Anne Frank : Act 1

Question

Describe the character of Anne Frank as she is presented in Act I of The Diary of Anne Frank.

In your response:

-Restate the prompt

-Make a general statement about Anne Frank’s character.

-Support your general statement with examples of Anne’s words and behavior.

-Consider both positive and negative aspects of Anne’s character, especially as

shown in her behavior toward others.

Answer 1

Hello,

When I teach characterization (just a long word to describe how an author develops a character), I use the STEAL acronym to help students remember details that they can look for when analyzing a character or even when they create a character of their own. Making a chart can help you plan and organize your writing which is the most important step of the writing process, in my opinion. Using this chart can also help you think through how a character changes which is also an important part of studying a piece of literature.

S - what the character says

T - what the character thinks

E - the effect of the character on others AND how others affect the character

A - the actions of the character

L - how the character looks

I would suggest reviewing Act I. It might be helpful to create a chart so that you can jot down some notes (and page numbers) using the STEAL method. I would also recommend creating your chart before you try to "make the general statement" about Anne. Another way to think about the "general statement" is "character trait." Using the details that you gather, you can then choose a word or words that would describe Anne's character traits.

Do you have to write a full essay or just a short response?

If you have to write a short response, I use what is called the ACE method.

A - answer the question (restate the prompt with an answer)

C - cite evidence

E - explain and expand the evidence with your own ideas, connections, and "big ideas"

You can be creative with the ACE method too. You can "answer the question" and then "cite evidence" and then write 2 sentences explaining the evidence, for example. So, your short response might look like this.

Answer

Evidence #1

Explain and Expand #1

Explain and Expand #1

Evidence #2

Explain and Expand #2

Evidence #3

Explain and Expand 31

Explain and Expand #3

Conclusion

Feel free to be creative - answer the prompt, cite as much evidence as you need (at least 3 pieces), explain the evidence using your own words, expand the evidence by connecting it to the "big" ideas about the story.

Remember to revise and edit your writing. Make sure that you balance out your writing so that you have some evidence but that your assignment is mostly YOUR words and ideas.

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like to make an appointment for a tutoring session.