Here we are providing From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers for Class 10 English, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers.
From the Diary of Anne Frank Extra Questions and Answers for Class 10 English
Friday, June 12,1942 – Wednesday, June 24,1942
Question 1.
Anne began her diary with the line “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone.” What did she mean?
Answer:
Anne Frank, a 13-year-old girl living in Amsterdam, received a diary as a present on her thirteenth birthday. This was the first line she wrote in her diary. Anne admitted that she had loving parents and a 16-year-old sister. In addition, there were about 30 people she could call friends. She had a number of admirers too who were enamoured by her. Anne had a loving family and a good home. However, she lacked that one true friend in whom she could confide her innermost thoughts and secrets. Anne felt that “Paper has more patience than people” and hoped that the diary, would be her one true friend who will not judge her.
Question 2.
How did Anne spend her birthday?
Answer:
On her birthday, 12 June, Anne woke up at six o’clock. She was quite excited about her birthday and curious about the many presents she would receive. She controlled her curiosity until quarter to seven. When she couldn’t wait any longer, she went to the dining room, and a little after seven, she opened her presents with her parents. Then she went to school with her friend Hanneli.
During recess, she distributed home-baked cookies to her classmates. After school, she went to the gym where her friends asked her to choose the game they would play. Anne chose volleyball and played with her friends. Afterwards her classmates danced around Anne in a circle and sang ‘Happy Birthday.’ Anne returned home at five with three of her friends – Use Wagner, Hanneli Goslar and Jacqueline van Maarsen. Her fourth friend, Sanne Ledermann was already there. They all gave her gifts.
Question 3.
Briefly describe Anne Frank’s classmates.
Answer:
There were 12 girls in Anne’s class including her. Betty Bloemendaal was quiet, not very smart but hard¬working. Jacqueline van Maarsen believed she was Anne’s best friend, but Anne disagreed. DQ was nervous and forgetful and always got extra homework as punishment. GQ was the prettiest girl in class but not good at studies. ES was very talkative and kept touching the listener’s hair or fiddling with her buttons. ES and Anne did not like each other much. Henny Mets was a girl of cheerful disposition, but she had a loud voice and a childish manner.
Henny was dirty and vulgar because of her friend, Beppy, who Anne thought, was a bad influence. JR, who belonged to a rich family, was a detestable, sneaky, stuck-up, two-faced gossip and a terrible show-off. J and Anne did not like each other either. Ilse Wagner was a nice and cheerful girl, but she was extremely fussy and grumbled a lot. She was very smart, but lazy. Hanneli Goslar was called Lies at school. Though usually shy and reserved around other people, she shared everything with her mother. She was outspoken, therefore Anne appreciated her a great deal. Nannie van Praag-Sigaar was small, funny and sensible. Anne liked Eefje de Jong who was helpful to her, and very lady-like.
There were 17 boys in Anne’s class whom she held in poor regard. Harry Schaap and Werner Joseph were decent boys. Though Maurice Coster and Rob Cohen were among Anne’s many admirers, Anne found Maurice irritating and Rob an unbearable, hypocritical liar with an awfully high opinion of himself. Emiel Bonewit was a bore while Max van de Velde, though a farm boy from Medemblik, was worthy and outstanding. Sallie Springer, Jopie de Beer, Leo Blom and Herman Koopman had filthy minds. Albert de Mesquita was really smart and had skipped a grade but Leo Slager was not as smart. Ru Stoppelmon was short and goofy, CN did whatever he was not supposed to and Jacques Kocemoot was really funny. Sam Salomon and Appie Riem were real brats.
Question 4.
Why had Anne’s family shifted from Frankfurt to Amsterdam?
Answer:
Anne’s family shifted from Frankfurt to Amsterdam to escape the Nazis who considered Jews as inferior. Hitler and his Nazi party rose to power by suppressing their adversaries. They assumed total control of Germany and set up a totalitarian regime where Jews were persecuted. False arrests, tortures, illegal imprisonments and even murders were commonplace.
Hitler created concentration camps to house Jews where hundreds were exterminated through starvation, sickness, beatings, firing squads and gas chambers. Those who were not killed, even the children, were forced into hard labour. The women were often sexually abused. By the time Anne’s family left Germany to live in Holland in 1933, the Nazi persecution of the Jews had already begun and Hitler had started to re-arm Germany Afor a future war.
Question 5.
What persecution did the Jews face in Holland during the war?
Answer:
In the diary entry dated 20 June 1942, Anne describes how the conditions for Jewish people were very difficult. With remarkable detachment and a seeming lack of emotion, she noted the various restrictions imposed on Jews, including the following:
- Jews had to wear a yellow star to distinguish them from others.
- Jews had to hand in their bicycles, which would be given to soldiers and policemen.
- Jews could not travel by train and were forbidden to drive.
- Jews could shop only in Jewish shops and only between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- Jews had to stay indoors after 8:00 p.m.
- Jews could not visit the theatre, the cinema or sporting events.
- Jews could not visit Christians.
- Jews had to go to Jewish schools.
Question 6.
Anne mentioned some hardships she had to suffer on account of being a Jew. What is her attitude towards the hardships she faces and towards the people who caused these hardships?
Answer:
The Franks had been living in Amsterdam since 1933 and felt the full impact of German aggression in May,
1940 when the German Army invaded Holland. Once the Nazi invasion and occupation of Holland took place, the Nazis began their persecution of Jews and other minorities through discriminatory laws throughout Western Europe.
Anne did not accept the repression but she did not dwell on the reasons why Hitler was persecuting the Jews.
She was grateful that the ferryman at Josef Israelkade let them ride the ferry, and believed that it was not the fault of the Dutch that the Jews were being persecuted. Her omissions and the brisk manner in which she recorded the treatment of Jews in Amsterdam, helped her maintain a semblance of a normal life. She took the hardships in h,er stride and concentrated on her friends, her school and her family.
Question 7.
How did Anne feel about the laws that restricted the Jews’ freedom?
Answer:
After the Germans invaded Holland in 1940, the laws imposed on the Jews in Germany were extended to the Netherlands. Anne believed the laws to be unjust, but she did not completely understand why the Jewish people had been singled out for this discrimination. Anne felt it was unfair that Jews could not use streetcars, had to wear yellow stars and could attend only particular schools. Nonetheless, she was still optimistic about her family’s safety and felt relatively secure about her future. Anne accepted the restrictions as a fact of life in Amsterdam and she was thankful to the Dutch people for their sympathy, especially the ferryman, who let the Jews ride the ferry because they were not allowed to ride streetcars.
Wednesday, July 1,1942- Friday, July 10,1942
Question 1.
Why was Lies’s result not as good as she wanted it to be?
Answer:
Lies’s result was not as good as she wanted it to be as it wasn’t easy for her to study at home. She had a two- year old baby sister whom she was expected to look after. So she found it difficult to do her homework. As a result, even the tutoring she got did not prove to be of much help. Moreover, Lies’s grandparents, who lived next door, ate with them. In addition, there was a hired girl and the always nervous and irritable Mrs Goslar, who was expecting another baby. Despite all the distractions and chaos at her home, Lies managed to pass the exams.
Question 2.
Who was Hello? What role did he play in Anne’s life?
Answer:
Helmuth Silberberg, known to his friends as Hello, was a 16-year-old boy who was close to Anne at the time her family went into hiding, though they had only known each other for about two weeks at that time. Anne met him at her friend Wilma’s place as he was her cousin. Hello’s parents were in Gelsenkirchen in Belgium, but he was living with his grandparents in Amsterdam. He had a girlfriend named Ursula but found her boring. Hello’s grandmother wanted him to go out with Ursula and thought Anne was too young . for him. Hello, on the other hand, felt that he was in love with Anne. However, Anne wrote in her diary that she was “not in love with Hello” and that he was just a friend. Anne also remarked that she really enjoyed Hello’s company.
Question 3.
Why did Otto Frank talk to Anne about the possibility of their going into hiding on the 5th of July?
Answer:
On 5 July 1942, when Otto Frank and Anne were taking a stroll around their neighbourhood square, he began to talk about going into hiding. When Anne asked him why he brought up the matter, he reminded her that for more than a year they had gradually been storing clothes, food and furniture in their hiding place. They did not want to fall into the clutches of the Germans and wished to leave on their own accord. Moreover, by the age of 16, girls were being called up to concentration camps.
Question 4.
Write a brief note on the call-up notice from the SS for Margot.
Answer:
On 5 July 1942 at 3:00 pm, the postman delivered a registered mail for Margot: an official summons by the SS, the elite Nazi guard. She was going to be sent to a Nazi work camp in Germany. This call-up was not . a complete surprise. There had been rumours in the air for weeks and if Margot didn’t register, the whole family would be arrested.
Question 5.
The letter delivered by the postman brought about a change in Anne. Comment.
Answer:
The letter delivered by the postman calling 16-year-old Margot to the work camp brought the Frank family to a critical juncture. This section illustrates the poignant contrast between Anne’s innocence and the gravity of her family’s situation. Prior to the letter Anne focussed on normal concerns such as grades and her • relationships with boys like a typical teenager. However, the letter of the SS trivialized every other subject.
The seriousness of their situation forced Anne to grow up quickly and understand issues that were much bigger than her small social world. Anne quickly abandoned the trappings of her privileged childhood to react in a crisis situation. When Hello visited that day, she did not go down to greet him as her thoughts were fixed on her family’s safety. She also comprehended complicated reasoning about how to evade capture, such as the fact that she should not pack clothes in her bag, because if they were stopped, the clothes would give them away.
Anne leamt some of the hard truths of the adult world. She was horrified that the SS were calling a 16-year-old girl alone. She had to confront the frightening reality that Hitler’s army did not differentiate between men, women and children.
Question 6.
How did the Franks get through their first day in ‘Secret Annex’?
Answer:
On 6 July 1942, the Franks shifted into their hiding place. When they arrived at 263 Prinsengracht, Miep quickly led them into the annex which was crammed with their belongings. Their living room and all the other rooms were full, of the cardboard boxes that had been sent to the office in the last few months. Mrs Frank and Margot were tired and unhappy, so they lay down on their bare mattresses. But Mr Frank and Anne started the cleaning at once. All day long they unpacked boxes, filled cupboards, hammered nails and straightened up the mess, until they fell into their clean beds at night, totally exhausted. They hadn’t eaten a hot meal all day as Mrs Frank and Margot had been too tired and keyed up to eat, and Mr Frank and Anne had been too busy.
Question 7.
Write a brief description of Mr Frank’s office building.
Answer:
Mr Frank’s office building had a large warehouse on the ground floor, which was used as a workroom and storeroom and was divided into several different sections, such as the stockroom and the milling room. Next to the warehouse was another entrance to the office. Just inside the office door was a second door and beyond that, a stairway. At the top of the stairs, on the second floor, was another door, with a frosted window on which the word ‘Office’ was written in black letters. This office was very large and full of light, and Bep, Miep and Mr Kleiman worked there during the day.
There was a small, dark and stuffy back office which was shared by Mr Kugler and Mr van Daan. This could be reached by crossing an alcove or from the hallway through a glass door. The private office, the showpiece of the entire building, was beyond Mr Kugler’s office at the end of the long, narrow hallway. It had elegant mahogany furniture, a linoleum floor covered with throw rugs, a radio and a fancy lamp. Next to it was a spacious kitchen with a hot-water heater and two gas burners, and beside that a bathroom. A wooden staircase led from the second floor hallway to the third floor.
At the top of the stairs was a landing, with doors on either side.; The door on the left went up to the spice . storage area, attic and loft in the front part of the house. A steep flight of stairs ran from the front part of the house to another door opening onto the street. The door to the right of the landing led to ‘Secret Annex’ at the back of the house.
Question 8.
Briefly describe ‘Secret Annex’.
Answer:
From early 1942, Anne’s parents knew that they might have to hide from the Nazis soon. They prepared a secret hiding place for such an eventuality. Their hiding place, which Anne called ‘Secret Annex’ was located in the upper-back portion of Otto Frank’s office at 263 Prinsengracht. To the left, a narrow hallway opened into a room that served as the family’s living room. Next to it was a smaller room, the bedroom and Anne and Margot’s study.
To the right of the stairs was a windowless washroom. One of the doors in the comer led to the toilet and another led to Margot’s and Anne’s room. Up the stairs was a spacious room that contained a stove and a sink. This served as the kitchen and bedroom of Mr and Mrs van Daan, as well as the general living room, dining room and study for all. A tiny side room was Peter van Daan’s bedroom. There was also an attic and a loft similar to the front part of the building.
Saturday, July 11,1942 – Monday, September 21,1942
Question 1.
What contact did the Franks and van Daans have with the outside world?
Answer:
During their time in ‘Secret Annex’, the Franks and the van Daans had very limited contact with the outside world. Their only means were the hidden radio in the private office and their Dutch friends who brought news of the outside world. Broadcasts from England could be heard on the radio and the Franks and the-van Daans heard the radio every evening after 7.30 pm, when the office was closed for the day.
Question 2.
How did the van Daans and the Franks get along? Which of the family members seemed better able to cope with the close quarters? Why?
Answer:
Though the Franks had eagerly awaited the van Daan’s arrival, the Franks and van Daans did not get along well at all afterwards. In the beginning, Anne frequently argued with Mr van Daan, although eventually they got along. Anne and Mrs van Daan argued constantly and their relationship grew progressively worse. Anne also regarded Peter as lazy and stupid. She was frustrated because the van Daans seemed to be of the general opinion that Margot was the better child. Mrs Frank and Mrs van Daan argued over the use of bed linen and crockery. Otto and Margot were the only ones who were mature enough not to get into arguments like the rest of them.
Question 3.
Discuss the relationship Anne shared with her mother and sister.
Answer:
Anne found her own mother and sister difficult to bear for they were always correcting her and telling her to be quiet. She found her mother’s ideas totally opposite to hers. She states, “Margot’s and mummy’s natures are completely strange for me.” Her disagreements with her mother and sister intensified her adolescent rebelliousness. Her emotions were not typical for a teenage girl, especially one confined to a small space with an anxious mother and quibbling sister.
Question 4.
Compare and contrast Anne’s relationship with her mother to that with her father.
Answer:
Anne’s relationship with her mother was not a strong one. She felt that her mother was partial towards Margot whom she never reprimanded. She felt that both her mother and Margot picked on her. Although, she wrote extensively about her feelings towards her mother, she did not describe as many incidents to prove how her mother deserved her criticism. Anne began to argue with her mother more frequently. She found her mother insensitive. She thought that her father was the only one who understood her and she enjoyed spending time with him. Anne really got along better with her father, mostly because he knew how to handle his daughter’s personality better.
Question 5.
Because of their close confinement and constant association with each other, friction among the residents of ‘Secret Annex’ occured frequently. What were some of the clashes?
Answer:
Anne witnessed a terrible quarrel between Mrs and Mr van Daan over a trivial thing. She was shocked by the fight as her parents wouldn’t have dreamt of shouting at each other in that way. Anne also didn’t think very highly of young Peter van Daan, who seemed to be lazy, a hypochondriac and bore. Mrs van Daan was annoyed by Anne’s constant chatter.
The two women, Mrs Frank and Mrs van Daan, fought over everything, from bedsheets to crockery—Mrs van Daan had removed all but three of her sheets from the comjnunal linen closet and Mrs Frank retaliated by doing the same. Mrs van Daan was also angry that her dishes were being used instead of Mrs Frank’s. Anne had broken one of Mrs van Daan’s soup bowls and was reprimanded by her for being careless. Anne also resented Mrs van Daan’s constant criticism of her behaviour.
Friday, September 25,1942 – Friday, October 9,1942
Question 1.
Write a brief note on Anne and Margot’s education before they went into hiding. Did things change after they go into hiding?
Answer:
In February 1934, Edith Frank, Margot and Anne joined their father in Amsterdam, and the two girls were enrolled in school—Margot in a public school and Anne in a Montessori school. Margot demonstrated ability I in arithmetic, and Anne showed aptitude for reading and writing. Due to the implementation of restrictive and
discriminatory laws imposed by the Germans in the Netherlands after the invasion, Margot and Anne were compelled to enroll at the Jewish Lyceum. Margot did really well. Anne, on the other hand, turned out to be an average student. When they shifted into the hiding place, Otto Frank started teaching Anne in September. Anne worked on her French and learned her verbs. She also worked with her father on his family tree. Later (in October) Bep wrote for a correspondence course in shorthand for Margot, Peter and Anne. Anne had trouble with mathematics, but she loved to read. Her passion was mythology.
Question 2.
Anne’s father said to Mrs van Daan, “As far as the vegetables are concerned, all I have to-say is look who’s calling the kettle black.” Why did he say this?
Answer:
One evening, at dinner, Anne took a small helping of vegetables that she loathed, and took potatoes instead. Mrs van Daan admonished her and insisted she eat vegetables, but Anne declined. Mr frank intervened and upheld Anne’s right to refuse a dish she didn’t like. That angered Mrs van Daan who said Anne was terribly spoiled. When she had finished her tirade, Mr Frank replied that in his opinion Anne was very well brought up as she did not answer back. He then reminded Mrs van Daan that she did not eat beans or any kind of cabbage in the evening because they gave her ‘gas’. So he said, “As far as vegetables are concerned, all I have to say is look who’s calling the kettle black.”
Question 3.
Why did Mrs Frank and Mrs van Daan quarrel?
Answer:
Mrs van Daan was a troublemaker who fought over petty matters. She was piqued that her dinner service— and not that of the Franks’, was put into communal use. Mrs Van Daan had removed three of her sheets from the collective linen cupboard. She continually scolded Anne for her chatter, she also shirked household chores. Her parents always defended Anne fiercely whenever Mrs van Daan criticised Anne’s upbringing. Anne’s mother took this as a criticism of her child rearing skills. This also caused a number of quarrels between the two women.
Question 4.
Anne says “Who would have guessed three months ago that quicksilver Anne would have to sit so quietly for hours on end, and what’s more, that she could?” Elaborate.
Answer:
Anne and her family went into hiding in ‘Secret Annex’ at the back of Mr Frank’s office when Margot received a letter from the SS asking her to report to the work camp. The Franks and the van Daans had to take considerable precautions not to be seen or be heard by anyone other than their ‘protectors’—namely, the workers in the office downstairs. Their daily lives changed drastically. No one in the annex was allowed to walk between nine in the morning and seven in the evening. Once, when the plumber was at work downstairs, they could not run water during the day, nor could they use the bathroom. Once, when the doorbell rang at eight o’clock, all they could think of was that someone was coming to get them.
They lived in constant fear of exposure, as Anne said, like “baby mice.” In one of her diary entries, Anne said that she never would have guessed that, with her impatient nature, she would be able to be quiet for long periods of time. Although, with everyone’s life in the balance, Anne was able to control her edginess until the working hours were over. Life, as they knew it, had changed forever.
Question 5.
Write a brief note on the condition of Jews in the Nazi regime.
Answer:
The condition of Jews under the Nazi regime was miserable. The Gestapo was taking away Jews in droves to the labour camps. Miep recounted that the people got almost nothing to eat, much less to drink, as water was available only one hour a day, and there was only one toilet Said sink for several thousand people. Men and women slept in the same room, and women and children often had to have their heads shaved. Escape was almost impossible. The Jews were also being gassed. The Gestapo even punished by executing leading citizens and innocent people, if they couldn’t find the saboteurs.
Question 6.
The war caused Anne to struggle with her identity as both a German and a Jew. Comment.
Answer:
The war caused Anne to struggle with her identity as both a German and a Jew. Anne’s diary demonstrates the impact the Holocaust had on a single girl, which personalises this sprawling historical horror. Anne became preoccupied with questions about who she was and how her once innocent perspective changed considerably. She initially identified herself with the Germans and said that they were “Fine specimens of humanity…”
Although, Anne lived in Holland since she was four and felt a greater connection with the Dutch, she wrestled with the fact of her German background. However, she immediately refuted her own statement, writing “No, that’s not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago.” Anne’s words demonstrated her confusion and pain at being persecuted by fellow Germans. She was horrified that the SS would call up Margot alone—a 16-year-old girl.
Wednesday, October 14,1942 – Friday, November 20,1942
Question 1.
Write a brief note on the relationship between Margot and Anne.
Answer:
Margot Frank, Anne’s older sister, was 16 at the onset of the story and 18 by the end. At least through Anne’s eyes, Margot was smarter, quieter, prettier and more mature than Anne. The two sisters didn’t often get along, were not close friends and didn’t confide in each other much. The sisters got on each other’s nerves and Anne appears to be jealous of Margot, because of the special attention and privileges the latter received from their father and the relationship she had with their mother. However, they did share sisterly moments. They talked about tjie future, and Anne asked Margot what she wanted to be when she was older, though Margot remained mysterious about her plans.
Question 2.
What happened the day a worker came to fill the fire extinguishers?
Answer:
Nobody had warned the Franks or van Daans that somebody was coming to refill the five fire extinguishers in the building. As a result, they did not bother to be quiet until Anne heard hammering on the landing across from the bookcase. Assuming it was the carpenter, Anne warned Bep who was eating lunch that she could not go back downstairs. After working for a while, the workman banged on their door.
Sounds of knocking, pulling, pushing and jerking the bookcase terrified the unsuspecting, frightened little group, and they feared that the workman may have heard something and wanted to check out this mysterious-looking bookcase. Finally, they heard a knock and feared that their hiding place was discovered. But it was just Mr Kleiman. He . said, “Open up, it’s me.” After the man had left, Mr Kleiman had come to get Bep, but had trouble opening the bookcase. It was he who had made those noises that scared them.
Question 3.
Why do you think did the Jewish occupants of the annex not trust the Jewish chemist?
Answer:
The annex’s residents feared the coming of a Jewish chemist in the building as there were people who were complicit with the Nazis, and some of them were Jewish. By this point in time the Germans were rounding up Jews all over Holland. If the Jewish chemist discovered the annex, he could turn them in to the Nazis in return for his own safety. The combination of not being able to trust her own nation and not being able to trust a man of her own religion must have been confusing and embittering for Anne. She truly belonged to no society that she could name. The oppression and psychological torture of the war was visible on all.
Question 4.
How did Anne react to being confined in the annex?
Answer:
At first, the process of settling in and arranging a daily routine took up most of Anne’s time and energy. The strange situation struck Anne as “more like being on vacation in a very peculiar boarding house” than like being in hiding. Fear, of course, was an ever-present reality, and Anne wrote, “It is the silence that frightens me so in the evenings and at night… I can’t tell you how oppressive it is never to be able to go outdoors.” Once the van Daan’s arrived, even trivial matters were enough to result in ‘squabbles.’ As they were confined within a small space, they got on one another’s nerves so much more easily and for non-issues.
Gradually, for Anne, the early excitement of being in hiding, gave way to frustration at being trapped in such close quarters with the van Daans and her own family. Mr Dussel’s arrival was initially exciting for Anne because it brought a change. However, this sense of excitement soured when Mr Dussel told Anne about the persecution of Jews in the outside world. Anne began to express her inability to understand the injustice of persecution and genocide.
Question 5.
How did Mr Dussel reach ‘Secret Annex’?
Answer:
Everything had gone smoothly. Miep had told Mr Dussel to be at a certain place in front of the post office at 11 am, when a man would meet him, and he was at the appointed place at the appointed time. Mr Kleiman went up to him, announced that the man he was expecting to meet was unable to come and asked him to drop by the office to see Miep. Mr Kleiman took a streetcar back to the office while Mr Dussel followed on foot.
Miep asked him to remove his coat, so the yellow star couldn’t be seen, and brought him to the private office, where Mr Kleiman kept him occupied until the cleaning lady had gone. On the pretext that the private office was needed for something else, Miep took Mr Dussel upstairs, opened the bookcase, and took Mr Dussel inside the annex.
Question 6.
The Franks’ ability to prepare the hidden house and survive living there for two years would have been impossible were it not for a group of protectors. Who were the ‘protectors’? Why did they help those in hiding?
Answer:
Mr Kugler—When Jews were no longer allowed to own a business, he assumed management of Mr Frank’s ‘ and Mr Van Daan’s business. He helped them prepare ‘Secret Annex’ and later provided material supplies as well as psychological support. All of this involved extreme risk to him even though he was not a Jew. Mr Kugler is also referred to as Mr Kraler.
Mr Kleiman—He, along with Mr Kraler, had taken over the running of the business. Like Kraler, he too was a Dutch Gentile. He was especially helpful in arranging the logistics of obtaining food. Johannes Kleiman was arrested in 1944 but released because of poor health. He remained in Amsterdam until his death in 1959. Mr Kleiman is also referred to as Mr Koophuis.
Meip—Meip was a young woman who worked in the office of the business. She too helped to secure food and was particularly good at raising the spirits of those in the annex. Her husband’s name was Jan.
Elli—Elli was another young office worker who helped with collecting food. Like Meip, she also helped keep spirits up.
Bep Voskuijl—A worker in Otto Frank’s office, Elizabeth (Bep) Voskuijl, helped the family by serving as a liaison with the outside world. She, like Miep, at times stayed with the family to raise their spirits.
Mr Voskuijl—Bep’s father was very good with woodwork. He made the bookcase that hid the entrance to the annex.
The ‘protectors’ helped the Franks because they were good people and they loved the family. If caught, these people would have been shot as the Germans would have deemed them traitors. Though they feared the Germans, these courageous people did the right thing out of love and humanity.
Monday, December 7,1942 – Saturday, February 27,1943
Question 1.
What was Mr vaii Daan’s previous occupation? How did he make use of it now?
Answer:
Mr van Daan used to be in the meat, sausage and spice business. He proved his usefulness when they got a lot of meat and he turned it into sausages, in order to preserve them for when times got harder. Anne described the lengthy, prudent process whereby the sausages were prepared by him.
Question 2.
What was Anne Frank’s relationship with Mr Dussel?
Answer:
Mr Dussel was a dentist and an acquaintance of the Franks who hid with them in the annex. At first Anne was happy to have Mr Dussel in the annex and found him to be a very nice man. She was not exactly delighted at having to share her room with a stranger, but she was willing to adjust as it meant saving a life.
Anne had heard Mr Dussel got along very well with children, but sadly for her, he turned out to be an old-fashioned disciplinarian and constantly preached long sermons on manners. Anne patiently explained all the rules and timing of the office and annex to Mr Dussel, but he was slow to catch on. He asked everything twice but still couldn’t remember anything that was told to him.
As time passed Anne found Mr Dussel particularly difficult to deal with as she suffered the brunt of his odd personal hygiene habits, tedious lectures and controlling tendencies. He always told her that she made “too much” noise, and kept shushing her even when she turned in her bed at night. He was quite exasperating and egotistical. On Sundays, he would switch on the light at the crack of dawn to exercise for ten minutes. He would then loudly bump into all of the furniture while getting dressed.
Question 3.
Which two festivals did the group celebrate in December in the annex?
Answer:
The group celebrated the Jewish festival Hanukkah and St Nicholas Day. Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 BCE. Saint Nicholas Day celebrates the life of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a fourth-century bishop best known today as the real-life model for Santa Claus. In 1942, Hanukkah and St Nicholas Day nearly coincided—they were only one day apart. On Hanukkah, the group exchanged a few small gifts, lit candles for only 10 minutes and sang the Hanukkah song.
St Nicholas Day on Saturday was more exciting as it was the first time the Franks, Mr Dussel and the van Daans celebrated this festival. Bep and Miep brought a large basket with little gifts for everyone, including an appropriate verse. Anne received a Kewpie doll, Mr Frank got bookends, Mr van Daan an ashtray and Mr. Dussel a photo frame.
Question 4.
What did Anne witness through the window in the front office?
Answer:
Ope Sunday, Anne peered out through a chink in the curtain in the front office. The people passing all walked fast as if they were in a hurry. Those on bicycles whizzed by so fast that Anne couldn’t even make out who was on the bike. The children were dirty with runny noses. She also saw cars, boats and rain. She could see a houseboat across from the office. A captain lived there with his wife and children. He had a small yapping . dog. When it rained, most of the people were hidden under their umbrellas.
Question 5.
Were conditions better as the year 1943 began?
Answer:
The conditions deteriorated. Anne and the others heard sounds of gunfire. At any time of night and day, poor helpless people Were being dragged out of their homes. Families were tom apart—men, women and children were separated. Children returned home from school to find that their parents had disappeared. Women returned from shopping and found their houses sealed, their families gone.
Dutch young men were sent to fight at the front. The children in that neighbourhood wore thin shirts and wooden shoes. They had no coats, no caps, no stockings and no one to help them. Things had become so bad in Holland that hordes of hungry children stopped passersby in the streets to beg for a piece of bread.
Thursday, March 4,1943 – Tuesday, June 13,1943
Question 1.
In what ways had Anne changed over the last few months that she had been in the annex?
Answer:
When they had come to the annex, Anne had been a high-spirited teenager. Although there were many rules and restrictions, she still managed to have fun. She was a typical teenager, struggling to find her own identity. She was somewhat jealous of Margot, her older sister by three years, for most people considered Margot to be more beautiful, talented and intelligent than her. She also resented her overly protective and critical mother. Anne longed to be independent, to do well in. school, to enjoy life and to have friends.
After six months in hiding, Anne changed considerably. While she continued to struggle with the adult residents of the annex, her responses to the arguments took on a different tone. She no longer attempted to excuse her own behaviour or complain about how unfairly she was treated. Instead, she drew parallels between her behaviour and the behaviour of the adults in the annex, and realised what was unfair was to be compared to Margot as they were very different people. She also leamt how to bottle her rage and expressed anger only on the most important occasions. These were all indications that Anne was now more becoming more mature.
Question 2.
What were the shortages that the family was dealing with? How did they plan to deal with them?
Answer:
The family was dealing with various shortages.There were eight inmates in the annex but they had been able to procure only four ration cards. Bread and butter were also in short supply. Their evening serving of bread had been cancelled. They could have bought more food if they had had enough money as the black market was doing a booming business. They had been eating the beans that they had stored earlier, every day. They decided to start eating the canned food that they had stored in th§ attic. Anne outgrew her shoes. They bought a pair of straw thongs for her for 6.50 guilders but they were worn down to the soles within a week so they had to ask Miep to buy something for her from the black market.
Question 3.
What rule did Mr Dussel break? What warning did Mr Frank give?
Answer:
Mr Dussel, the elderly dentist, joined the group in hiding in November 1942. Mr Dussel was terribly careless and disobeyed the rules of the house by writing to his wife, Charlotte who wasn’t in hiding. Not only did he write letters to his wife, he also carried on correspondence with various other people. Maintaining contact with the outside world was dangerous. He could reveal his hiding place to the people he corresponded with. That would endanger not just him, but would jeopardise the safety of the others too. Mr Frank strictly forbade him to write any more letters and Mr Dussel promised not to write to anyone anymore.
Question 4.
Describe the night Peter heard a burglar in the office.
Answer:
On the night of 25 March, 1942, Peter told Mr Frank that there was a burglar in the office. Peter had heard “someone fiddling with the door.” Mr Frank and Peter went downstairs to investigate and returned looking very upset. They heard a noise as if two doors had been slammed shut inside the house. Then all the inmates of the annex gathered in the van Daans’ room and discussed their suspicions.
Once again they waited and waited, but heard nothing. Finally they came to the conclusion that the burglars had run off when they heard footsteps in an otherwise quiet building. In fact, the more they thought about it, the less likely it seemed that a burglar would force open a door so early in the evening. It also occured to them that the warehouse manager at the Keg Company next door might still have been at work, and the sounds he made-were mistaken for noises made by a burglar. It may have been their imagination playing tricks. However, none of them got much sleep that night. In the morning, the men went downstairs to check and it turned out they were quite safe. ‘
Question 5.
What were the main political happenings in early 1943?
Answer:
The year 1943 witnessed major political events. The allied invasion was expected any day now. Churchill had pneunjonia, but was gradually recovering. Gandhi, the champion of Indian freedom, was on one of his hunger strikes. Jews were being taken from their homes and separated from their families, and non- Jewish children were wandering the streets in hunger. Both Christians and Jews desperately wanted the war to end.
On 10 March, 1943, Anne mentioned the bombing of Amsterdam by the planes of the Allies and the firing of the anti-aircraft guns, which disturbed their sleep almost every night. They were so loud and close that Anne often crawled into bed with her father.
The news from the outside world raised and then dashed the hopes of the group. On 18 March, 1943, Anne wrote excitedly that Turkey had entered the war, but the next day, it was announced that they hadn’t. Anne also described a visit made by Hitler to wounded German soldiers, a visit which was broadcast over the radio.
Question 6.
What were the opinions held by the members of the annex regarding the war?
Answer:
Mr van Daan thought the war would not end until the end of 1943.
Mrs van Daan wanted to get false ID papers made regardless of the expense. She was tired of the war and wanted to get out of Holland and Hitler’s regime. She vacillated between converting into a Christian and remaining a Jew.
Mr Frank was optimistic about the outcome of the war and expected the Allies to liberate them any day. Mr Dussel had no firm opinions and made up everything as he spoke. However, he defended his views with determination. Anne considered the war pointless and was horrified by the cruelty and unfairness of it.
Question 7.
On 1 May, 1943, Anne’s entry took stock of their situation. Had it improved?
Answer:
On 1 May, 1943, Anne commented that the only thing that had gotten better was the weather, otherwise their situation was worsening. Their food was inadequate and verged on being inedible. Breakfast was dry bread and coffee. Dinner was spinach or lettuce and small potatoes that were nearly rotten. Their clothes were frayed, not very clean, and way too small for both Anne and Margot.
All their resources were getting depleted. The comfortable life which they had lived before apd even to some extent, in the annex, had declined rapidly. Their former life contrasted starkly with the privations which they suffered now, ranging from a lack of food, to the inability to change their sheets, or even to renew their diminishing stock of underwear. The nightly air raids continued and fear remained an ever-present reality.
Question 8.
How was Anne’s fourteenth birthday celebrated?
Answer:
Anne’s fourteenth birthday fell on 12 June, 1943; the festivities were greatly subdued in comparison to the previous year. Nonetheless, she was happy as she was ‘spoiled’ with sweets. A small celebration was held in honour of her birthday. She received several small gifts, including some new books. Her father also wrote a poem for her, a German tradition that he honoured. It was a special day for Anne and it brightened her spirits temporarily. Anne was particularly happy with the big book on her favourite subject, Greek and Roman mythology.
Tuesday, June 15,1943 – Tuesday, August 3,1943
Question 1.
As their first year in hiding drew to a close, two more disasters struck the group in the annex. Describe them.
Answer:
Mr Voskuijl was supposed to have had an ulcer operation, but he was diagnosed with cancer which was too advanced to be cured, and he did not have long to live. He was one of the group’s best helpers and security advisors. The second blow was that they had to turn in their big radio as the Nazis had imposed new regulations which prohibited the possession of radio sets with stations other than those of the Nazis. The little group in ‘Secret Annex’ had drawn courage from the news they heard on the BBC regarding the victories of the Allies. MrKleiman, though, promised to provide them with a substitute radio soon.
Question 2.
July of 1943 brought Anne and her 54-year-old roommate into a confrontation. What was the source of this row?
Answer:
Wanting to work a little longer, Anne, with her father’s permission asked her roommate, Mr Dussel whether he would allow her to use the work table in their room for an extra hour-and-a-half twice a week, from four to five-thirty in the afternoons while he took a nap, but he refused. Dussel absolutely refused her request without giving any explanation. Anne held her temper in check and asked him to reconsider, but he just insulted her and walked out of the room.
Eventually, she requested her father to intervene on her behalf. Mr Frank supported Anne and asked Mr Dussel to reconsider and Mr Dussel finally gave in. Mr Dussel didn’t speak to Anne for two days and his behaviour was “frightfully childish.” She commented, “Anyone who’s so petty and pedantic at the age of 54 was bom that way and is never going to change.”
Question 3.
Write a brief account of the burglary in the office.
Answer:
On 16 July, burglars broke into the office for real. Peter discovered the theft when he went down to the warehouse next morning. He noticed at once that both the warehouse doors and the street doors were open. He informed Mr Frank, who at once locked the doors and they both went back upstairs.
They had to remain very quiet and not use any water till eleven-thirty, when Mr Kleiman came upstairs. He informed them that the burglars had forced the outside door and the warehouse door with a crowbar. They had stolen two cashboxes containing 40 guilders, blank cheque books and, and all their ration coupons for sugar, which was a big blow for the group in hiding.
Question 4.
How was the war progressing in the summer of 1943?
Answer:
By the third year of the war, everyone in the fighting countries was experiencing shortages and hardships of all kinds. The Allied air raids were increasing in intensity. At night, the residents cowered from the gunfire. They could not light candles or turn on the light. Anne crept into her father’s bed for comfort many times. She wrote, “We don’t have a single quiet night. I’ve got dark rings under my eyes from lack of sleep.” Italy had surrendered. In Holland, the strikes that Anne mentioned were a sure sign that morale was low among the Dutch. The air raids had increased, sometimes as many as two a day. The happiest war news was that Mussolini had ‘resigned’ and the Fascist party has been outlawed in Italy.
Hitler’s ‘guns, not butter’ campaign ensured that food and other necessities were difficult to obtain. There were food shortages, which lead to rationing at the table. Anne commented on the pefrple in the neighbourhood she lived in—the children, she said, were “real slum kids.” She fretted over how “terrible” it was outside—Jews, Gentiles,
women, men—everyone, was miserably waiting for the end.
Question 5.
Mr Dussel and Mrs van Daan were particularly troublesome to Anne. Elaborate.
Answer:
Anne found Mr Dussel particularly difficult to deal with because he shared a room with her, and she suffered the brunt of his odd personal hygiene habits, pedantic lectures and controlling tendencies. He always told her that she made “too much” noise, and kept shushing her even if she turned in her bed at night. He was quite exasperating and egotistical. On Sundays, he would switch on the light at the crack of dawn to exercise for 10 minutes.
He would then loudly bump into all of the furniture while getting dressed. Wanting to work longer hours, Anne asked him if she could use the work table in their room for an extra hour-and-a-half twice a week, but he categorically refused without any explanation. When she asked him to reconsider, he launched a melodramatic, false and insulting tirade against her. Eventually, he gave in at her father’s intervention.
Another time, Anne’s criticism of the characterisation of a book he had recommended led to another attack on . her upbringing and ideas by him and Mrs van Daan.Mrs van Daan and Anne did not get along at all. Mrs van Daan perpetually called Anne spoilt, immodest and tried to force her to eat more vegetables. Once, after a ‘squabble’, Mrs van Daan told Anne’s father, “I wouldn’t put up with it if Anne were my daughter.”
According to Anne, these always seemed to be Mrs van Daan’s first and last words, “if Anne were my daughter.” Understandably Anne wrote in her diary, “Thank heavens I’m not!” Fed up of the constant bickering and insults, Anne frequently mentioned in her diary about how spoiled and frivolous Mrs van Daan was.
Wednesday, August 4,1943 – Thursday, November 11,1943
Question 1.
What were the dangers that the two families faced while in hiding?
Answer:
Anne Frank and her family, along with the van Daans, went into hiding to escape the Nazis. In her diary, Anne listed the dangers the family faced while in hiding. These included air raids and danger of bombings or fire, food shortages, break-ins and the perpetual fear of being discovered. Then an added worry had been that Mr van Maaren, the stockroom manager was not trustworthy, and would turn them in if he found out about the hiding place.
Amsterdam was bombed by the Allies. Despite the falling bombs, they could not leave their hiding place as being seen on the streets would have been just as dangerous as getting caught in an air raid. Food was rationed in Amsterdam and has to be obtained in the black market. Since they were in hiding and did not have ration books, they had to pay a lot more.
Miep Gies, who procured rations for them had to get extra food ration stamps, which at times aroused suspicions. Burglars were also a danger to the group in hiding. Some burglars had broken in once and stolen some of their supplies. Once they believed they heard one in the attic and were afraid that the burglar had heard them and would report them to the Nazis.
Question 2.
What medication did Anne take while in hiding? Why?
Answer:
Anne had resorted to taking Valerian as by the middle of 1943, she was very depressed. Her moods darkened as her frustration and anger increased. She had-plenty of time to contemplate the war and its outcome and her anxiety grew with each diary entry. Her tone was less cheerful and humorous, despite occasional injections of satire or sarcasm. Anne was just a young girl and could no longer pretend to be strong. Anne gave a cynical description of her discovery that hypocrisy rather than honesty was the only way to get along with people.
She had also lost trust in her parents and had to rely more on her own resourcefulness. She took the Valerian drops to fight the anxiety and depression, but that did not prevent her from being even more miserable the next day. She realised that a good hearty laugh would help better than ten Valerian drops, but being in hiding made them forget how to laugh. It had been so long that she had laughed, she sometimes feared her face was going to sag with sorrow and her mouth was going to permanently droop at the comers.
Question 3.
On 29 September, 1943 Mrs van Daan celebrated her second birthday in hiding. How was this celebration different from the first one?
Answer:
The Franks went into hiding on 9 July 1942 and the van Daans on 13 July. Mrs van Daan had celebrated her first birthday in hiding on 29 September, 1942. Though they did not have a large celebration, she was showered with flowers, simple gifts and good food. Mr van Daan gave her red carnations, which were a family tradition.
However, by her second birthday, the two families, and Mr Dussel had been in hiding for more than a year. Their resources were vastly depleted. Also, a year in hiding had taken its toll emotionally. This birthday celebration was “really nothing very exciting.” Mrs van Daan just received some food rations one ration stamp each for cheese, meat and bread, and ajar of jam from the Frank family, and flowers and food from her husband, Mr Dussel and the office staff.
Question 4.
Anne wrote, “My mind boggles at the profanity this honourable house has had to endure in the past month.” Comment.
Answer:
In the beginning, the atmosphere in the ,annex had been very pleasant, but conflicts arose soon. Conflicts naturally arise whenever people with conflicting natures are forced to live in close confines, but it was inevitable in their circumstances as these eight people lived in extremely cramped quarters without any privacy or peace. Added to that was the fact that they were imprisoned in the annex and could not ever step outside it.
They lived in continual fear of being discovered. Food was in short supply and they were running out of money. It was tough on everyone, and the tension increasingly erupted into arguments. Anne had constant arguments with her mother and Mrs van Daan. The adults, too, squabbled among themselves as their already strained nerves easily took offence. Anne observed, “Whatever is said you either annoy sonjeone or it is misunderstood.” The senior van Daans had the most horrible quarrels that led Anne to write that her mind boggled at the profanity the honourable house had to endure.
Question 5.
“Miep often said she envied us because we have such peace and quiet here.” Elaborate.
Answer:
As Anne described more of Miep’s role in keeping the annex running, we get a sense of the amount of work Miep had to do to bring them their supplies in secret. It was a dangerous and difficult job that required a lot of effort, responsibility and care on her part. Also, the people in the annex did not have to witness the horrors outside, they were sheltered from watching the pain and desolation.
Miep’s comment made Anne realise that the people who protected the annex were under just as much stress as those inside. In understanding Miep’s envy of the people in the annex, and that the situation outside was not favourable for any of the Dutch people or non-Jews, Anne exhibited a maturity beyond her years. Nonetheless, Anne also felt that Miep was unaware of the difficulties of their life in hiding, such as the constant quarrelling and frustration at living in such close quarters. Miep did not understand what it was like to be a young girl, trapped in a small attic with a whole world just out of her reach.
Wednesday, Niovember 7,1943 – Saturday, January 22,1944
Question 1.
Who was Lies? Why did Anne dream of her?
Answer:
Lies Hanneli was Anne Frank’s close friend from school. In her diary entry on 27 November, Anne wrote about one of the nightmares where she dreamt about Lies Hanneli who was clothed in rags, her face thin and worn. Her eyes were very big and she accused Anne of deserting her.
This was an accurate description of the appearance of most of the concentration camp inmates, and what Anne did not know was that Lies actually was in a concentration camp.The recurring image of Lies revealed feelings of guilt on Anne’s part. She was constantly aware that she was far better off than most European Jews, including some of her dearest friends.
Question 2.
In the Netherlands, St Nicholas Day is the traditional day to exchange gifts. A year before, there had been a basket of presents. What did they do this year to celebrate?
Answer:
As St Nicholas Day approached, Anne was determined to make something festive out of the occasion. She composed poems for each person with her father’s help. Remembering the previous year’s festively decorated basket, she decorated a laundry basket with cut-outs and bows made of pink and blue carbon paper. Anne and her father put one verse in each shoe and filled the basket with shoes. Anne read a funny poem about how times were hard but that festive ‘spirit’ remained. As each person took out his or her own shoe out of the basket, there was a roar of surprised laughter as inside each shoe was a little wrapped package addressed to its owner.
Question 3.
What did the ‘family’ members receive at Christmas from their protectors?
Answer:
On Christmas day 1943, for the first time in her life, Anne received a Christmas present. The ‘protectors’ Mr Kleiman, Mr Kugler and the girls, Miep and Bep, had prepared a wonderful surprise for the residents of the annex. Miep baked a delicious Christmas cake for them with ‘Peace 1944’ written on top, and Bep provided a batch of cookies that was up to pre-war standards. There was a jar of yogurt for Peter, Margot and Anne, and a bottle of beer for each of the adults. Everything was wrapped nicely with pretty pictures glued to the packages.
Question 4.
Anne wrote on 24 December, 1943, “Moods have a tendency to affect us quite a bit here, and in my case it’s been getting worse lately.” Comment.
Answer:
Anne’s account of her feelings was almost achingly honest in the entry for 24 December, 1943. Anne had been experiencing mood swings. Anne was sometimes ‘on top of the world’ as she realised that her situation was better than that of other Jewish children, but was ‘in the depths of despair’ when she heard of Mrs Kleiman’s Jopie who played hockey, went on canoe trips, took part in school plays and had afternoon teas with friends.
Though not exactly jealous of Jopie, Anne would have liked to have fun with her friends. Instead she and her family were trapped in the annex like ‘lepers.’ She longed to be allowed to breathe fresh air again, to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young and know that she-was free. She also longed to have a mother who understood her. This futile wish led her to the sad topic of what she considered to be the inadequacies of her mother, and Anne vowed to behave differently when she had children of her own.
Question 5.
Who was Peter Schiff?
Answer:
When Anne was in sixth grade, she met Peter Schiff. Anne had a crush on him and he liked her too. For one whole summer the two were inseparable. At the end of the summer vacation, he went to the seventh grade at the middle school while Anne was in the sixth grade at the grammar school. He would pick Anne up on the way home, or she would pick him up. Peter was the ideal boy: tall, good-looking and slender, with a serious, quiet and intelligent face. He had dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, ruddy cheeks and a nicely pointed nose. Anne loved his smile, which made him look so boyish and mischievous.
However, during the summer vacation, Anne went away to the countryside, and when she came back, Peter had moved and was living with a much older boy, who told him Anne was just a kid, and Peter stopped seeing her. Not wanting to face the truth, because she loved him, Anne clung to Peter till she realised that if she continued to chase after him, she’d become a laughing stock. Years later, he was still the boy she dreamt of and weaved her fantasies around.
Question 6.
What change came oyer Anne regarding the van Daans? What brought about this change?
Answer:
After writing rather antagonistically about the faults of the van Daans, Anne realised that the faults which she saw in them might not necessarily be theirs alone. She wrote that in the discussions and arguments that. happened in the annex the Franks were not always right apd the van Daans were not always wrong.
Anne realised that.her mother was responsible for some of the quarrels and arguments in the annex. Although Mrs van Daan was selfish, stingy and underhanded, yet half the arguments could have been avoided if Mrs Frank had not been so hard to deal with. One could talk to Mrs van Daan and, unless she was provoked, she was quite reasonable.
Thus, it was a very perceptive and mature Anne who wrote, “Until now I was immovable! I always thought the van Daans were in the wrong, but we too are partly to blame. We have certainly been right over the subject matter; but handling of others from intelligent people (which we consider ourselves to be!) one expects more insight. I hope that I have acquired a bit of insight and will use it well when the occasion arises.”
Question 7.
Comment on Anne’s attitude towards their ‘protectors.’
Answer:
Anne was extremely fond of her protectors and was grateful to them for their help and care. While the group was in hiding, they were instrumental in obtaining supplies, keeping them secret and providing moral and psychological support. They brought news from the outside world and Miep and Bep were there when Anne longed for someone to talk to. They arranged for little gifts and surprises on birthdays and festivals, and generally did their best to make the situation of the group in hiding a little more tolerable. Miep and Jan even spent a night in ‘Secret Annex.’
However, Anne could not help but compare her situation with that of non-Jewish people (their protectors, for example) and feel rightfully jealous. Anne was ‘in the depths of despair’ when she heard of Mrs Kleiman’s Jopie who played hockey, went on canoe trips, took part in school plays and had afternoon teas with friends. Though not exactly jealous of Jopie, Anne would have liked to have fun with her friends. Instead, she and her family were trapped in the annex like ‘lepers,’ especially during winter and the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Question 8.
Anne wrote, “I sometimes wonder if anyone will ever understand what I mean, if anyone will ever overlook my ingratitude and not worry about whether or not I’m Jewish and merely see me as a teenager badly in need of some good, plain fun.” Comment.
Answer:
In this passage from 24 December, 1943, Anne reminds us that she was just a normal young girl who had been forced into extraordinary circumstances. She willingly made sacrifices and dealt with the restrictions of the annex without much complaint because she knew that she was more fortunate than her friends who had been arrested and sent to concentration camps.
This attitude demonstrated Anne’s remarkable maturity, but it clearly took a toll on her spirit. Aside from wanting to return to the freedom and comforts she had before the war, Anne simply wanted to experience a normal childhood. She did not want to live in a world that placed such significance on where she was from, what her religion was, or whether she behaved well with adults.
She wanted to be in a place where she did not have to worry about whether she would live or whether her friends were suffering. The diary had such emotional impact because we see Anne not as a saint, but as a normal girl with real human feelings and imperfections who fell victim to the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Monday, January 24,1944 – Monday, February 28,1944
Question 1.
Write a brief note on the Dutch Resistance Movement.
Answer:
After the German occupation of Netherlands in May 1940, the German authorities implemented measures aimed at isolating the Jews from the rest of Dutch society. Jewish children had to study in Jewish schools.Jews were forced to wear a Star of David so that they were easily recognisable in public. In July 1942, the German forces implemented a large-scale operation in the Netherlands to transport Jews to labour camps in Eastern Europe. Many Jewish families went into hiding. A fairly active Dutch Resistance Movement came into being, which played a big part in ensuring that Jews were kept hidden. These groups forged identity cards, provided financial support to those in hiding, and also organised hiding places for Jews.
Question 2.
What did you learn about Peter van Daan?
Answer:
Peter van Daan was the only son of Mr and Mrs Van Daan. He was almost 16 when he came to live in the annex. Shy, awkward and Introspective, he did not arouse Anne’s attention until they had been living in the annex for almost two years. Despite her interest in him, Anne realised that, although he was a nice young man, he was weak-minded and lacked character.
He had an inferiority complex and although he was good at English and Geography, he was stupid. He was insecure and wanted affection which was the reason why he always hugged his cat,’ Mouschi, so tightly. Also, he never wanted to change the pictures on his wall as he thought they were his friends. Although Peter did not want to be a Christian, he wanted to hide his Jewish ancestry when the war got over, which disappointed Anne.
Question 3.
Describe a typical Sunday routine in ‘Secret Annex’.
Answer:
The inmates of the annex spent their Sunday mornings scrubbing, sweeping and doing the laundry. While the rest of them slept on Sundays, Mr Dussel was the first one to get up. He woke up at eight and washed himself for an hour, and then prayed for a quarter of an hour in the room he shared with Anne. By nine- thirty, the stoves were lit, the blackout screen was taken down, and Mr van Daan headed for the bathroom.
By ten-fifteen, the van Daans were done with the bathroom and the Franks had their turn with the bathroom. Anne and Margot did the laundry, while Mr Frank used the bathroom, and then Anne or Margot went to the . bathroom. At eleven-thirty everyone had breakfast together after which they went about their chores. Mr Frank brushed the rugs, Mr Dussel made the beds, Mrs Frank hung up the washing in the attic and Margot and Anne did the dishes and straightened up the rooms.
Question 4.
What, according to Anne, were the reasons that made Peter and her so similar?
Answer:
Anne realised that there were a great many similarities between her and Peter. They were both Jews in hiding, fearful for their survival. Both of them, she felt, had mothers who were inadequate. Mrs van Daan was too superficial, liked to flirt and did not concern herself much with what went on in Peter’s head and while Mrs Frank took an active interest in Anne’s life, she had no tact, sensitivity or motherly understanding. As a result, both were vulnerable emotionally and unsure of themselves. Also, both she and Peter struggled in expressing their inner emotions.
Wednesday, March 1,1944 – Friday, March 31,1944
Question1.
Write a brief account of the second burglary in Gies & Co. Why did it leave the inmates of the annex alarmed?
Answer:
When Mr van Daan went to Mr Kugler’s office at 7:30 pm that day, he found the office doors open and the front office in a mess. However, the front door was locked. He remained in Mr Kugler’s office for some time, then switched off the lamp and returned upstairs without worrying much about the open doors or the messy office.
Early in the morning, Peter discovered the front door open and the projector and Mr Kugler’s new briefcase missing. The only explanation was that the intruder had a skeleton key or a duplicate and did not have to force his way inside. This was unfortunate for the residents of the annex, because that person could report them. It would be especially unfortunate if the burglar was one of the warehouse workers.’
Question 2.
In what ways had Anne changed from the time she entered the annex?
Answer:
The flirtatious Anne Frank who had enjoyed the attention of admirers on every street comer, had numerous friends and was the favourite of most of her teachers was completely different from the one who had grown wise within the walls of the annex. She would amuse and entertain her teachers by her clever answers, her witty remarks, her smiling face and her critical mind. She was hardworking, honest and generous. She would never have, refused anyone who wanted to peek at her answers, she was generous with her candy and wasn’t snobbish. However, the Anne of the present wanted friends, not admirers, people who respected her for her character and her deeds, not her flattering smile.
Question 3.
How did the adults cope with growing food shortages?
Answer:
The people who sold them illegal food coupons were caught, so they had just the five ration books they bought on the black-market—no coupons, fats and oils. With Miep and Mr Kleiman being sick again, Bep couldn’t manage all the shopping. The food was wretched and their stock of fat, butter and margarine was over. So instead of fried potatoes, they had hot cereal for breakfast and mashed potatoes and pickled kale for lunch. The kale was old and stinking. Anne sat with a handkerchief sprayed with perfume to avoid the stench ! in the kitchen.
Question 4.
The years in hiding had matured Anne. Comment.
Answer:
Anne had gained a fuller sense of self and a clearer view of her relationship with the people in the annex. She started signing her diary ‘Anne M. Frank’ instead of simply ‘Anne,’ a sign that she perceived as her own coming of age. Anne had matured significantly during her time in the annex, particularly because her family’s time in hiding coincided with Anne’s puberty. In this confined world, Anne developed her relationships with her family.
The close quarters forced her to understand her parents and sister on a deeper level. Anne found in Peter the confidant for whom she had been longing. She became aware of her feelings for the opposite sex, a new aspect of maturity and development as a young woman that changed her entire experience of living in the annex.
Anne’s growing maturity was also evident in the increased gravity of her discussions of her life and the war. For the first time, Anne wrote seriously about the possibility of her own death, especially as her morale worsened. At the same time, she dreamt about life after the war and about her great fortune in having a hiding place.
She had become highly introspective and insightful about her own nature, and began to reflect on her past development and organise it into stages. Anne used her diary like a literary timeline of her inner development, which she analysed and critiqued. This showed her capacity for personal growth and self¬awareness, two important aspects of coming-of-age. Though maturing into a young woman, she still retained a measure of youthful innocence and idealism.
Question 5.
Write a note on the relationship between Anne and her parents while in hiding.
Answer:
Before going into hiding, Anne viewed her parents as any adolescent did—those people who provided the essential things needed to survive, but once they were in hiding, Anne saw her parents as humans, given to vulnerabilities like everyone else. Anne frequently wrote of her difficult relationship with her mother, and of her ambivalence towards her. Anne felt that her mother was partial towards Margot and always favoured her. She accused her mother of being cold and tactless. Mrs Frank called Anne ‘a useless child’ and did not approve of any of her ideas, thoughts, behaviour, attitude etc. She was continuously finding flaws in Anne.
Anne, therefore, never wanted to say her prayers with her mother or follow the rules her mother laid down for her.Later, when she reached the understanding that their differences resulted from misunderstandings that were as much her fault as her mother’s, Anne began to treat her mother with a degree of tolerance and respect.
Anne had a distant and negative relationship with her mother, Anne became very close to her father Otto with whom she organised the annex. It was him that she turned to for solace once the family was in hiding.Sometimes when she was scared by the bombing during the night, she climbed into bed beside her father, who calmed her down and reassured her. Even in her relationship with Peter, while Mrs Frank told Anne to stop meeting Peter as Mrs van Daan was jealous of their relationship, Mr Frank told her to go ahead and spend time with Peter.
Question 6.
Although Anne was not too interested in politics, one entry in March of 1944 described the various opinions of the group. What were the prevailing viewpoints?
Answer:
The ‘protectors,’ Miep, Mr Kleiman, Bep and Mr Kugler often brought news from outside that proved to be untrue or mere rumour. The adults listened to news broadcasts throughout the day. They listened to the German ‘ Wehrmacht News’ and the English BBC as also to the special air-raid announcements. They dismissed German news as propaganda. They believed the news they heard on BBC.
For example, Anne described one scene where they all sat around the radio, listening to a speech given by Winston Churchill. Following the speech, the heated arguments that ensued, horrified and angered her. However, all seemed to admire Winston Churchill and agreed the Germans lied about many things. They seemed to be divided into two groups: the optimists who said the war was going well and who had great faith in the English, and the pessimists who believed the Germans would win in the end.
Saturday, April 1,1944 – Friday, April 28,1944
Question 1.
What were Anne’s hobbies and interests?
Answer:
Anne’s hobbies included writing which she listed first, though she didn’t look at it as a main occupation. Preparing genealogical charts for the royal families of the French, German, Spanish, English, Austrian, Russian, Norwegian and Putch was another one of her hobbies and Anne had made great progress with many of them by reading biographies and history books.
Her third hobby was history, and though her father had already bought her numerous books, Anne longed to go to the public library. Anne also had a great interest in Greek and Roman mythology and her other hobbies included movie stars and family photographs, reading books and studying the history of the arts.
Question 2.
How did the van Daans and the Franks get along? Which of the family members seemed better able to cope with the close quarters? Why?
Answer:
Though the Franks had eagerly awaited the arrival of the van Daans, they did not get along well at all afterwards. However, living together in cramped quarters was not easy for the two families, and was even more stressful because they feared for their lives. Mrs van Daan disliked sharing her sheets and dishes, especially after Anne broke one of her plates. Anne wrote in her diary that Mrs van Daan was a lax housekeeper, leaving leftover food to spoil instead of storing it properly! Mr van Daan was a chain smoker, and suffered nicotine withdrawal when no cigarettes could be found. This made him edgy and jittery.
Mrs van Daan’s flirtatious manner with Mr Frank upset Mrs Frank. Mrs Frank and Mrs van Daan sometimes had loud arguments or ‘squabbles’ which took long to settle. The van Daans quarrelled frequently and loudly with each other too, sometimes picking on Peter. Eventually, the van Daans were forced to sell some of their possessions, such as Mrs van Daans prized fur coat, in the blaq|c market. The van Daans seemed to have a general consensus that Margot was the better child and Anne was spoiled and obnoxious. Otto Frank and Margot were the two mature ones who did not get into arguments like the rest of them.
Question 3.
How did Anne get along with the van Daans?
Answer:
In the beginning, Anne frequently argued with Mr van Daan although they eventually got along better. Anne couldn’t stand Mrs van Daan who she thought was selfish, belligerent and rarely helpful. She was jealous of Anne’s relationship with her son and wanted Peter to confide in her rather than in Anne.
However, Mrs van Daan did have a few strong points. She occasionally could be reasonable and backed down from fights, was generally neat and tidy, and was often easier for Anne to approach than her own mother. Initially, Anne regarded Peter as lazy and stupid. But after a year and a half in hiding, Anne developed a crush on him, and decided that he was very sweet and needed affection, which she tried to give. They spent a lot of time together and exchanged a few kisses.
Question 4.
Write a brief note on the burglary that took place on 11 April 1944.
Answer:
Anne was talking to Peter one night when another break-in occurred. Mr van Daan tried to scare the burglars away by shouting “Police!” but this only drew attention to them. A married couple shone a flashlight into the warehouse and the residents heard footsteps running away. The men ran upstairs and the residents lay on the floor, petrified. Soon they heard footsteps on the stairs and a rattling at the>bookcase that hid the door to the annex.
The noises stopped but someone had left the light in front of the bookcase on. Mrs van Daan worried about the police finding the radio downstairs, and Otto Frank worried they would find Anne’s diary. For two days, they all huddled upstairs, waiting for the Gestapo to come and take them away. The adults called Mr Kleiman and waited in suspense until Jan and Miep came to repair the entrance to the annex.
Question 5.
Write a note on the growing intimacy between Anne and Peter.
Answer:
As her friendship with Peter progressed, Anne admitted to herself that her feelings for Peter were pretty near to being in love. She often went up to his room where they exchanged a few kisses. As they often sat with their arms around one another, and kissed occassionally, their physical relationship was different from the strict moral standards of the time. The love she felt for Peter liberated her from the horrors and deprivations of war. Although Anne and Peter were emotionally more intimate than ever, she admitted with disappointment that she could never marry him as he didn’t have enough character.
Question 6.
Did Anne consider her family lucky or unfortunate to be living in the annex?
Answer:
Anne’s feelings about the annex constantly changed. Most of the time, Anne realised that she and . her family were very fortunate to have a place to hide. She valued the kindness and generosity of her father’s non-Jewish colleagues who risked their lives to provide them with food and supplies. Anne often complained about living in cramped quarters with eight people under severe conditions
she ate rotten potatoes day after day, had no privacy, dealt with clashing personalities, and lived in constant fear that the family would be discovered. Compared to her formerly comfortable, middle-class life, Anne found this a confined, tedious, and fearful existence. Also, when she thought about her Jewish friends and family members who had probably been arrested and sent to concentration camps, she felt extremely thankful to still be alive.
Question 7.
How had Anne changed while in hiding?
Answer:
At first, life in hiding was more of a vacation for Anne. But as the war dragged on and she realised the seriousness of their situation, her fear and depression increased.
Then Anne began to mature, both physically and emotionally. She learnt how to control her outbursts and emotions. She became stoic about her situation. She acknowledged that the happy, carefree existence of her school days would never return. She even criticised her earlier self as being superficial and empty. Meantime, she tried to notice more about life and nature outside. Although she longed to go outside herself, she accepted that it was presently impossible.
She was also resigned to the pitiful living conditions. Since rations were being strictly enforced and prices had increased drastically, their Dutch protectors were no longer able to give the group regular supplies. They often ate rotten potatoes in order to survive. Anne tried to be optimistic and said that she sometimes still enjoyed the meals. She had become an accepting young woman rather than a spoilt child.
Tuesday, March 2,1944 – Wednesday, May 31,1944
Question 1.
How did Mr Dussel celebrate his birthday?
Answer:
The Franks gave Mr Dussel a bottle of wine and the van Daans presented him with ajar of piccalilli – a pickle made of chopped vegetables and spices – and a package of razor blades, Mr Kugler gave him ajar of lemon syrup (to make lemonade), Miep a book and Bep a plant. In return, Mr Dussel treated everyone to an egg.
Question 2
What letter did Anne write to her father? What was his reaction?
Answer:
Anne wrote a letter to her father saying her life had not been easy in the annex. She had been unhappy, despondent and lonely and had to learn to be very independent, without support from her parents. In fact, all she had ever got from them were admonitions not to be noisy. They did not realise she was noisy only to keep herself from being miserable all the time.
Since she had to become older than she really was, she no longer needed their support and could take her own decisions. Her father was very upset by her letter. Two days after she gave him the letter, they finally talked about the letter and they both cried. He told her that it was the most hurtful letter that he had ever received and that he and her mother did not deserve such harsh criticism since they had always loved, protected and cared for her.
Question 3.
Write a short note on Anne’s parents and their background.
Answer:
Both Mr and Mrs Frank came from rich families and told grand stories about wealth and privilege. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was bom in Frankfurt to very wealthy parents. His father, Michael Frank, was a self-made man who owned a bank and became a millionaire. Otto’s mother, Alice Stem, came from a prominent and well-to-do family. In his youth, Otto Frank led the life of a rich man’s son.
There were parties every week, balls, banquets, beautiful girls, waltzing, dinners etc. After Michael Frank died, most of the money was lost, and after World War I and inflation there was nothing left at all. However, Mr Frank was extremely well- bred. Mrs Edith Frank’s family wasn’t as wealthy, but still fairly well-off. She often told her daughters stories of private balls, dinners and engagement parties with 250 guests.
