Question

Performance Task:
Informational Essay
Assignment
Write an informational essay in which you answer the following question:

In what ways do the experiences of Anne Frank and her family show the power of hope?

Cite examples from the play The Diary of Anne Frank, which you read during Whole-Class Reading. Use the elements of informational essays in your writing.

Informational essays are brief works of nonfiction in which a writer conveys ideas, concepts, and information about a topic.

Elements of Informational Essays
Purpose:
to examine a topic and provide information


Characteristics

Structure
Use Academic Vocabulary
Try to use one or more of the unit’s academic vocabulary words in your essay: theorize, sustain, declaration, pronounce, enumerate.

Take a Closer Look at the Assignment
Understanding the assignment will help you write a better essay by choosing the right words and ideas for your purpose and audience.

Explain the assignment in your own words
Do I understand the basic vocabulary of the assignment? What is it asking me to do (in my own words)?
Is my purpose for writing specified in the assignment?
Does the assignment ask me to use specific types of evidence? Where will I get the evidence? What kinds of sources will I consult?
Enter your answers below.

Answer 1

Informational Essay: In what ways do the experiences of Anne Frank and her family show the power of hope?

Thesis
The experiences of Anne Frank and the people in the Annex demonstrate the power of hope by helping them endure fear and scarcity, creating moments of joy and meaning, and keeping alive dreams for the future. In the play The Diary of Anne Frank, hope is shown through the characters’ words, small rituals, mutual support, and Anne’s persistent belief in people and in her own future.

Hope sustains them through hardship
Hope functions as emotional fuel that sustains the families during long months of hiding. Faced with danger, shortages, and anxiety, they adopt routines and small comforts that preserve morale. For example, the residents celebrate birthdays, Hanukkah, and the small “gifts” they exchange—rituals that interrupt fear and remind them of normal life. These moments are not trivial: they replace despair with connection and help everyone continue to cope. The characters also refuse to give up on basic responsibilities (working, sharing news, keeping the Annex clean), showing that hope is enacted as steady, practical effort rather than only optimistic talk.

Hope appears in Anne’s imagination and ambitions
Anne’s strongest expression of hope is her imagination and plans for the future. In the play she frequently speaks of becoming a writer and of living a meaningful life beyond the Annex. These declarations give her purpose and help her survive the present. Her famous line—spoken in the play in an emotional moment—“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart” is a clear declaration of hope that shapes how she interprets suffering and human behavior. She also says she wants to “go on living even after my death,” which pronounces her faith in the value of her thoughts and writing. By articulating these beliefs, Anne sustains her identity and resists being reduced to a victim of circumstances.

Hope is practiced through solidarity and kindness
The power of hope also shows through acts of care from others. Miep and Mr. Kraler provide food, news, and moral support from outside; their assistance keeps the Annex occupants alive and hopeful. Inside, characters try to protect one another despite stress: Mr. Frank’s calm leadership, Mrs. Frank’s efforts to comfort the children, and Peter’s growing sensitivity toward Anne all show how hope can be reinforced by mutual respect. Even when tensions rise (for example, arguments over food or privacy), the group frequently returns to gentler behavior, indicating that hope is a social force that encourages people to forgive and cooperate.

Hope confronts, but does not erase, fear and moral failure
The play does not present hope as naive or unreal. Moments of selfishness (such as Mr. Van Daan’s stealing of food) and despair remind the audience that hope must be actively maintained. One can even theorize that the play’s power comes from this tension: hope matters more because it is tested. The characters’ continued attempts to be decent amid scarcity—repeating prayers, sharing stories, keeping a diary—are how they choose to sustain hope when external circumstances push toward bitterness.

Conclusion
The play shows that hope is not merely optimism but a set of choices and practices: maintaining rituals, expressing future goals, offering and accepting kindness, and publicly stating beliefs about humanity. By enumerating these ways—emotional endurance, imaginative goals, and communal support—the play demonstrates that hope helps people survive hardship and retain their dignity. Anne’s words and actions, and the responses of those around her, illustrate how hope can be both a private belief and a communal force that sustains life in the darkest times.

Take a Closer Look at the Assignment — My answers
- Explain the assignment in my own words:
- Write an informational essay that answers how Anne Frank’s and her family’s experiences show the power of hope, using examples from the play The Diary of Anne Frank.
- Do I understand the basic vocabulary of the assignment?
- Yes. “Informational essay” means explain and inform rather than tell a story or argue a personal opinion. “Cite examples” means use scenes, dialogue, and events from the play as evidence.
- What is it asking me to do (in my own words)?
- Analyze the play and use specific examples to explain the different ways hope appears and matters for the characters.
- Is my purpose for writing specified in the assignment?
- Yes: to examine the topic (the power of hope) and provide information using play evidence.
- Does the assignment ask me to use specific types of evidence? Where will I get the evidence? What kinds of sources will I consult?
- It asks for examples from the play. I will use quoted lines, scenes, and character actions from The Diary of Anne Frank (the stage adaptation read in class). If needed, I could consult the play text, my notes from Whole-Class Reading, and relevant scene summaries.