Character Clues
Character Analysis
Speech and Dialogue
Since the diary has been turned into a play, we depend heavily on Anne's dialogue that occurs directly with the audience. Her voiceovers provide a time lapse in the plot when necessary and also give background and other information: "the air raids are getting worse. They come over day and night. The noise is terrifying" (1.4). The historical information helps the suspense build in a way that isn't present in Anne's actual diary.
The "real-life" representations of the characters occur through the play's dialogue. Since Anne's original writing was one-sided (a personal diary) the play offers us a glimpse as to how the other characters might be thinking and feeling. We are able to sympathize with them in a way we might not if only given Anne's point of view and words. For example, Mr. Dussel is a pretty horrid guy. But in the play we can almost sympathize with him having to share a room with a teenage girl. He gives Anne a sarcastic, "Thank you" for finally finishing her hair and makeup before her date with Peter. Anyone who's had to share a bathroom with a teenager knows that this can be a challenge for even the most patient person. The dialogue and voice inflections help the audience understand what is going on and also provide food for thought about the situation and context of the play.
Actions
The stage directions for the characters explain how they should act emotionally as well as where they should move and place themselves on stage. For example, when Mrs. Van Daan gets panicky, the actress should reflect this in her body language and vocal inflections: "(Hysterically.) I can't stand it! I'll kill myself! I'll kill myself." (2.4).
Peter's shy attitude can be conveyed in the way the actor carries himself and how the other actors react to him. For example, when Anne asks Peter about his cat's name, he can barely spit it out, "(Self-conscious, shy.) Mouschi…(Crossing down, then to center.) He's a tom. He doesn't like strangers. (He takes the cat from her, putting it back in its carrier)" (1.2). Stage directions, the audience can feel the raw emotions that the audience members are meant to feel, rather than simply be observers, trapped within Anne's mind in her diary.
The physical stage gives us room to imagine the Annex how it must have been. The characters are cramped and confined. There's nowhere to go and no room to breathe. Anne has to go into Peter's room to have a chat with him and the mothers of both kids get super-uptight. What is going on in there… hmm? We read that, "(Anne rises and quietly goes to Peter's rom, closing the door after her. She sits on the edge of the cot and leans over him, holding him in her arms, trying to bring him out of his despair)" (2.4). Having a place to witness the interactions of the characters places a solid backdrop on something we may have trouble imagining.
The context of the characters and their situation may be difficult to relate to without a meaningful physical presence of props and scenery. In this way, the play is able to emphasize both the tangible aspects of Anne's diary, while also commenting on the things we aren't able to see with our eyes or hold in our hands.