Questions & Answers on "The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank'

Q11. Describe the warehouse building in short. 

Ans. It was a large warehouse at the ground floor. It was divided in several sections to be used workrooms and store-rooms. The office had a separate entrance. After describing different room-doors, windows and stairs going up and down, Anne tells us about the ‘Secret Annex’ (the hiding place). There was a flight of stairs. To the left, was a narrow hallway (a corridor/entrance hall) which opened onto a room that served for them as a living & bedroom.

Next door was a smaller room, the bedroom and study for Anne and Margot. There was a windowless washroom with just a sink to the right of the stairs. The door in the corner lead to the toilet and another one to Margot’s and Anne’s room. If you go upstairs, you will find a large & spacious room used for Kugler’s laboratory. There was a store and a sink in it and that room would be their kitchen and bed room for Mr. and Mrs. van Daan.

It would also be used as a general living room, dining room and study for them all. There was another small room for Peter van Daan’s bedroom.

Q12. Describe at least two incidents which made Anne feel that her parents treated her differently as compared to Margot, her elder sister.

Ans. Anne describes as to how her parents dealt differently with Margot and her. For example, Margot broke vacuum cleaner and Anne had to be without light because of it. But Mother just defended (favoured) Margot by saying that she was not used to handle that type of appliances and, so she could not unplug the switch properly. Anne tells us more to clarify her point by adding that that afternoon she wanted to rewrite something on Mother’s shopping list because Margot’s handwriting was very bad.

   She not only scolded her but also disallowed her do that. Anne also says that she does not fit in her family.

Q13. How did Mr. van Daan misguide Mr. Goldschmidt, the tenant who lived in Mr. Frank’s upper flat, about the note written by Mrs. Frank about the address that he found there in the flat?

                                                      Or

What did Mr. van Daan tell the inmates of the Secret Annex about their flat and tenant, Mr. Goldschmidt?

Ans. Mr. van Daan told them that Mr. Goldschmidt called him on Monday morning at nine. On reaching there, Mr. van Daan found him very distraught (upset & worried). He showed Mr. van Daan a note that Frank family had left behind. He was afraid that the house was going to be searched. So both of them made the things in normal position and cleared the breakfast things off the table.   All of a sudden, Mr. van Daan’s eyes fell on a notepad on Mrs. Frank’s desk. The address ‘Maastricht’ was written on it.

Mr. Daan pretended to show his surprise and shock at it. He also requested Mr. Goldschmidt to burn that incriminating (illegal) piece of paper.  He assured him that he knew nothing about the disappearance of Frank Family. But, the note had given the idea to misguide Mr. Goldschmidt about them.

   Mr. van Daan told him that a high ranking officer, who was Mr. Frank’s friend, was stationed at Maastricht and he must have helped him cross over to Belgium and then Switzerland. He also told Goldschmidt that he could tell all who desired to know about the Frank family. After that, Mr.  van Daan left.

Q14. What stories made by the people about the disappearance of Frank family did Mr. van Daan narrate to the inmates of the secret Annex?

Ans. Most of Frank’s friends believed in the story which Mr. vaan Daan told   Mr. Goldschmidt, but some people gave their on version to that story. When Mr. Van Daan told them to the Frank family, they could not help laughing. For example, one family claimed that they had seen all the four riding on their bikes early in the morning.

Another woman was sure enough to tell others that all the four members of the Frank family were loaded into “some kind of military vehicle in the middle of the night.”

Q15. Why does Anne call Peter “hypochondriac”? Give examples which she quotes in the text to prove her point.

Ans. Anne uses the word “hypochondriac” (the person who always thinks that he is ill while there is nothing wrong with him or her).   She quotes several instances to prove it. She says that he remained much worried the previous day because his tongue was blue instead of pink and it became pink after some time. Today he is walking with a heavy scarf wrapped around his head as he has got a stiff neck. He has been complaining of lumbago (a pain in the lower part of the back). Aches and pains are very common in his kidney, heart and lungs.

Q16. Describe the incident of Peter’s reading a book that was not meant for him and his father’s reaction on it.

Ans. Anne narrates that one day Peter took a book that was meant for adults and went upstairs in the attic to read it. After two days, Mr. van Daan noticed it and snatched the book from Peter in a fit. One evening, it was seven thirty when the entire family went downstairs in Anne’s father’s private office to listen to the radio. But Peter was lost in the book and forgot about the time also. He was coming down when his father entered the room. There was a scene after that and then a tug-of-war between the two. The book lay on the floor. It was the time for dinner for all, but Peter went upstairs. No one gave a thought to him. He was to pass night without eating.