giving presents, Anne may
be trying to say that she’s sorry for having been difficult. She wants
their life to be as normal as possible.
• 32. Both are touched and appreciative. Margot calls
Anne’s gesture “wonderful.” When Mrs. Van Daan
receives her gift from Anne, she refers to the moment as
“awful” because she feels guilty for not having a gift to
exchange.
• 33. Dussel would probably like to own the IOU so he
could keep Anne quiet for ten hours.
• 34. He is used to being teased by Anne and suspects
that her gift may be a trick in disguise.
• 35. He has shown that Mr. Dussel is probably not
allergic to animals and may be a hypochondriac
(someone who thinks that they’re sick when they’re
really not).
• 36. He fears that if there is anyone below, they
will hear the water flowing in the pipes
• 37. Everyone must calm down in order to think
clearly about what has happened and what to do
next.
• 38. Peter probably feels a mixture of both fear
and guilt for causing the noise, anger for being
blamed so mercilessly by Mr. Dussel, and
anguish over the whole episode.