Transcript of dear mr kilmer

character and chararteristics

The challages of growing up

Moral Value

Courage and resilience

Hannah urns down the role of Lady Liberty,which she wanted very much,even
though she won it fairly

Lesson Learnt

PLOT

SETTING

PLACE

dear mr kilmer

chapter 10

Richard knight

outspoken, courageous

ex: stand up against the class bullies and wins the fight

hardworking helpful

ex: work hard at his studies

Pa

understanding

ex:insists on privacy when he speaks to Richard

Joyce Kilmer

-kind, suppkiortive

ex: asks Richard to share his poems with him and others
Hannah Schermer

generous, gentle

ex:bakes cookies for Kilmer, which Richard sends to France

-Hannah's home (schemers')-safe haven for Richard where he can share his
poetry,benefit from the more cultured German family and build a closer
relationship with Hannah

THEMES

-Hannah faces the challenges of coming from a migrantGerman family,new to

Iowa country though not new to the country.Thus she has to endure the pain of
ostracism and rejection by majority of fearful,unreasonable classmates and
country people.

Love,understaning and

family relationships

-The Schemer family ,in contrast is a more balanced and happy one.There is
joy,laughter,communication,muic,singing,book and literature in their home.

Humanity and friendship give us hope

-Being kind to others when they are facing difficulty reveals the basic goodness of
man,and underlines our humanity

Where there is prejudice,there is no lesson

-Richard is unlike many irrational and biased people in his community.He is

logical,sensitive and perceptive.He continues befrending Hannah and her family
despite his family's comments.

Truth,integrity and honour

Richard tell his father the truth-that he purposedy misfired,as he cannot bear
killing the beautiful buck

Compassion and understanding

Joyce Kilmer understanding Richard's challenges and gives him a lot of

encouragement and support

1.we must have the courage to speak out and act according to our priciples and
beliefs

2.Truth,integrity and homour are important values to have as they ensure that
other good qualities are also present

3.We must try understand other people and be compassionate

Richard is standing at Schermer's doorway, too stunned to cry. With great
compassion, the family brings him inside.

Mr Schermer gently shows him the headline "Beloved American Poet Killed in
Battle" in the newspaper. Richard gazes at the smiling face for the first time after
his death. The article recounts the circumstances of Kilmer's death and how his
comrades bury him in france.

Richard is too shocked to cry and realises that the unposted letter to Kilmer's is
still in his pocket. Reality strikes and the tears begin to well up, He thanks the
Schermers and runs to his favourite oak tree where he cries freely.

He is filled witrh hopelessness as he ponders the unanswered question on what

poets and poetry can do to make the world a better place. He realises that poets
are unable to stop war.

When he returns home he composes a poem

In Memory of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer. It has four verses expressing sadness over
the loss of a world of rhyme and song he had treasure.

Richard visits the schermers the next day and shares this poem with them. They
are all touched by his beautiful poetic piece. Mr Schermer insists that more
people should read the poem as so many families in Turtle Lake have lost their
loved ones. Richard 's poem woyuld mean a lot to local residents, espicially
because it is 'coming from one of their own.

Despite his panic at the thought of having his poem published in the Turtle Lake
Weekly, Richard agrees to the idea. Hannah immidiately accompanies him to the
newspaper office. However, he flees ad Mr Garrison begins to read his poem. He
fear Pa's reaction if his poem is printed.

When Tuesday arrives, Richar buys a copy of the newspaper and to his horror,
sees his poem printed in the middle of page 3. As Pa gets his newspaper from his
mailbox, Richard rushes to hide in his room.

Surprisingly, Pa calmly walks in and sits at the edge of Guy's bed. After a long
silence, Pa begins to share about Uncle Rolamd who, like Gus, was a little
reckless, and thought he was invincible. Sadly, Uncle Roland was the only war
casualty in the Battle of El Garney on July 1 which America won. Pa breaks down
and Richard reaches out to comfort him. "A world is gone! A world is dead and
gone!" Pa had whispered to himself as Roland's body was lowered into the grave.
"How didi you know those words?" ask Pa in a breaking a breaking voice. Richard
remains silent because both of them finally understand why he writes poems.

The war in mid-November with an Allied victory . As winter approaches, Richard

works at the farm and at school. He spends time with Hannah and her family and
continues to write poems.
Soon his poems are regularly featured in the local weekly. Richard's father is now
his consultant as his poems deal with farm life and Pa is an expert, Richard happy
that Pa's ideas and suggestions are as helpful as Joyce Kilmer's had been.