IMPORTANT EVENTS IN DEAR MR.

KILMER (Not following chronological

order)

PROBLEM
FITTING IN

SIGN THE
SYMPATHY
CARD

FIRST
CORRESPONDE

EVENTS
Hunting VS Poetry
- Richard didnt kill the buck because he
hates violence.
- Gus advised him to fit in (be normal like
others) but Richard disagreed.
Hannah was bullied
- Hannah cried in the hallway because
her book cover was sprawled with Dirty
Hun.
- Abner, Harry and Blanche badmouthed
Hannah because she is a GermanAmerican.
Prairie Haus was vandalised
- Mrs. Hansen wanted her students to
sign a card to show sympathy for the
Schermers.
- Nobody signed except Richard.
Sending the card to the Schermers
- Richard offered to help Mrs. Hansen to
deliver the card to the Schermers.
- Abner and Harry tried to stop Richard
but they were subdued by him.
Hannah and Richard became friends
- Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for
being rude to him.
- Hannah wondered why people do bad
things.
- Richard explained it is because people
are scared. Other kids in their class did
not sign the card because they were
afraid.
The poem Tree
- Mrs. Hansen read Mr. Kilmers poem to
class.
- Abner said poems and poets are sissy
stuff.
- Mrs. Hansen explained that Mr. Kilmer
is brave as he volunteered to fight for
the country.
Received letter from Mr. Kilmer
- Richard asked Mr. Kilmers advice about
sharing his love for poetry with others.
- Mr. Kilmer encouraged Richard to write

NOTES
- Shows that Richard
has different belief
and principle
regarding life.
- Shows that
Hannah is being
discriminated only
because she is a
German-American.

- Shows that Turtle

Lake children are
prejudice towards
German.
- Richard was firm
with his principle.
- Shows that Richard
is physically strong
even though Abner
called him sissy.

- Inspires Richard to
write a letter to Mr.
Joyce Kilmer.

- Richard now has

the confidence to
share his poetry
with others.

NCE

SHARING
POEMS AND
LETTERS

WHAT IS HUN?

DURING
SUMMER
HOLIDAY

and share his poems with others.

Sharing his poems with his family
- Pa and Angie were indifferent.
- Gus felt disgusted. He called poetry
sissy stuff.
- Gus warned Richard not to let others
know he writes poems because people
already called him Hun Lover.
Sharing his poems with Mrs. Hansen
- Mrs. Hansen was proud of Richard and
helped Richard choose a poem to send
to Mr. Kilmer.
- She wanted Richard to share his poems
and Mr. Kilmers letters in class.
EVENTS
Richard shared his poems and
letters
- Richard read the poem he sent to Mr.
Kilmer and the latest letter received
from him.
- Hannah helped improved a poem
Richard wanted to send to Mr. Kilmer.
Mr. Higbys lesson
- Mr. Higby told the students that
American troops were arriving in France.
- He explained the correct usage of
Huns.
Richard helped Pa at the farm
- Richard loved school but loved farming
more.
- Richard spent a lot of time helping Pa
at the farm. - They spent the entire days
together but there was a strange barrier
between them.
Essay writing contest
- There was a patriotic programme to
help sell Liberty Bonds to finance the
war.
- Mrs. Hansen held an essay writing
contest to choose who will play Lady
Liberty and the Doughboy.
Richard won the Doughboy role
- In his essay, Richard suggested to write
to young American soldiers to show
support.
- Most of the students clapped but some
were disappointed.

NOTES
- Some students
began to show
respect to Richard.

- Shows that most

people
misunderstood the
term Huns due to
propaganda by the
Allies.
- Shows that Richard
is hardworking.
- Shows that Pa is
reserved and
distant.

LIBERTY
BONDS
INCIDENT

DINNER WITH
THE
SCHERMERS

CONVERSATIO

Hannah won Liberty Lady role

- In her essay, Hannah talked about
making peace. She said the real enemy
is war itself.
- She suggested civilians to wage war
against prejudice and hatred and learn
to accept others regardless of caste,
creed and colour.
- Abner, Harry and Peggy disliked her.
- Nobody clapped except Richard.
Declining the roles
- Everyone at school talked about Mrs.
Hansens decision to choose Hannah as
Lady Liberty
- Some parents complained to the
principal.
- Hannah decided to decline the role.
- Mrs. Hansen was upset to announce
Hannahs decision. Some students were
happy but Richard was shocked.
- Richard also declined his role to show
his support for Hannah.
- After school, Richard told Gus that he
was invited to have dinner at the
Schermers.
- Gus told Richard that people were
calling him unpatriotic and a traitor for
declining the role.
- Gus told Richard that Pa will find out.

- Shows how
discrimination and
prejudice are
widespread in Turtle
Lake

EVENTS
A family that appreciates arts
- Richard met Mr. and Mrs. Schermer.
- They loved literature, history and art.
- Hannahs parents told Richard about
their family and the stories of big cities
they have visited.
- The Schermers told Richard that he was
always welcome to their house.
Ike Lewiss accusations
- Pa told Richard that Ike Lewis
complained that Richard was siding with
the Schermers by declining the role. Ike
also said Richard was unpatriotic and
hopes German will win the war.
- Richard explained the truth and
defended the Schermers against Ikes

NOTES
- The Schermers are
from middle-class
family, unlike most
people in Turtle Lake
who are farmers.

- Shows that
Hannah is
considerate
- Shows that Richard
is thoughtful and
kind

N WITH PA

GUS JOINED
THE ARMY

THE BIG
QUESTION

accusations.
Pas advice
- Pa told Richard not to side with the
Schermers.
- Pa said that they are farmers and
different from the Schermers.
- Pa reminded Richard that Ike and other
folks helped harvest their crops when he
broke his leg.
- Pa reminded Richard to fit in with the
community and not to stand above
everybody.
A quarrel with Pa
- Gus told Pa he had enlisted in the army
and would join the war after graduation.
- Pa was angry with his decision but Gus
said he wont die because he was too
tough and smart.
- Pa was offended because it sounded as
if Gus thought Uncle Roland wasnt
tough and smart.
- Pa grumbled that Gus always ran away
from farm work by giving excuses (i.e.
sports, war).
Gus left for Sioux City
- Richard tried to calm Gus down.
- Gus said Pa is disappointed with him
because he would never become a
farmer.
- Gus was disappointed with Richard
because his head is full of dream and
poems.
- The next day, Gus left for Sioux City. He
tried to say goodbye but Pa remained
silent.
Last letter from Mr. Kilmer
- Mr. Kilmer was writing The Rouge
Bouquet in the trench.
- He advised Richard to read the works of
other great poets and carry on their work
if they die fighting, because poets play
an important part in the world.
- Richard wanted to know what can
poets and poetry do to make the world
better?
EVENTS

- Shows that Gus

was hard-headed,
hasty and
inconsiderate.

- Shows that Pa was

angry but at the
same time worried
about Gus because
he lost Uncle Roland
the same way.

- Shows that Richard

is curious.

NOTES

THE DEATH OF
MR. KILMER

Richard received the news

- Richard wanted to quickly send his letter,
asking how poets and poetry can make
the world better.
- He stopped at Hannahs house.
- Hannah told Richard that Mr. Kilmer has
been killed. It was in the newspaper.
In Memory of Sergeant Joyce
Kilmer
- Richard was sad to hear the news. Now
he would never know the answer to his
question.
- Richard did not want to write another
poem again because it did not stop Mr.
Kilmer from being killed, or stop the war.
- However, he somehow wrote a poem
entitled In Memory of Sergeant Joyce
Kilmer.
Sharing the sad poem
- Richard wanted to share the poem but he
knew Pa and Angie never understood his
passion in writing poetry.
- Richard shared the poem with the
Schermers.
- The Schermers encouraged Richard to
get his poem published in The Turtle Lake
Weekly but Richard was afraid to make Pa
angry.
Publishing the poem
- Richard and Hannah went to see Mr.
Garrison, the newspapers owner.
- Richard knew he was an embarrassment
to Pa and was afraid to embarrass him
more.
- Richards poem was published a few
days later.
- Richard reassured himself that Pa will not
be shocked.
Pa finally opened up
- After the farm work, Pa read the
newspaper. He asked if Richard knew
about Mr. Kilmers death.
- Pa was not angry. For the first time, Pa
talked about Uncle Roland.
- Uncle Roland was killed in Cuba on July 1
but the newspaper only reported,
American casualties were slight but to

- Shows that
Richard is
thoughtful and
considerate

A HAPPY
ENDING

Pa, Uncle Roland was the world.

- Pa was moved by Richards poem
because his poem used the words Pa used
when Uncle Roland died: A world is dead
and gone!
A happy family
- Both Pa and Richard finally understood
why Richard wrote poetry. Richard now
wrote regularly for The Turtle Lake
Weekly.
- Pa now enjoyed Richards poems and
even helped to correct or give suggestions
with his farming experience.
- The whole family was amused that Gus
was still training for a war that was over.