1.8 Connections | The Play of Anne Frank

This text based off of the real Diary of Anne Frank, and adapted into a play version.

How does viewing this text through a child’s perspective change the way we experience it? Explain using an example from the text.
Anne Frank was only 12 years old when she wrote the original diary, during World War II in Amsterdam. We see a more childlike, naive experience of the world during the play, a view of the world which can totally change after just little things. The audience needs to think more about it really affected Anne rather than having it explicitly stated in the diary, we reflect on her experiences and her perspective of the War. She wasn't completely aware of what was going on because she was so young, so in that way much of the darker parts of the war were spared from the diary, then the play. 

Reading a play that was based off the true experience of a 12 year old makes the audience feel even more emotional and much more fond for Anne. Also, reading Anne making fun of the adults - "Anne. I never heard grownups quarrel before. I thought only children quarreled." -made the adults (particularly Mr and Mrs Van Daan) look even more foolish and portray the difference on how children and adults were portrayed in Anne's diary...

How would this text be different if it were told from the perspective of an adult? How would the audience’s experience be different?
Yes, the adults experience would be different: the adults were more informed and educated on the war and the Concentration Camps, much more than Anne and Peter, for example. The text might be different because the adults would be more concerned about the war and the economy than war ever was-- "You should be ashamed of yourself! Talking that way! Think how lucky we are! Think of the thousands dying in the war, every day. Think of the people in concentration camps." --more aware of the current events, a higher need for survival. Although Anne knew about the war, she had much different priorities than the adults, and focused more on the arguments and state of the annex than what was going on outside, sometimes even arguing about that: 
"Mr. Van Daan, you don’t realize what is happening outside that you should warn me of a thing like that. You don’t realize what’s going on . . . . .Right here in Amsterdam every day hundreds of Jews disappear . . . Hundreds are being deported . . . people that you and I know . . . the Hallensteins . . .the Wessels . . ." -Dussel

Why did the filmmaker or author decide to tell this story from a child’s perspective?
The writers of the play have kept the story from Anne's perspective to stay genuine and true to the infamous original diary, which was of course famously written from 12-year-old Anne's perspective. Also, the people who adapted the diary into a play might have decided to keep the story from Anne's perspective to better emotionally connect the audience- seeing Anne, a child, going through the war, going into hiding, etc, would made the audience feel much more fond and worried for Anne as she was only a child. 

How are children represented in the text? How are adults represented in the text?
In the play, the adults were represented as more selfish, thieving, one-minded people who argued constantly- in some ways Anne would take care of the adults more than they cared for Peter, Anne and Margot. 

Does imagination help the young hero to cope? How so? Provide an example.
Anne used her imagination to cope with being in the Annex and away from the people she knows-often Anne would imagine being with her friends, riding her bike etc, and often put her feelings aside to help the adults through  and keep solidarity with their sometimes one-minded perspective. In the original diary, Anne would write to a fictional person 'Kitty.' 

Does this text connect in any other ways to the other texts you have read/viewed? How so? Provide evidence and explain.
This connects to the film Jojo Rabbit, which was based in the same time period. Both Anne and Jojo showed similar characteristics, like those of a child - creativity, naivety, and innocence. Despite having different perspectives- Nazi vs. Jew, Anne and Jojo both used their imaginations to cope with the turmoil of the war and their relationships. They were both ignorant and uninformed as to what was really going on.