Question

Read the excerpt from The Diary of Anne Frank. Mr. Frank (Quietly). Anne's diary. (He opens the diary and begins to read.) "Monday, the sixth of July, nineteen forty-two." (To Miep) Nineteen forty-two. Is it possible, Miep? . . . Only three years ago. (As he continues his reading, he sits down on the couch.) "Dear Diary, since you and I are going to be great friends, I will start by telling you about myself. My name is Anne Frank. I am thirteen years old. I was born in Germany the twelfth of June, nineteen twenty-nine. As my family is Jewish, we emigrated to Holland when Hitler came to power." (As Mr. Frank reads on, another voice joins his, as if coming from the air. It is Anne's voice.) Which best explains the purpose of the underlined stage directions in this excerpt?

Answer 1

To show the actor what they are to do as they read their lines given by director.

Answer 2

Answer:

To transition the scene from 1945 back to 1942.

Explanation:

"The Diary of Anne Frank" was the actual written record of the Nazi Germans' torturous prejudice against the Jews. The Franks were also one of the million Jews affected by this atrocity.

Anne Frank and most of her other family members were killed during their captivity in the concentration camps. Only her father Otto Frank survived, and he had been given the diary of her daughter, kept safe by his secretary Miep Gies. Miep Gies was also responsible for keeping the Franks and some other Dutch Jews safe from the Germans.

The purpose of the underlined stage directions in the excerpt is to show the transition of the scene from 1945 back to 1942, making it seem as if the scene of 1942 is happening in the present scene.