The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Introducing the Story Literary Skills Focus: Theme Literary Skills Focus: Literary Perspectives Reading Skills Focus: Finding the Theme Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer Feature Menu

The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett How do people find the strength to endure terrifying experiences?

Click on the title to start the video. The Diary of Anne Frank Introducing the Story

Anne Frank’s diary, kept hidden for the two years that Anne and her family hid from the Nazis, was never intended to be a bestseller. Nevertheless, since Anne’s death, her diary has been published worldwide and even adapted into a play. [End of Section] Why have Anne’s words inspired so many people? Dear Diary, As you and I are going to be great friends I will start by telling you about myself. My name is Anne Frank. From The Diary of Anne Frank (Play) by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Copyright © 1956 by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich Hackett, and Otto Frank and renewed © 1986 by Albert Hackett, David Huntoon & Frances Neuwirth. Reproduced by permission of Random House, Inc. and electronic format by permission of Flora Roberts, Inc.(Abrams Artists Agency).

A theme is a truth about life. A long work of literature, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, may have many different themes. Here’s an example of a theme: What you think you need may be very different from what you really do need. The Diary of Anne Frank Literary Skills Focus: Theme

Also note themes that you have encountered before in other works of literature. The Diary of Anne Frank Literary Skills Focus: Theme As you read this play, pay attention to the themes that emerge. You may notice themes in this contemporary work that are similar to themes in traditional works. [End of Section]

The Diary of Anne Frank Literary Skills Focus: Literary Perspectives As you read The Diary of Anne Frank, your knowledge of World War II, Nazism, and the Holocaust will help you understand the very serious situation that the Franks and Van Daans face.

The Diary of Anne Frank Literary Skills Focus: Literary Perspectives Consider what you know about human nature to better understand why the characters think and behave they way they do. How would I feel in this situation? Is this similar to anything I’ve seen or experienced ? [End of Section]

As you read this play, use a chart like the following one to The Diary of Anne Frank Reading Skills Focus: Finding the Theme Writers rarely state themes directly. It’s up to you to find the theme of a work by analyzing its elements. organize the literary elements in the play discover what they reveal about the play’s themes

The Diary of Anne Frank Reading Skills Focus: Finding the Theme Looking at the various elements in a story can help you find its theme. Theme Resolution: the story’s outcome Characters: who’s in the story Big Moments: scenes that address the main conflict Characters Resolution Title Conflict Theme [End of Section]

Find It in Your Reading The Diary of Anne Frank Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer A play consists of dialogue, or conversations between two or more characters. As you read, take notes about what the dialogue reveals about the characters. [End of Section] What do their words tell you about their issues and concerns?

Vocabulary

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary conspicuous adj.: noticeable. tyranny n.: absolute power used unjustly. ostentatiously adv.: in a showy way. indignantly adv.: with anger caused by something felt to be unjust. forlorn adj.: abandoned and lonely.

The hospital’s employees were required to wear their name tags in a conspicuous place. When something is conspicuous, it is very easily seen or obvious. The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary Why might the hospital want its employees to wear name tags in an obvious place?

Which outfit would be more conspicuous in the school cafeteria? The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary or a.b.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary In most schools, this ball gown would be more conspicuous, or noticeable, than a cardigan, sweater, and skirt. a.

When people react indignantly, they react angrily to something they think is unfair. The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary Coach Mathis stormed indignantly onto the field after the referee made the call. Coach thought the call was unfair. Describe three or four ways that people appear when they’re reacting indignantly to something.

When Mary reached her car, she shook her head indignantly. The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary Which of the following did Mary most likely see as she reached her car? a. a parking ticket b. a note from a friend c. a flyer for a new restaurant

When Mary reached her car, she shook her head indignantly. The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary Which of the following did Mary most likely see as she reached her car? a. a parking ticket b. a note from a friend c. a flyer for a new restaurant

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary Tyranny is power used unfairly or immorally. Anne Frank and her family hoped to stay in hiding until the Nazis’ tyranny had been brought to an end. What are some other examples of tyranny from world history?

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary The baseball team accused Coach Ford of tyranny. Which of the following better describes the way the team members felt about Coach Ford? or They thought he was a good leader. a. They thought he treated them unfairly. b.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary They accused him of tyranny, of using his power in an unfair way. They thought he treated them unfairly. b.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary When people do something ostentatiously, they do it boastfully, or in a flashy way. The bride flaunted her new ring ostentatiously, wanting everyone to notice it.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary After she won the lottery, Gina behaved ostentatiously with her money. Which of the following is evidence that Gina acts ostentatiously? or She donates to charity. a. She shows off her new wealth. b.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary By boastfully showing off her new wealth—and carrying around big bags of cash—Gina is behaving ostentatiously. How might people who know her feel about her ostentatious behavior? b. She shows off her new wealth.

The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary When you feel forlorn, you feel alone and friendless. Until we saved him, the abandoned puppy looked sad and forlorn. What circumstances might lead people to feel forlorn?

Looking around the playground, Marisol felt forlorn. Did Marisol see any of her friends on the playground? The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary

Marisol felt lonely and abandoned, so she must not have seen any of her friends, or... her friends had refused to play with her, leading her to feel forlorn. [End of Section] The Diary of Anne Frank Vocabulary

The End

QuickTalk

In a small group, discuss times when you each had to do something you didn’t want to do, yet made the best of it. [End of Section] What skills did you draw on to make your situation tolerable? The Diary of Anne Frank QuickTalk

Meet the Writers

Authors Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett both started out as actors. They began writing plays and screenplays together and were married soon after. The Diary of Anne Frank Meet the Writers Working at desks facing in opposite directions in the same room, they would each write a version of a scene, and then read and comment on each other’s version before revising.

The Diary of Anne Frank, a work totally different from Goodrich and Hackett’s other writing, is considered their masterpiece. More about the writers [End of Section] The Diary of Anne Frank Meet the Writers Before they wrote the play, they spent ten days in Amsterdam visiting the Secret Annex and interviewing Otto Frank. Two years and eight drafts later, they had completed their play.

Build Background

The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank’s diary opens in 1942 with stories of boyfriends, parties, and school life. It closes two years later, just days before Anne is captured and imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in When she was four years old, her family emigrated to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to escape the anti-Jewish measures being introduced in Germany.

Build Background The Diary of Anne Frank In Amsterdam, Otto Frank, Anne’s father, managed a company making jams and jellies. Anne and her older sister Margot enjoyed a happy, carefree childhood until May 1940, when the Netherlands surrendered to the invading German army. As in other German-occupied countries, the Nazis began rounding up Jews and transporting them to concentration camps and death camps.

Build Background The Diary of Anne Frank In the concentration camps, prisoners died from overwork, starvation, or disease, or were murdered in the gas chambers. Escaping Nazi-occupied territory became nearly impossible. Like The Frank family and four other Jews lived for more than two years hidden in a few cramped rooms now known as the Secret Annex. many Jews trapped in Europe at the time, Anne and her family went into hiding to avoid capture.

Anne died of typhus in a camp in Germany called Bergen-Belsen. She was fifteen years old. Build Background The Diary of Anne Frank In August 1944, the Nazi police raided their hiding place and sent all eight of its occupants to concentration camps. Of the eight, only Otto Frank survived.

Build Background The Diary of Anne Frank When she began her diary, Anne didn’t intend to show it to anyone unless she found a “real friend.” [End of Section] Through its dozens of translations and the stage adaptation you are about to read, Anne’s diary has found her generations of friends all over the world.

Preview the Selection

The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank and her family fled the Nazis in 1942 and went into hiding. During her time in hiding, Anne kept a diary in which she described the events of her daily life and expressed her feelings and ideas. Her once-private words became public after World War II and have since inspired millions of readers and audiences around the world. This play is based on the events Anne described and even includes some passages from her diary. [End of Section]