The Diary of Anne Frank
Act II Study Guide
1.
WHEN DOES ACT II BEGIN? HOW LONG HAVE THE
FAMILIES BEEN IN HIDING?
JANUARY 1944
(JULY 1942 – JANUARY
1944)
2.
WHAT DOES THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE TELL THE
READER ABOUT ANNE FRANK?
ANNE: …YOU KNOW WHAT I DO WHEN IT SEEMS AS IF I
COULDN’T STAND BEING COOPED UP FOR ONE MORE
MINUTE? I THINK MYSELF OUT…YOU KNOW THE MOST
WONDERFUL PART ABOUT THINKING YOURSELF OUT?
YOU CAN HAVE IT ANY WAY YOU LIKE.
SHE IS IMAGINATIVE.
SHE HAS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE; OPTIMISTIC
3.
WHAT IS ANNE REFERRING TO WHEN SHE SAYS THAT
SHE IS GOING TO “RUN THE GAUNTLET?” (SCENE 2, P.
935)
SHE IS REFERRING TO HAVING TO WALK PAST ALL THE
ADULTS ON HER WAY TO PETER’S ROOM AND FACING
THEIR CRITICISM AND QUESTIONS.
4.
WHAT DOES DUSSEL MEAN BY HIS REMARK TO MRS.
FRANK THAT SHE IS “SPOILING THE WHOLE INVASION?”
(SCENE 3, P. 948)
HE IS TRYING TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD AND TEASE MRS.
FRANK OUT OF HER TEARS.
5. WHAT EVENT MADE MRS. FRANK THREATEN TO PUT THE
VAN DAANS OUT ON THE STREET?
MR. VAN DAAN WAS SNEAKING FOOD IN THE NIGHT.
6.
WHY IS MR. VAN DAAN’S THEFT OF THE BREAD SUCH A
SERIOUS OFFENSE?
THEY WERE ALREADY LOW ON FOOD. HE WAS TAKING FOOD
AWAY FROM CHILDREN.
7.
WHEN MIEP DECLINES TO SHARE THE NEW YEAR’S
CAKE SHE HAS BOUGHT, MR. VAN DAAN DECLARES,
“GOOD! THAT LEAVES ONE…TWO…THREE…SEVEN OF
US,” FAILING TO COUNT MARGOT. WHAT DOES THIS
TELL US ABOUT HIS CHARACTER?
GREEDY, SELFISH – WANTS A BIGGER PIECE
8.
WHY DOES MR. FRANK APOLOGIZE TO MIEP THAT
SUGAR IS GOING TO EVERYONE’S HEAD?
AFTER ALL MIEP HAS RISKED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, MR.
FRANK IS EMBARRASSED TO HAVE THE GROUP ARGUING
IN FRONT OF HER.
9.
WHAT DOES MR. FRANK MEAN WHEN HE SAYS, “WE
DON’T NEED THE NAZIS TO DESTROY US. WE ARE
DESTROYING OURSELVES.” (SCENE 3, P. 944)
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY ARGUING, DESTROYING
RELATIONSHIPS
10.
WHEN NEWS OF THE NORMANDY INVASION ARRIVES,
EVERYONE IS THRILLED.
WAY?
WHY DO THEY FEEL THAT
IT MEANT THAT NEW FORCES HAVE ARRIVED TO FIGHT THE
GERMANS, AND THE WAR MIGHT END SOON.
11.
IN THE STAGE DIRECTIONS AT THE OPENING OF SCENE
4, THE TELEPHONE RINGS. HOW DOES THIS SOUND
AFFECT THE CHARACTERS?
IT MAKES THEM TENSE,
NERVOUS.
12.
WHAT DOES PETER MEAN IN THE FOLLOWING
EXCHANGE BETWEEN HIM AND ANNE?
ANNE. YOU’RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE ABOUT ME. I DO IT
ALL WRONG. I SAY TOO MUCH. I GO TOO FAR. I HURT
PEOPLE’S FEELINGS…/PETER: I THINK YOU’RE JUST
FINE…WHAT I WANT TO SAY…IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU
AROUND HERE, I DON’T KNOW. WHAT I MEAN…
THE SITUATION IS BETTER
BECAUSE ANNE IS
THERE.
13.
WHY DOESN’T MRS. FRANK STOP MRS. VAN DAAN
FROM MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT ANNE AND PETER?
MRS. FRANK DOESN’T WANT TO START AN ARGUMENT.
SHE IS THE PEACEMAKER.
14.
WHEN MIEP BRINGS THE CAKE, MR. DUSSEL
REQUESTS THAT MRS. FRANK, NOT MRS. VAN DAAN, CUT
THE PIECES. WHEN PETER TALKS ABOUT HIS MISSING
CAT, MR. DUSSEL SAYS THAT SOMEONE OUTSIDE
PROBABLY ATE IT. WHEN MRS. VAN DAAN TRIES TO
STOP MR. VAN DAAN FROM SELLING HER FUR COAT, MR.
DUSSEL SAYS HE IS AMAZED THAT ANYONE IN TIMES
LIKE THESE WOULD WORRY ABOUT A COAT. WHAT DO
THESE EXAMPLES SAY ABOUT MR. DUSSEL’S
CHARACTER?
HE PICKS ON THINGS THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.
15.
WHY DID THE FOOD SUPPLY IN THE HIDING PLACE
DIMINISH TOWARD THE END OF THE PLAY?
THE PEOPLE MIEP GOT
RATION BOOKS FROM
WAS ARRESTED.
16.
HOW WERE THE FRANKS AND THE OTHERS IN HIDING
DISCOVERED?
THE THIEF TOLD ON THEM.
17. WHY DOESN’T ANNE TAKE THE DIARY WITH HER WHEN
THE NAZIS COME TO TAKE THEM AWAY?
18.
AS THE SOLDIERS WERE BREAKING INTO THE ATTIC,
MR. FRANK SAYS, “FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE
LIVED IN FEAR. NOW WE CAN LIVE IN HOPE.” WHAT
DOES HE MEAN BY THIS?
FOR 2 YEARS THEY HAVE
FEARED BEING CAUGHT,
AND NOW THEY CAN
HOPE FOR AN END TO
THE WAR AND TO BE
RESCUED.
19. TWO PURPOSES OF
STAGE DIRECTIONS:
1. TELLS ACTORS HOW TO MOVE,
SPEAK, AND LOOK
2. FOR READERS: FILLS IN
INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE
SUPPLIED BY A NARRATOR IN A
STORY OR NOVEL