The Diary of Anne Frank -- by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (1956)

Description
The play chronicles Anne Frank's time of hiding during WWII. Throughout the play, her portions of her diary are read to orient the audience historically and to further reveal aspects of Frank's psyche. The plot thickens with the additions to the Frank family's hideaway location, misunderstandings between family members, and the increase of looming threats from Nazi Germany.

Playbill.com's summary: "Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's play is based on the true story of a young Jewish girl who kept a diary of her time hiding from the Nazis in an attic of her father's office during World War II."

Candid Reaction

• How interesting for Miep to say, "You can't say we suffered" (7). What does this comment imply? Denial on Miep's end? A truly optimistic view of life from her? 
• The start of the show is Grey Gardens-esque. 
• I wonder how much work the transformation of the set is on professional stages in between scenes one and two of Act One. 
• Who uses the descriptor "gently bred"? (12)
• Anne's dialogue provides food for thought. For example, she declares, "When we get out we won't remember a thing" (27). She emphasizes the importance of tradition and remembrance. 
• How do most productions handle the milk on the fur coat debacle? If they do the show nightly, I suppose they must mime the action. 
• The song to end Act One must be chilling to watch in person. 
• The generational problems are constant. 
• The playwrights excel in their ability to use questions to drive the plot further and to intensify emotion (i.e. Anne questioning Peter's feelings; Mrs. Frank questioning Mr. Van Daan)
• The concept of "once a thief, always a thief" would be a hot topic for middle school students, I am sure. 
• The playwrights perfectly time the incorporation of Anne's most popular quote: "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart" (118). 
• The final line of the play is a punch to the gut!

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
Now, this might seem like sacrilege, but I am confused why this play was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. According to the Prize's website, the prize goes "For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life." The show is distinguished in its narrative. However, the work is not original-- I meant to say that the playwrights used direct quotes from her diary. Additionally, the show is not about American life. I am sure that this is where critics of this stance would say, "Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, it say preferably." Alright. 

With that being said, here are some of the top reasons I believe it was selected. 

1. Autobiographical Accounts
Goodrich and Hackett wisely insert snippets from the actual diary into the play. The story holds even more weight due to its truth. The playwrights allow Anne to stay in control of her narrative and share her humanity with others. I recall in my Creative Writing: Nonfiction class that there is a theory that everyone believes their story is worth chronicling. Some people believe not every story is worth being told. Anne's story is undeniably valuable in its message.  

2. Generational Impact  
Having read the story more than once, I was surprised to notice how much inter-generational conflict exists in the story. The story seems less focused on the drama of the outside world, and more focused on the drama of the intimate world. Obviously the external drama fuels the internal drama. Any age of reader can glean insight regarding inter-generational misunderstandings.  

Classroom Implications
I know that this story is studied in middle schools throughout the U.S. I believe it is a wonderful resource to use in conjunction with study on the Holocaust. Character development would be a logical route to take as a teacher, for the students could track the development Anne (or any other character). It could be a nice work to use to discuss round/flat, dynamic/static characters. It could be an entrance, too, into understanding how texts can be read through multiple lenses: historical, feminist, psychological, etc.

Personal Takeaway
Sometimes re-reading a work lessens its impact.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 6.75
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic (1.5)	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity (1.5)	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points (1.5)	Devices somewhat enhance story  (1.25)	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping!	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically