Mr. Moshé’s Critically Thinking . . . Are You?

ACT I – Study Questions

Directions: 

• Answer questions on your own paper in complete sentences.
  1. Many of the questions require details and support for your answer . . .

                 i.      Reword the question in the answer.

                ii.      Give your answer.

               iii.      Provide details/support from the text.

You should work on the following questions throughout the play/text, so take notes in order to get these done.

o        Compare and contrast Anne’s relationship with her mother to that with her father. (Double Bubble Map)

o        Compare and contrast the relationship between Anne and Peter at the beginning of the play and later on in the play. (Double Bubble Map)

o        In the early scenes of the play, how does Anne manage to get on others’ nerves?

o        Compare Anne and Margot.  Do their differences ever cause problems? (Double Bubble Map)

o        How do the conflicts that characters have seem almost insignificant when Mr. Dussell tells them what has been going on outside? (Problem/Solution Question)

o        How would you describe the problem between Anne and her mother? How does Anne describe the problem between her and her mother?  What do you think would improve it? (Double Bubble Map)(Problem/Solution Question)

o        How have Anne’s plans for the future changed? What did she plan to become in the beginning of the play?  What is she planning to become now?  Why does she “think more seriously about life.” (Compare/Contrast, Double Bubble Map, Tree Map, Venn Diagram, Essay)

Act I: Scene I

1. Know some of the important world events between 1929 and 1945 (see the cloze notes and the chronology of events on pages LOL, 444 – 447)
2. Be able to identify each character in the play and describe their personalities.  Create a characterization chart for each character.
   1. Be aware of typical comments made by each character or about him/her.  This may be a question you add to as you read the play.
   2. Make a note of the Thoughts, Speech and Actions of each of the characters.
3. Define flashback. 
   1. How do the writers use this device to bring the reader to the main action of the play? 

o        Note the change of the dates in Act I, Scene 2. 

o        Note also that the first and last scenes of the play occur at the same time period.

Act I: Scene II

1. How were the Jews restricted in Amsterdam?
2. Why is Mr. Frank a logical choice as leader for the group in the secret annex?
3. Identify:
   1. ration books
   2. black market
4. Take notes throughout the play in order to get this done . . . Compare and contrast Anne’s relationship with her mother to that with her father.
5. Take notes throughout the play in order to get this done . . . Compare and contrast the relationship between Anne and Peter at the beginning of the play and later on in the play.
6. Why did Anne find it difficult to destroy the Star of David? (LOL, )
7. Anne looks at going into hiding as an adventure at first.  When did she realize what it really meant?
8. Read the following quote, then write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss – “There are no walls, there are no bolts, no locks that anyone can put on your mind.” (LOL, 459)

                 i.      Who is the speaker?

                ii.      Who is being spoken to?

               iii.      What does this mean?

1. Take notes throughout the play in order to get this done . . . In the early scenes of the play, how does Anne manage to get on others’ nerves?
2. Take notes throughout the play in order to get this done . . . Compare Anne and Margot.  Do their differences ever cause problems?

Act I: Scene III

1. Identify:  Mrs. Quack Quack. What is the author’s purpose for including this event in the play?
2. What are some of the causes of disagreement between Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan?
3. Explain why the spilling of the milk is a climactic crisis in Act I, scene 3.
4. In Act I, scene 3, Anne says that things have changed for her generation. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
   1. Do you think that parents expect the same things from their children as parents in Anne’s time expected?  Explain. 
   2. Do Anne and Peter have typical teenage attitudes toward their families?
5. Do you agree with Mr. Van Daan’s description of the type of woman men prefer? Explain why. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss. (LOL, 466).
6. Define: metaphor
   1. Explain the metaphor Anne uses. (LOL, 468)
7. What are some of the things Mr. Van Daan does that cause Peter shame? Mrs. Van Daan?
8. Do you think everyone in the annex should have had a part in the decision to take in Mr. Dussell? Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
9. Why is Dussell’s surprise at seeing the Franks in Amsterdam good news for those living in the annex? Explain why. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
10. Identify:  Zurich. Where is it in relation to the Frank’s original home, the Secret Annex
11. How do the conflicts that characters have seem almost insignificant when Mr. Dussell tells them what has been going on outside? Explain why. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
12. Why does Mr. Dussell feel as he does about going into hiding?
13. What conflicts arise between Anne and Mr. Dussell?  Why?
14. Discuss the irony of Mr. Dussell’s comments about getting along well with children. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss. (LOL, 474)

Act I: Scene IV

1. As Act I, scene 4 opens, what is Mr. Van Daan doing?
2. What is the author’s purpose for including a dream sequence in a work of literature? What does Anne’s nightmare in scene 4 tell the audience about her? Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
3. Are girls the age of Anne always closer to their fathers?  Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
4. Why do Mr. and Mrs. Frank speak German in this scene?
5. How does Anne describe the problem between her and her mother?  What do you think would improve it?
6. Define
   1. fatalist (LOL, 478)

Act I: Scene V

1. Define
   1. Hanukkah  (LOL, 480)
   2. Menorah  (LOL, 480)
2. How does Anne make Hanukkah special for the group?
3. How does the Maccabees’ fight compare and contrast with the fight involving the Annex inhabitants?  (You’ll have to combine information from the actual play with information from the footnote and maybe, just maybe, a bit of research to answer this).
4. Give an example of Jewish resistance to the Germans. (LOL,  )
5. Define irony
   1. Explain the irony of Mr. Van Daan’s complaint about Mouschi’s eating up all of the food.
6. What happens during the Hanukkah celebration that causes fear among the group?
7. Mrs. Van Daan thinks a thief may never tell that they are in hiding. Mr. Dussell disagrees with her, saying a thief might make a bargain with the Green Police in exchange for information about people in hiding.  Which is the more logical conclusion?  Why? Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
8. What does Anne’s gift giving reveal about her? How do her gifts to her mother and Peter show that she has changed?

ACT II – Study Questions

Directions: 

• Answer questions on your own paper using complete sentences.
  1. Many (but not all) of the questions require details and support for your answer . . .

                     i.      Reword the question in the answer.

                    ii.      Give your answer.

                   iii.      Provide details/support from the text.

 

REMEMBER, you are working on these throughout the play/text.

• Compare and contrast Anne’s relationship with her mother to that with her father. (Double Bubble Map)
• Compare and contrast the relationship between Anne and Peter at the beginning of the play and later on in the play. (Double Bubble Map)
• In the early scenes of the play, how does Anne manage to get on others’ nerves? How does that change by the end of the play?
• Compare and contrast Anne and Margot.  Do their differences ever cause problems? (Double Bubble Map)
• How do the conflicts that characters have seem almost insignificant when Mr. Dussell tells them what has been going on outside? (Problem/Solution Question)
• How would you describe the problem between Anne and her mother? How does Anne describe the problem between her and her mother?  What do you think would improve it? (Double Bubble Map)(Problem/Solution Question)
• How have Anne’s plans for the future changed? What did she plan to become in the beginning of the play?  What is she planning to become now?  Why does she “think more seriously about life.” (Compare/Contrast, Double Bubble Map, Tree Map, Venn Diagram, Essay)

Act II: Scene I

1. Based on the cake incident, has Mr. Van Daan changed at this point?
2. What does the fur coat incident reveal about Mr. Van Daan’s character?
3. Mr. Kraler brings news of a new problem.  Explain. (LOL 493)
4. What do the responses of Mr. Frank, Mr. Dussell, and Mr. Van Daan reveal about the type of person each man is?
5. Give evidence that Peter’s feelings toward Anne have changed.
6. What does Peter admire about Anne? Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.

Act II: Scene II

1. How do Anne’s visits with Peter cause conflict for Mrs. Frank?
2. Write your own answer to the question, THEN share your answers with your group. Discuss.
   1. Explain: “Well, here I go . . . to run the gauntlet.” (LOL, 499)

                         i.      Who said this?

                        ii.      What do you think this means?

1. Take notes throughout the play in order to get this done . . . How have Anne’s plans for the future changed?  (What did she plan to become in the beginning of the play?  What is she planning to become now?)  Why does she “think more seriously about life.”
2. Explain Peter’s inferiority complex.
3. Why do the playwrights have Anne mention that the rats have been eating the food? (LOL, 502)

Act II: Scene III

1. What is the only event that causes Mrs. Frank to really become angry?  What is the result?
2. Identify:  “We don’t need the Nazis to destroy us.  We’re destroying ourselves” (LOL, 504 )
   1. Who is the speaker?
   2. What is the situation?
   3. What does this mean?
3. Explain the cruelty and destructiveness of the inhabitants.
4. Why does Mr. Frank not want Miep to see the group arguing? (LOL, 506)
5. Identify: This is computer lab work and/or homework . . .
   1. D-Day
   2. General Eisenhower
   3. Sir Winston Churchill
6. After news of the invasion, why does Mr. Van Daan’s stealing no longer seem to matter? (LOL, 506)
7. What new threat has now appeared (at the end of the scene 3)?
8. Define: irony
   1. Explain the irony of the following quote “I want to go on living even after my death.” (LOL, p )

Act II: Scene IV

1. Anne tells Peter that she has a way of “escaping” the annex.  Explain.
2. How does Anne attempt to explain the war to Peter?  How does he react?
3. Explain: “For the past two years we have lived in fear.  Now we can live in hope.” (LOL, 511 )
   1. Who is speaking?
   2. Who is being spoken to?
   3. What does this quote mean?

Act II: Scene V

1. Remember the flashback question? Explain what just happened?
2. What does Mr. Frank mean in the last scene when he says, “She puts me to shame”? (LOL, 512)
3. Does the play offer any evidence of Anne’s statement that “people are really good at heart”? (LOL, 512)

Literary Technique Culminating Questions

1. What is the climax of the play?
2. What is the main conflict of the play?
3. What is the theme of the play?

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