From the Diary of Anne Frank – important questions for Boards 2027

CBSE Class 10 English

1. SA · 2 marks

   Who was Anne Frank, and with whom and where was she in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands?

   Answer

   Anne Frank was a German-born Jewish girl who wrote while hiding in Amsterdam during World War II, with her family and four friends, under German occupation. Her diary later became widely read.

2. LA · 5 marks

   How do the adult speaker’s commands and accusations shape the tone of the poem? Support your response with examples from the poem.

   Answer

   The adult speaker’s repeated commands and accusations create an insistent, nagging tone, while Amanda’s fantasies suggest a longing for quiet and freedom. 1. The speaker orders Amanda not to bite her nails or hunch her shoulders, making the opening sound controlling. 2. Questions about homework and demands to tidy her room and clean her shoes extend this constant correction into household duties. 3. Warnings about chocolate and acne, followed by “Will you please look at me,” make the tone increasingly exasperated. 4. The accusation that Amanda is always moody adds blame, although her imagined worlds show her seeking solitude. The contrast suggests that continual reprimands make Amanda retreat into daydreams.

3. MCQ · 6 marks

   Why does Amanda imagine herself as Rapunzel? Choose the best answer. A. She wants to be rescued by a prince. B. She longs for a quiet, carefree life away from constant instructions. C. She wants to make the speaker admire her hair. D. She wants to live with the speaker in a tower.

   Answer

   (B) She longs for a quiet, carefree life away from constant instructions — Amanda imagines Rapunzel’s tower as tranquil and says she has no care.

4. VVLA · 12 marks

   In a detailed response, explain how Amanda’s imagined identities as a mermaid, an orphan and Rapunzel express her desire for freedom and solitude. Contrast these daydreams with the adult speaker’s instructions and reprimands, and discuss what the contrast suggests about Amanda’s feelings and the effect of constant nagging.

   Answer

   1. Basis — Freedom: Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid in a languid, emerald sea, where she is the sole inhabitant and can drift blissfully. In contrast, the adult speaker directs her posture, telling her not to bite her nails or hunch her shoulders and ordering her to sit straight. 2. Basis — Solitude: The mermaid daydream gives Amanda a world without other people’s demands, where she can move at her own pace. The adult speaker’s repeated use of Amanda’s name and commands keeps pulling her attention back to an adult who expects her to listen and behave correctly. 3. Basis — Escape from duties: Amanda imagines herself as an orphan roaming the street, free from the questions about homework, room-tidying and cleaning her shoes. The image of patterned dust beneath her bare feet and the “golden” silence presents freedom as an escape from household tasks and continual reminders. 4. Basis — Ideal life: Amanda’s imagined orphanhood is not presented as a real account of her life; it is a fantasy of independence. The adult speaker, however, treats her as a child who must complete her homework and chores, reinforcing the difference between Amanda’s wish to be left alone and the adult’s expectations. 5. Basis — Calm: As Rapunzel, Amanda pictures life in a tower as “tranquil and rare” and claims to have no cares. The adult speaker instead reprimands her for sulking, calls her moody and insists that she look up while being spoken to, creating a sharp contrast with the peacefulness Amanda seeks. 6. Basis — Control: Amanda’s imagined Rapunzel refuses to let down her bright hair, suggesting that she wants to remain undisturbed in her private retreat. The speaker’s commands attempt to control Amanda’s behaviour, appearance and attention, from sitting straight to looking at the speaker. 7. Basis — Voice: Amanda’s fantasies reveal her inner response indirectly: she imagines places where she can be alone, carefree and free from instructions. The adult speaker’s voice dominates the outer stanzas with questions, warnings and accusations, while Amanda’s daydreams offer a quiet counterpoint rather than an open argument. 8. Basis — Effect of nagging: The repeated commands and accusations make the adult speaker sound increasingly insistent, especially in the claim that anyone would think the speaker nagged Amanda. The contrast suggests that Amanda feels constrained and longs for solitude; constant nagging appears to encourage her to withdraw into fantasy instead of engaging with the speaker.

5. SA · 2 marks

   Why did the Frank family move to Amsterdam, and what later happened to them when the Nazi occupation extended there?

   Answer

   The Frank family moved to Amsterdam after the Nazis gained power in Germany. When the Nazi occupation extended into the Netherlands, they were trapped there as persecution of Jews increased.

6. LA · 5 marks

   Describe the diary’s timeline and its journey to readers around the world. In your answer, include when Anne received it and the period it records, its translation and adaptations, and what it reveals about life under Nazi occupation and Anne’s place in Holocaust history.

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7. VLA · 6 marks

   Read the final stanza closely. Is Amanda actually sulking and moody, or might the adult speaker’s words create that impression? Discuss the contrast between the speaker’s claims and Amanda’s daydreams, using details from the poem.

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8. SA · 2 marks

   When and where did the Frank family go into hiding as persecution of Jews increased?

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9. LA · 5 marks

   Trace Anne and Margot’s move from Frankfurt to Holland. Include where they stayed before joining their parents, Anne’s early schooling, and the farewell between Anne and Mrs Kuperus.

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10. SA · 2 marks

    What happened to the group after two years in hiding, and where and from what did Anne die?

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