Novel Dear Mr Kilmer : Themes

 The importance of family

– Knight, Richard and Gus’ father, is a proud man who takes his sons hunting just
like his father did before him. His sons want to earn his respect very much. Gus asks
Richard if he doesn’t want his father to be proud of him and therefore encourages
him to take up hunting. Both the boys obey the wishes of the father even though they
can’t do everything he wants them to do. Gus signs up to join the army despite his
father’s protests. Richard writes poems even though his father thinks that it only
helps to fill his head with foolish ideas. But Richard is very happy when his father is
pleased with the poem that he submits to the newspaper about the death of Kilmer.
Richard helps his sister with her chores. He is concerned for her wellbeing.

– The Schermers are close to each other and enjoy the relationship they have. The
family is an important unit to them and the fact that they are foreigners in that town
has made them closer. They do welcome Richard and shower him with affection.
The author thinks that the family unit is a stable platform for a caring society.

 Be true to yourself
– Richard does not try to fit in. He is different. He hates hunting and killing animals.
He will not fit in for the sake of fitting in. He knows that his father wants him to kill the
deer but won’t do it as he thinks animals are beautiful. Gus keeps warning him not to
be the odd boy but Richard will not go against what his conscience tells him to do.

– He stands up for Hannah on the same principle of respecting all human beings
regardless of race and religion. He is courageous and true to his beliefs.

– By writing poems, he shows his sensitive soul. He becomes brave enough to

acknowledge the fact that he is different from others. He stays true to himself and his
values.

 Racial polarization-respect for human beings

– The war has caused polarization as some people are from different countries. The
war in Europe has made people more conscious of their identity and foreigners are
frowned upon. The Schermers’s tavern is vandalised and Hannah is subject to
ridicule and prejudice. Richard tries his best to respect all human beings as he is a
sensitive character who cares about people.

–  The students do not like the idea that Hannah is chosen as Lady Liberty because
of her German origin. Hannah declines the position and subsequently Richard
decides to withdraw from being Doughboy too. Prejudice clouds people’s eyes and
causes distress.

 Love and friendship

– Richard finds Hannah attractive and likes her. That she is a German does not
bother him. He is the only one to sign the teacher’s card and offers to take it to her
personally. She is not exactly warm or friendly when he gives her the card but makes
up for it later. Hannah invites him to meet her family and slowly they become friends.
She reads his poems and there is a sincere warm-hearted friendship between them.
 At the school picnic, Richard carves her name with his on an old oak tree. Hannah
thinks very highly of Richard and he thinks well of her too. She is the one who breaks
the news to him about Kilmer’s death. Richard and Hannah have a good relationship
which could blossom into a romance.

– Richard’s relationship with a soldier-poet forms the backbone of this story. It is a

special warm-hearted relationship of two intensely sensitive souls. When Kilmer is
killed, it breaks Richard’s heart. Richard finds strength through writing his poems.

 The importance of education

– Education is valued highly. Richard’s father dropped out of fifth grade but he insists
that the two boys must finish high school. Gus wants to stop schooling to join the
army but his father forbids him from leaving school. He thinks that they must have
some basic education before they branch out into other fields.

– In school, there are many aspects which Richard enjoys. Richard enjoys poetry as
it draws out the sensitive nature of the students. The classes seem to relate to
communal activities around them. The teacher suggests that the students write a
card to show their sympathy to the Schermers whose property is vandalized. Richard
suggests that students write letters to serving soldiers to cheer them on. The
teachers promote the discussion of issues around them and give them a balanced
foundation to prepare them for life.

 War and its effects

– Gus wishes to join the army to fight in the war but Knight’s brother Roland died in a
war and therefore his father is very much against it. Richard knows that the soldiers
live in trenches and put up with terrible conditions. The chances of being killed are
very high. In addition living through war conditions sometimes made people deaf or
crazy. Worse still were the chemical effects which led to slow, painful deaths.

– Hannah’s brother fights the Germans when he joins the American army. Gus too
enlists in the army when he finishes high school. Kilmer gets killed in the war,
devastating Richard who looked upon him as a friend and mentor.

–  In her essay, Hannah says that the enemy in the war is war itself as it leaves
hatred and horror behind. What the world needs is kindness and understanding so
that

people care for one another despite differences in race, religion or nationality. The
world needs ‘peace without victory’ as President Wilson says.

Novel Dear Mr Kilmer : Characters

 Richard Knight
– He is 15 years old and the younger son of a farmer in Iowa. Pale and slender, he
looks like his mother. He lost his mother at the age of 7.
 – Dislikes hunting and killing animals but his father and brother think he should hunt.
Richard remembers the first time he had gone hunting with his grandpa and how
upset he was when his grandpa killed a beautiful deer.

– Doesn’t want to get into sports, would rather be farming.

– Very considerate, Richard helps his sister with the household chores.

– Writes poems to express his pain but keeps them in a secret place.

– Very sensitive, sees poetry in ordinary experiences. Understands Kilmer’s poems

as a kindred soul.

– Brave, stands up for Hannah against classmates, supports her family when
vandals attack her father’s tavern

– He suggests that students should write to the soldiers to spur them on.

– Richard is loyal. He gives up being Doughboy out of loyalty towards Hannah who is
forced to decline the position of Lady Liberty.

– Feels terrible about Kilmer’s death and finds peace by writing a poem for him

– Wants his father’s approval and is very happy when he gets it finally

 Gus
– The older brother of Richard, he loves hunting and playing games; popular in
school as he always tries to fit in, unlike Richard

– He is proud that he killed his first deer and earned the respect of his father early.
Wishes to join the army but cannot until he finishes high school.

– He is always warning Richard to be part of the crowd and not stand alone. He
thinks Richard is a sissy to dislike hunting and killing.

– He is quite aware of what is happening to Richard in school and keeps a brotherly

eye on him.

– Joins the army after finishing high school but it does not please his father.

 Hannah
– The daughter of the Schermers, who moved to Iowa a few years ago.

– She is upset at being called a Hun, a derogatory term for Germans.

 – She is smart and does well in school but even though her essay won her the Lady
Liberty award, she declines the position because of her classmates’ prejudice and
harassment.

– Warm and good-natured – she invites Richard to her house for dinner and the two
become friends.

– She feels strongly that people must learn to care about one another despite
differences in race, religion and nationality. She believes that people must learn to
wage peace, not war.

– Hannah breaks the news about Kilmer’s death to Richard.

– Hannah and Richard are good friends. They care very much for each other.

 Knight
– He is Gus and Richard’s father, firm and reserved, doesn’t say much.

– Dropped out of school in grade 5 but wants education for his boys.

– Takes the boys hunting and wants Richard to kill his first deer which he doesn’t.

– Firm and stern – forbids Gus from dropping out of school to join the army. He
wants him to complete high school.

–   Grieves  for  his  brother  Roland  who  was   killed  in a war.

– Tries to forbid Richard from writing poems but fails.

– Understand Richard’s poem well when he reads about the pain of losing someone
you love greatly. He had loved his brother a great deal.

–  He is a good, responsible father.

 Mrs. Hansen
– Good English teacher, introduces the poetry of Kilmer to the class.

– Encourages Richard to write poems and reads his poems in class.

– Organised the project of writing essays to be chosen as Lady Liberty and

Doughboy.

–  Puts Abner and Harry in their places.

 – A source of inspiration to her students, wishes all the students were like Richard
and Hannah.

 Abner and Harry

– Very disruptive boys in the class, very opinionated and prejudiced

–  They dislike poetry as they think it is sissy stuff.

– Dislike Hannah because of her German origin and make life difficult for her.

–  Dislike Richard for standing up for Hannah.

 Blanche Freebold
–  Shallow and prejudiced, she is against foreigners.

–  She does not like Hannah who is a German.

Novel Dear Mr Kilmer : Plot

– Richard Knight, Gus, his brother and his father go hunting. Richard’s father wants
this to be a special occasion as he wants Richard to kill his first deer. Richard prays
that no deer will appear. But it does.

– Richard takes aim but misses the deer to the dismay of Gus. But his father knows
that Richard didn’t want to kill the animal. Richard explains that he doesn’t like killing
and his father tells him that death is part of life. He had lost his brother a few years
ago in a war.

– Gus teases him and also tells him that he should try to fit in by playing games but
Richard tells him that fitting in is not his plan. Gus says that Richard should enjoy
hunting as only sissies feel sad about killing animals. Gus also wants to join up as a
soldier.

–  Richard helps his sister, Angie with the chores while Gus and his father discuss
sports. Later, Richard remembers the first time he saw a beautiful deer die in the
hands of his grandfather. He wrote a poem then to express his sadness.

– In school, Mrs. Hansen, his teacher reads to him a beautiful poem by Joyce Kilmer.
Richard feels that perhaps his own poems would be acceptable too. Mrs. Hansen
tells the class that poetry is not sissy stuff and that many poets served as soldiers
and were tough people.

– Richard sees his classmate, Hannah crying because someone had scrawled the
words ‘Dirty Hun’ on her book. His friends feel that it was right as she is a German.

– Richard writes to Kilmer about how he felt his teacher read Kilmer’s to him. He also
mentions that he too writes poems.
– Three weeks later, Mrs. Hansen tells the class that Hannah’s father’s tavern had
been vandalised and that she wants the class to sign a card to express their
sympathies. Everyone refuses except Richard. He also offers to deliver the card to
the family.

– Richard gets into a fight with his classmates, Abner and Harry who harass him
about Hannah. When he gives the card to Hannah, she is very upset and sullen. He
feels disturbed.

–  He goes home to find a letter from New York. It is from Kilmer. He is very happy
and wishes to tell his family that he too writes poetry. When he does so over a meal,
this news is received in a lukewarm manner. Gus warns him that he should not tell
others that he writes poems as people will not like a person who is different.

– The next day Mrs. Hansen reads his poems and praises them. Hannah apologizes
to him for her behavior and told him that neighbors came and painted over all the
awful words on their walls. She also added that her brother Otto had joined the army
as a patriotic American. Richard is concerned for all those fighting in the war.

– Three weeks later, Mrs. Hansen persuades Richard to talk about his
correspondence with Kilmer and read one of his poems in class. The class is
shocked to hear that Kilmer is going to serve the army as a soldier. He receives
support from some of his friends while Abner and Harry mock him.

– The students get to know more about the war in their History class. The school
holidays gives Richard more time to work on the farm, a job which he likes. He also
likes working with his father, even though they do not speak much to each other.

– Richard learns that Kilmer is in France and that puts him in fear. In the meantime
school starts again and the students are told that there will be a special programme
to sell Liberty bonds. Two students will be chosen to represent Lady Liberty and a
lucky guy will accompany her based on essays they write. Richard is chosen as the
lucky gentleman while Hannah is selected as Lady Liberty. The students resent
Hannah being chosen, thus she declines the role. Richard too decides to step down.
Mrs. Hansen is proud of her two students.

– Hannah invites Richard home for dinner. He has a good time there and enjoys the
company of Hannah’s parents. When he returns home, his father asks him why he
declined the role in the show. His father tells him not to do things to upset the
community and says that writing poetry has given him foolish ideas. Richard is very
sad.

– Kilmer writes to tell Richard that being in France is tough and that his family is
missing him. Hannah and her family send some gifts to cheer Kilmer.
 –  The war goes on. The school term comes to an end with a picnic when Richard
and Hannah spend some time together. Hannah gets hit by a stone thrown by
someone.

– Gus announces that he has enlisted in the army, much to his father’s dismay. He
scolds him harshly for leaving all the farm work and going off to fight in a
meaningless war. Gus leaves the next day. Kilmer writes about the painful effects of
war and tells Richard to keep writing his poems. Richard writes a reply that he will
never give up writing poems and goes to post the letter.

–  On the way, he stops to see Hannah who tells him that
Kilmer  has  been  killed  in  the  war.  Richard  reads  how Kilmer died and knows
that he was buried under a tree stump. He remembers the letter he had written and
not posted. He cries bitterly then. He writes a beautiful poem for Kilmer which was
printed in a local newspaper. His father was very impressed with the feelings
expressed and father and son have a meaningful conversation.

–   The war ends and with it some fears. Peace returns.

Novel Dear Mr Kilmer : Setting

 Physical setting
It is set in Iowa, the United States of America, during the First World War. The USA
had declared war on Germany and was fighting along with the Allies. Young men
were drafted and sent to Europe to fight and many died.

 Social setting
The war had polarized the people. People from other countries were looked upon
suspiciously. Thus the Schermers were ostracised because they were from Germany
even though they were patriotic and their son Otto had joined the army to fight the
Germans. In school, Hannah was often harassed by other students. Her parents’
tavern was vandalized by unruly people.

 Time setting
It is set in the early twentieth century, around 1917, right in the middle of World War
1.

Novel Dear Mr Kilmer : Moral Values

 Respect and love for family members
– Richard and Gus are different in nature but the father loves them. They try to earn
his respect by doing what he wants them to do. But the father understands that each
son is different.

– Roland and his brother are different in personality too but Knight loves his brother
and still feels the pain of losing his brother in a war. Richard shows his love for his
sister by helping her.
 – The Schermers love each other. They worry that Otto is in the army and may get
killed.

 Respect human beings

Everyone should be respected despite racial or religious differences. Vandalising
property, judging people by the language they speak or their cultural habits is unfair
and ignorant.

 Compassion
– Richard displays compassion for the underdog and the victims of prejudice. He
reaches out to Hannah because she is treated badly by their classmates and also
the town. He refuses to be part of the meanness that makes Hannah decline the
position of Lady Liberty.

– He is kind to his sister as he feels that she looks tired and needs help.

– Mrs. Hansen shows compassion for Hannah and what she goes through in life.

– Hannah believes that hatred and prejudices have no place in this world. She
believes that people must care for people without thinking of race, religion or
nationality. Compassion plays a big part in making people become better and more
caring people.

 Patriotism
Kilmer joins the army to show his love for his country. Otto enlists even though he is
of German origin out of loyalty to the land he lives in. Gus too joins the army
because he thinks it is his duty to fight for the country. Roland who had joined earlier
had been killed in the war against the Spanish. Suffering and death are natural
results of any war.

SUMMARY

Chapter 1
Early morning during the above freezing February air,Richard,Gus
and Pa went to dear hunting.Pa bet Richard was going to get his first
deer on that day.However, Richard delibarately misfired to avoid
killing the beautiful young buck.Gus tried to encourage his brother to
more sociable and scolding him for missing the shot.

Gus  was active in sports meanwhile Richard loves farming.After

dinner,Pa nad Gus started talk about sports.Richard went to the
kitchen to help his sister Angie who has taking care of the house after
their mother die.Pa and Gus always took it for granted.Richard
explained to Pa that he did nit have the right to kill the animals.Pa
confessed that he grieving everytime he shot an animal.In past
eye,maybe he was remembering his wife or his brother ,Roland who
was killed in a war in Cuba.Richard felt satisfied after he shared his
feeling with Pa.

Richard went to his room,and took a piece of paper and pen and
started writing a poemabout How a Deer been killed and he put it in
the drawer on top of other poemsand he did not want anyone to know
about it.

Chapter 2 
The snow has come to an end.The school has started again in the
month of April.America declares war on Germany.One
morning,Richard's English teacher,Mrs Hansen,tells the class that a
famous poet,Joyce Kilmer has just volunteered for army service in the
ongoing world war.She reads a poem entitled "Tree" written by Joyce
Kilmer to the class,Richard is fascinated by the beauty of the simple
poem.Richard borrows Mrs Hansen poetry book and secretly jotted
down the New Yorks Time editors office address .On the way back
home.Richard meets Hannah Schermers,the preety girl of German
crying in the hallway because someone had returned her "dirty hun"on
her book cover.

Richard confronts his classmates who then reveal their hatred toward
Germans.After back home,Richard decide to write to Mr Kilmer ,he
introduces himself and tels him that he likes his simple poems and
shares about his secret poetry writing.He sents the letter to the New
York Times

Chapter 3
   A terrible incident has happen at the tavern own by Hannah
Schermers parents.It has been vandelised.To insteal good values in
students,Mrs Hansen encourags her students to sign a card to
expressing their sympathy for  Hannah and her family.Mrs Hansen
shocked at the protest by more vocal student and the culture of fear
created by the class bullies which stop some sincere students from
signing.In the end,only Richard sign the card.Richard action caused
the students taunt him for supporting the German.Richard approaches
his teacher and asked for the card and he want to personally
delivered it to the Schermers.Abruptly,Richard was  attacked by
Abner and Harry but he manages to win the fight.Richard feels terrible
as he wals home and keep pondering about the people of
TurtleLake.On his way home,he climbs an old oak tree to watch a
train pass by.He sees passanger happily travelling.As he reaches
home,Angie running excitedly towards him with news that he has
received a letter from New York.It is from Joyce Kilmer.

Chapter 4
  Joyce Kilmer letter to Richard consists plane simple answer and
advice.He encourages him to pursue his poetic dreams with courage
and confidence.He invite Richards to write again and sent him one of
his poem.That night, Richard tried to be braved to share about the
letter to his family.Pa,Gus and Angie didn't show any axcitement and
they do not know who Joyce Kilmer is.

  Richard went to his room to reply Mr Kilmer's letter.Gus comes to the

room and teases Richard on his sissy poems.Gus also advices him to
try to fit in with his friends.

  Next morning Richard  oes to  see Mrs Hansen to tell her about the
letter.She is very impressed.Richards shows her a few of his favourite
poems and she helps to select one to sent to Mr Kilmer.Mrs Hansen
encourages him to share the letter to the class but Richard is not
ready yet.Richard meets Hannah right after he cames out from Mrs
Hansen room.She apologised Richard  on what she has done the last
time they met.She als shares her feeling and problems with
Richard.Richard climbes the oak tree again and sees the train with a
load of merry soldiers ontheir way to war.Richard is sad thinking about
Mr Kilmer and Otto,the Hannah's brother.
Chapter 5
It was the end of school and Richard shared Mr Kilmer's lettert to the
class.Many of his classmates discouraged him about writing poems
but Mrs Hansen always gave  him support and adviced him to do what
he liked.Richard and Mr Kilmer often exchanged their stories and
wonderful poems.Hannah also fully supported Richard and helped
him to fini9sh his poems.The poem turned out really well.

    In history class,Mr Higby  described  about the  current battle .He

also  reminded his class to keep  abreast of war events in summer
holiday.

    During the summer,Richard helped his father at the farm and he

also  noticed  that his father was always unhappy.One night,he wrote
about his Pa and very pleased with his work.

   Richard  received a reply from Mr Kilmer.He praised Richard's poem

on the soldiers and he hoped this war will end all
wars.Meanwhile,Richard continued to daydream about the smart and
beautiful Hannah Schermer and wrote a poem about her.
Chapter 6
        Richard and Kilmer exchanged a number of letter throughout the
summer,Richard sent a poem with each letter and always delighted to
recieve encouragement and suggestion to improvement.In early
September,Kilmer told Richard that he had finally arrived in
France.Richard was hoping that the war would end before  Kilmer
went to Europe.

        School started again,Mrs Hansen announced a plan to hold a

patriotic programme to help sell Liberty Bonds,which helped finance
the war.The show will involve music ,singing war songs.play Lady
Liberty Role and Doughboy wearing a soldier 's uniform.The main
roles  will be played by the boy and girl who write the best
essays.Each student secretly  dreamed of playing  the
roles,however,Richard was selected to play the role of the Doyghboy
and Hannah Schermers was selected for the role of Lady of
Liberty.When Hannah read her essay in the class,Richard was the
only one who applauded her.

Chapter 7
    Mrs Hansen ask aHannah to read her essay in front of the
class.Richard senses that some students appriciate Hannah's essay
but to scared to clap because of the class bullies.
The next morning some parents are already in the principal room that
she chooses somebody else.Everyone in school is angry with Mrs
Hansen choice.
    The next day,Mrs Hansen announces that Hannah has turned
down the roll of Lady Liberty .She withdraws to avoid causing people
more pain.Richard also give up the role of doughboy
 because he dislike the mean  biased behaviour of his friends and
neighbours.He wants to give moral support to Hannah.Mrs Hansen
choose Millie
 and Herbie as the replacement.

    During the lunch break,Hannah invites Richard to her house for the
supper.Richard informs Gus in school to tell their father  that he will
not be home for dinner.
Gus says that he is unpatriotic and calling him a traitor.Richard walks
with Hannah to her house.He spends a delightful evening with
them.Time flies soon,it is dusk,
when he reaches home,his father is waiting to talk to him at the porch.

Chapter 8
Pa tells Richard that Abner's father complaint  to him that he turned
down his role in the school play to side with Schermer's.Richard
explains to Pa the real story.He adds that Schermers are patriotic and
want the Allies to win.Beside,their son Otto ,an American soldier. also
fighting with the Allies.Pa advises Richard  not to side with the
Schermers  against the rest of community.He adds that Schermers
are diffrent.Beside,Abner's father  and the other help him  when he
brokes his leg.Richard feels it is unfair because the Schermers were
Americans and their pay taxes.

Most of the students ignore Richard at school.He  does not bother and
become closer to Hannah.Whenever he is lonely,he goes to the
Schermers as they understand him.He shares his poetry to
them.Christmas is around the corner and Mr Kilmer has to spend  it
away from home.It is very cold in France as fighting continues.Richard
send  Hannah's cookies with nut and raisins and Mrs Schermer;s
knitted scarf  with his letter to Mr Kilmer.In class,Mr Higby  informs
that  the American have pushed back the German in France.

A picnic is planned for the last day of school in Turtle Lake.Richard

and Hannah sit away  from the others under a large tree .Richard
carves a heart and their initial R and H  on the oak
tree.Suddenly,someone has thrown  a stone at her.Her ankle is
bleeding,Richard fix it up and see the word "hun" on the flat side.

Chapter 9
 Three days after Richard was having a picnic with Hannah.As
usual,he and his father are cleaning  the barn.What is so suprising  on
that day,Gus shows up earlier than usual.With a big smile,He tells his
father and Richard that he made his place to the army.As he is so
enthusiastic about it,his father acting  against him,He tries to convince
his father that he can survive the mass war.But still,his farher  does
not believe him as he knows the real situation which he experienced
from the death of  his brother in war.The arguement ends in a
complete dissapoiment  and tension.Richard stuck in the middle  and
decides to comfort his brother.Richard feels helpless as Gus  wont
accept it.

   The next morning,Gus and his friend go to Sioux City to catch the
next troop train headed east.Before leaving,he has a talk with his
father and shakes hand wirh Richard.He waves for the last time as
sign of goodbye.Richard suddenly feels the fear that he will lose  his
beloved brother.

    Pa turns into more quiet person after Gus absence.Richard talks to

Angie about his father state of mind because they both knows  that his
father must be grieving as he concers and worries for Gus.

     He fells a great reliefs when he spend time with them rather than
with his family.Besides that,he cannot imagine a time of joy without
the letter and  the  poetry matters.He receives the most warmhearted
and kindest letter he has ever received.Even so,it left Richard  with a
question in his mind regarding of  what do poets  and poetry do to
make world better?Normally,he leaves the letter in the mail box,but
this time,Richard feels an absolutely haste for him to send the
letter.As he walk to the post office,he decides to stop at Schermers
house to have talk with Hannah.
     Suprisingly,Hannah comes out  with a gloomy expression on her
face  when Richard knocks the door showing that something
sorrowful  had happened.With  a heavy heart,Hannah tells  Richard
that Mr Kilmer end up dying in the warzone.

Chapter 10
Richard reads the news on how Mr Kilmer was killed.He startled when
he sees Mr Kilmer's picture in the newspaper.He runs through  the
streets of Turtle Lake and climbs the highest  branches of the oak
tree.Richard is deeply dissapointed and decides to stop writing
another new poem.Anywah he goes back home and writes another
poem entitiled "In Memory of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer."After writing
it,he wants to share  it to somebody.He shares it with the Schermers
because only they will understand.Hannah cries and Mr Schermers
shed his tears.Richars feels guilty because his poem makes them
think about Otto.Mr Schermers suggests Richard to send it to
TurtleLake Weekly because they were many felt the same way as
them.

Hannah accompanies  him to the newspaper office.When Mr Garrison

begins to read the poem,Richard gets nervous and leaves because
he scared his father will be angry.A few days later,the poem
published in the newspaper.After the farm works,Pa ask Richard if he
knows that Mr Kilmer has died.Richard says he does.Pa  comes with
the newspaper  and talk about his brother Roland.Pa sobs and tells
Richard about his brother Roland.Pa is amazed how Richard could
use those word in his poem.

          In mid November 1918,The allies win.Pa ,Angie and Richard

laughed because Gus still training hard for the war that is over.In the
end,Pa always  listen to Richard's poem and makes correction and
give suggestion.He also gives compliment to his son.
Question 1
‘It is important to have a person you look up to in your life.’

From the novel that you have read, write about one character that you look up to.
Give reasons why you choose him/her.

Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. One character that I
looked up to was Richard. There were three reasons why I looked up to Richard.

Firstly, he loved animals. This was shown when Richard purposely missed

shooting a buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could
not kill animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was upset with Richard because
Richard purposely misfired. Richard’s father, Pa, was also disappointed with
Richard. Pa asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told
Pa that he had no right to kill it. Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an
animal. Pa told Richard not to go hunting anymore if he did not like it.
Secondly, Richard was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for
the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They
painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret
for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy
refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys
were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like
Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only
student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school,
Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah.
Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being
rude. This was the beginning of their friendship.
Thirdly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family and Mrs
Hansen that he wrote poetry. Before telling his secret to his family and Mrs
Hansen, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richard’s penpal.
Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a
poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. In his letter,
Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. However, he kept this as a secret
from everyone. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he
should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from Mr
Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard
to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when
Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not
believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote
poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems.
Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he
wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a
Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah. The next day, Richard told Mrs
Hansen that he wrote poetry. He showed her Mr Kilmer’s letter. Mrs Hansen helped
Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send the poem to Mr Kilmer. As advised by
Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest letter and his poem with
the class.Some of his classmates, including Blanche and Peggy, were deeply moved
by his poem. They started to respect Richard. Hannah suggested a different ending to
Richard’s poem.
In conclusion, I admired and respected Richard because he had good personalities.

Question 2
Using the details from the novel that you have studied,

 Describe what happens at the end of the novel.

 Explain why you find the ending either happy or sad.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. At the end of the story,
Richard’s father finally supported his passion in writing poetry. This was a happy
ending.

Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family,
teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s
English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He
wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems
too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell
his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr
Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard
to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard
told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr
Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked
whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested.
Richard was sad.

One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the
war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr
Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was
printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the
poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did
not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about
what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this
story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”.
His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard
continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his
father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems
aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father
finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry.
In conclusion, the ending of this story was truly heartwarming when a father and a
son finally got along through the love of poetry.

Question 3
Using the details from the novel that you have studied, write about a difficult decision
made by one of the characters.

With close reference to the text, do you think this was the right decision?

Sample Answer :
The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A difficult decision
made by Richard was to tell people that he wrote poetry. This was the right decision.

Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family,
teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s
English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He
wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems
too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell
his secret to everybody.

A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised
Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with
people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr
Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did
not believe that Richard wrote poetry.Richard asked whether his family members
wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad.

The next day, Richard told Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. He showed her Mr
Kilmer’s letter. Mrs Hansen helped Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send
the poem to Mr Kilmer. As advised by Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest
letter and his poem with the class. Some of his classmates, including Blanche and
Peggy, were deeply moved by his poem. They started to respect Richard. Hannah
suggested a different ending to Richard’s poem.

In conclusion, Richard was a brave boy when he decided to tell his secrets to
everyone.

Question 4
Based on the novel you have studied, write about an event that makes you angry?

With close reference to the text, give reasons why the event makes you feel this way.

Sample Answer :
The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. An event that made
me angry was when the Schermers’ tavern was vandalised. I was angry because of
two reasons.

Firstly, I was angry because some Turtle Lake people were being unfair to the
Schermers. They vandalized the Schermers tavern. They painted “Dirty Huns” all
over the walls. They said that the Schermers were Huns. Some Turtle Lake people
believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from Germany. They said that the
Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food at
their tavern while a war was going on against Germany.

Secondly, I was angry because Richard’s classmates were being unkind to the

Schermers after the Schermers’s tavern was vandalised. Mrs Hansen brought a card
to express regret for what had happened Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign the
card. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the
card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner
and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche
would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the
sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs
Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card
reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the
beginning of their friendship.

In conclusion, the event where the Schermers was being mistreated infuriated me. I
truly believed that discrimination was unjust.

Question 5
Suggest one character in the novel you have read who you think is agood role model
for teenagers.
Briefly describe the character and give reasons for your choice with close reference to
the text.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A good role model for
teenagers was Richard. Richard was 15 years old. He was tall, pale and
slender. Richard was Mr Knight’s son. He was Angie and Gus’s younger brother. He
was Mr Kilmer’s penpal and Hannah’s best friend. He loved poetry. There were three
reasons why I chose Richard.

Firstly, he was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the
Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They
painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret
for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy
refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The
boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls
like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only
student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer.After school, Richard
took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah
accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude.
This was the beginning of their friendship.
Secondly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family he wrote
poetry. Before telling his secret to his family, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr
Kilmer was Richard’s penpal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer whenRichard’s English
teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by
Joyce Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. However,
he kept this as a secret from everyone. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He
wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard
received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr
Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was
interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus
did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote
poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems.
Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he
wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a
Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah.
Thirdly, he was supportive. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and
the Doughboy respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked
the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which
helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role.
They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American
citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did
not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty.
Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore,Richard declined his part as the
Doughboy. His family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for
turning down his role. They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms
never stopped Richard from standing up for what was right.
In conclusion, Richard was a good role model for teenagers because he had good
personalities.

Question 6
Which character in the novel do you sympathize with? Explain whyyou sympathize
with this character with close reference to the text.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The character I
sympathized with was Hannah Schermer. There were three reasons why I
sympathized with her.

Firstly, her schoolmates called her ‘Dirty Hun’. They evenscrawled “Dirty Hun” all
over her book cover. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric
clan originated from Germany. They said that the Schermers were unpatriotic
because they spoke German and served Hun food at their tavern while a war was
going on against Germany. Starting from this incident, the Schermers were always
being mistreated by some of the Turtle Lake people.

Secondly, her parents’ tavern was vandalised. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the
walls. Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a sympathy card for the Schermers. The
troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They
warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry
would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not
speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy
card for Hannah Schermer.

Thirdly, people unfairly denied her role as Lady Liberty.Hannah won the roles of
Lady Liberty because she wrote the best essay. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write
an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty
bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded
Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Some
parents complained to the principal and demanded Mrs Hansen to choose someone
else. Mrs Hansen did not change her mind. Hannah told Richard that her essay
started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So
she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah.

In conclusion, although Hannah Schermer and her family was mistreated by some
Turtle Lake people, they remained calm and patient.

Question 7
It is important to stand up for what is right. Discuss how this is portrayed in the
novel you have read.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “It is
important to stand up for what is right” was portrayed by Richard in three different
events.

Firstly, this statement was portrayed when Richard purposely missed shooting a

buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill
animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was upset with Richard because Richard
purposely misfired. Richard’s father, Pa, was also disappointed with Richard. Pa
asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told Pa that he
had no right to kill it. Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an animal. Pa
told Richard not to go hunting anymore if he did not like it. Even though Pa
disagreed with Richard’s opinion about hunting, he did not force Richard to do what
he hated.

Secondly, this statement was portrayed when Richard was the only student who
signed a sympathy card for the Schermers. When the Schermers’ tavern was
vandalized, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a sympathy card for them. The
troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They
warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry
would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not
speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card
for Hannah Schermer. Richard believed that the Schermers were discriminated by
some Turtle people because they were Germans.

Thirdly, this statement was portrayed when Hannah declined the role of Lady
Liberty. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy
respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write
an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty
bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded
Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Hannah
told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to
cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted
to support Hannah. Therefore,Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His family,
his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for turning down his role.
They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never stopped Richard
from standing up for what was right.
In conclusion, Richard was truly a character who stuck to his principles to do what
was right.

Question 8
“People should be allowed to follow their dreams.”

Write about a character who wants to realise his or her dream.

Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A character who wanted
to realise his dream was Richard. Richard wanted to be a poet.
Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family,
teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s
English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He
wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems
too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell
his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr
Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard
to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard
told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr
Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked
whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested.
Richard was sad.

One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the
war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr
Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed
in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem.
Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like
Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what
happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this
story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”.
His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard
continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his
father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems
aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father
finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry.
In conclusion, Richard faced many obstacles in his journey of becoming a poet. In
the end, he managed to realise his dream.

Question 9
‘Family supports family.’

With close reference to the text, how far is this true of the novel you have studied?

Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family
supports family” was not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true
at the end of the story.

Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family,
teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s
English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He
wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems
too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell
his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr
Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard
to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard
told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr
Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked
whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested.
Richard was sad.

One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the
war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr
Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was
printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the
poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did
not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about
what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this
story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”.
His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard
continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his
father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems
aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father
finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry.
In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.

Question 10
The main character is a strong-willed person. How is this shown in the novel?
Support your answer with close reference to the text.
Sample Answer :
The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family
supports family” was not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true
at the end of the story.

Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family,
teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s
English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He
wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems
too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell
his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr
Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard
to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard
told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr
Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked
whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested.
Richard was sad.

One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer.Mr Kilmer was killed in the
war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr
Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed
in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem.
Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like
Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what
happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this
story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”.
His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard
continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his
father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems
aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father
finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry.
In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.