This scene is included to show mr. van daan's character traits, as well as select one: reveal how unreasonable and overreacting the rest of the household is. reveal how everyone, not just mr. van daan has been secretly stealing food this whole time and blaming it on the rats. reveal how a small offense is an outrage to everyone because of their extreme hunger and poor living conditions. to reveal how mr. dussell is extremely forgiving, even when under stress. in this scene from the play, the diary of anne frank, dramatized by albert hackett and frances goodrich, mr. van daan, one of the members of the other family that lives in the attic with the franks, sneaks downstairs to have some extra food. this is a betrayal of the rest of the household, because everyone is hungry and there is very little food to go around. "we can faintly see mr. and mrs. frank and anne in their beds. margot sleeps u. l. behind the drawn curtain. suddenly, in the van daan's room a match flares up for a moment and then is quickly put out. mr. van daan, in bare feet, dressed in underwear and trousers, is dimly seen coming stealthily down the stairs and into the center room. he goes to the food safe and again lights a match. then he cautiously opens the safe, taking out a half loaf of bread. as he closes the safe, it creaks. he stands rigid. mrs. frank sits up in bed. she sees him. mrs. frank (screaming) otto! otto! come quick! (the rest of the people wake, hurriedly getting up.) mr. frank what is it? what's happened? (mr. van daan starts for stairs, becomes confused and continues across to u. l. margot hurriedly gets stool above stove and drags it under hanging lamp.) mrs. frank (as she rushes over to mr. van daan.) he's stealing the mr. dussel: it was you, and all the time we thought it was the rats! mr. frank: mr. van daan, how could you! mr. van daan: i'm mrs. frank: (with righteous rage.) we're all of us hungry! i see the children getting thinner and thinner! your own son i've heard him moan in his sleep, he's so and you come in the night and steal food that should go to to the children! "