The Play of the Diary of Anne Frank Act 2, Scene 1

Act 2, Scene 1:

• There is a lot of conflict in the Annex: – Mr and Mrs van Daan fight a lot. They fight about selling her fur coat for cigarettes.

– Mouschi is missing and Mr Dussel upsets Peter by suggesting that he has been eaten.

– Mrs Frank and Anne continue to mis understand each other.

Act 2, Scene 1:

• Miep brings cake which also causes conflict: – Mr van Daan ungraciously expresses joy when Miep and Mr Kraler rufuse a slice.

– Mr van Daan tries to cheat Margot out of her slice.

– Mr Dussel accuses Mrs van Daan of distributing the food unfairly.

Act 2, Scene 1:

• • • • A storeman has been nosing around the office and asking Mr Kraler questions about the Franks. (He may have been the burglar.) It tries to blackmail Mr Kraler into paying him more much money. They decide to pay him half what he wants.

Mr Dussel blames Peter.

Act 2, Scene 1:

• • Anne is angry that the youth are caught up in the war: – “It isn’t our fault that the world is in such a mess. We weren’t around when all this started.” She and Peter are forming a close bond: – “If it wasn’t for you around here, I don’t know.” [Peter] – “It helps a lot to have someone to talk to, don’t you think? It helps you to let off steam.” [Anne]

Act 2, Scene 1:

• The themes that are explored through the characters and incidents in this scene are: – Conflict – Generosity

Questions & Answers:

• • • What does the incident with the cake show us about the characters?

– The cake incident shows Mr van Daan’s greed and Mrs van Daan’s favouratism. In contrast, it shows the generosity of Miep who used many weeks worth of sugar tokens to make it.

Margot says: “Sometimes I wish the end would come.” Why does she feel this way?

– They have lived with fear and uncertainty for so long that she wishes for some finality, even if it means the end. She wishes it could be over, one way or the other. Describe the change in the relationship between Anne and Peter.

– Peter and Anne are forming a close friendship. They are able to express their feelings honestly to each other and this helps to lesson the stress and tension.