Dear Mr. Kilmer Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : How the War Changed Turtle Lake

Synopsis
It was now April and the United States are at war with Germany.One morning,Richard's English teacher,Mrs. Hansen,told the class that a famous poet,Joyce Kilmer has just volunteered for army service in the ongoing world war.She read a poem entitled "Trees" written by Joyce Kilmer,who worked at the New York Times newspaper.Richard fascinated by the beauty of the simple poem.Richard borrowed Mrs. Hansen poetry book.He also found the address of Kilmer’s workplace and wrote it down.As he was leaving school,he saw a classmate,Hannah Schermer,the pretty German girl was crying in the hallway because someone had scribbled “Dirty Hun” on her book cover.Richard told his classmates what had happened.They felt that the Schermers are not acceptable because they were originally from Germany.Back home,Richard decided to contact  Joyce Kilmer,he wrote a letter to Kilmer,expressing his admiration and sharing about his own poetry writing.He posted the letter to Joyce Kilmer at The New York Times.

Character and Characteristic
·Richard Knight
-Loves nature and doing farm work.
-Loves poetry and begins to write to a poet who is serving in the war.
-Admirer the poet and want to become like Mr. Kilmer.
-Pactriotic : When the class felt poems and poets are sissy, he was the only one who interested with that class.
-He met Mrs Hansen and borrowed the “Trees and Other Poems” book.
-He worked hard and got excellent grades.
-He was enjoying all his tenth-grade classes.

·Gus
-A mediocre student,more concerned with sports and socialising than schoolwork.
·Mrs. Hansen
-She was strict but caring.
-A good English teacher who is introduces the poetry of Kilmer to the class.

·Abner Lewis and Harry Carver
-Troublemakers : Groaned when Mrs. Hansen announced to begin a class with a poem.

·Hannah Schermers
-Richard’s classmate : Beautiful,with blue eyes and blonde hair ‘like corn silk’
-She is upset at being called a Hun, a derogatory term for Germans.

·Blanche Freebold
-A dark-haired girl whose parents owned the grocery store.
-Ignorant and prejudiced : Thought that Hannah was a Hun,believed the rumor about Germans cutting people in half in Belgium.

·Mr. Knight(Pa)
-Responsible : Sometimes he drove Richard and Gus to school in the family’s Model T-Ford.

Important Event
Richard decided to write to Mr Kilmer,he introduce himself and told him that he liked his simple poems and shared about his secret poetry writing. He send the letter to the New York Times.

Moral Value
-We must be creative
-We must be brave
-We must respect for others