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The Diary of Anne Frank—Study Guide WITH ANSWERS
ACT I:
1. In what year does Act I, Scene 1 take place? What major event has just ended?
1945
WWII
2. Where does the action of Scene 1 take place?
Top floor of the warehouse (attic) Amsterdam, Holland
3. Whose point of view is presented in Scene 1?
Mr. Frank’s point of view
4. Who had found Anne’s diary and had given it to Mr. Frank?
Miep
5. In Scene 2, the action of the play flashes back to what month and year?
July 1942
6. Whose point of view is being presented in Act I, Scene 2?
Anne’s
7. Who voluntarily provided a link to the outside world?
Miep and Mr. Kraler
What would have happened to them if they had been caught?
They could suffer the same fate as the Franks.
8. What precautions did the Franks take upon first going into hiding?
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Wore many layers of clothing when walking to the annex
No talking or walking around during the day (8:00-6:00)
No running water, burning all garbage, etc.
9. How does Anne feel about the house guests? With whom is she the closest?
She is very frustrated by them. She has an especially hard time getting along
with her mother.
Anne is closest to her father (Pim).
10. How does the long period of absolute quiet affect the house guests?
They get very restless and begin to quarrel with each other.
11. How does Anne’s diary help her deal with her situation?
Anne can write down how she is feeling and what she is thinking without being criticized.
12. How do Anne and Peter get along in this Act? What are some of the causes for tension between
them?
They do not get along because their personalities are so different. She is very social; he is used to
being a “lone wolf.”
13. What does Anne do that causes Mrs. Van Daan to get angry?
Anne spills milk on Mrs. Van Daan’s fur coat.
What does this tell you about Mrs. Van Daan?
Mrs. Van Daan shows how materialistic and selfish she is.
14. Why does Mr. Dussel come to the attic?
He needs to go into hiding.
What kind of a man is he?
He is a dentist who has lived by himself for a very long time.
How does he get along with everyone?
He does not get along with people because he is not
used to living with others.
ACT II:
15. When does Act II begin?
January 1, 1944
Where does Act II begin?
They are still hiding in the attic/annex.
16. What causes Mrs. Van Daan to go into hysterics?
Mr. Van Daan wants to sell her fur coat so that Miep can buy him cigarettes.
What does this tell you about Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan?
They are both very selfish.
17. Anne and Peter’s relationship begins to change during this Act. How is it changing? What do they
begin to share with each other?
They are starting to get along.
They begin to share their feelings about what is going on. Anne shares some of her photographs and
parts of her diary with Peter.
18. What causes Mrs. Frank to lose control?
Mrs. Frank loses control when Mr. Van Daan is caught stealing their food.
Why does she regret her behavior?
She regrets her actions when they find out that D-Day has begun; she feels as if she has acted terribly.
19. People react differently when faced with an adverse situation. What does each of the following say
about the character?
a. Mrs. Van Daan’s attachment to her fur coat
She is selfish and materialistic. She misses her “things” from home.
b. Miep’s efforts to help those in hiding
She is altruistic (cares for others before herself).
c. Mr. Van Daan’s eating habits
He only cares about himself.
d. Anne’s writing in her diary
She uses writing to deal with her confusion and thoughts about
what is going on around her, but she still can see the good in people.
e. The employee’s attempt to blackmail Mr. Kraler
He is taking advantage of the situation to benefit himself.
20. Write about a time in the play when these characters exhibited the stated traits.
a. Anne appears to be a thoughtful, generous person.
Example: Anne’s giving of gifts at Hanukah.
b. Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan can be very weak-willed and selfish.
Example: When Mr. Van Daan is trying to sell Mrs. Van Daan’s coat for
cigarettes.
c. Mr. Frank is thoughtful and wise in the way he handles the very
difficult situation.
Example: Mr. Frank agrees to take in Mr. Dussel.
d. Miep and Mr. Kraler are very brave and compassionate.
Example: All of the things they do for the people hiding in the annex/attic.