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Character 1. Richard Knight - 15 years old from Iowa - tenth grade
Physical Description - tall, slender & pale - looked like mother (pg 2)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
loving/kind/caring
1. He thought that animals should not be hunted down unnecessarily. He cried when his Grandpa killed a deer when he was eight years old. (pg 15) 2. When he noticed Hannah was crying after school, he asked her what had happened as someone had scrawled the words 'Dirty Hun' on her book cover. (pg 23) 3. Richard spoke up for some students who did not want to sign the card for Hannah. He told Mrs Hansen that they wanted to sign but were afraid. (pg 34) 4. Richard kept hoping that the war would end before Mr Kilmer went to Europe. He was also worried that Gus might be killed in the war if he went after graduation. (pg 68)
observant/perceptive
1. Richard realised that Angie sacrificed a lot for his family. She took care of them after their mother died when he was seven. (pg 14) 2. Richard observed his father having a sad, haunted look whenever he gazed across the prairie. He wondered what his father thought about. (pg 65)
soft-hearted/ unwillingness to kill
1. As they were walking to look for their prey, Richard felt his gun as heavy as lead because he was hesitant to kill. (pg2) 2. As they quietly waited for a deer, Richard silently prayed that no deer would turn up to drink that day so that he would not have to kill it. (pg 3) 3. He itted to Pa that he did not have the heart to kill the buck he was supposed to so he purposely missed. (pg 4)
hardworking/diligent/he lpful
1. Richard did twice the amount of work on the farm than Gus did. (pg 9) 2. Richard helped his sister in the kitchen after supper. (pg 14) 3. In school, Richard worked hard and got excellent grades in studies. (pg 18) 4. When Richard got home from school, he did his chores, gathered the eggs and pitched hay to the horses. (pg 25) 5. During summer, Richard spent his days on the farm plowing, planting and cultivating. He also took care of animals. He loved working with his father. (pg 64)
obedient/filial son
1. Richard did not want to lie to his father regarding why he missed the shot so he told his father the truth. (pg 6) 2. Richard felt guilty for disappointing his Pa for not able to shoot the deer. (pg 6 & 10) 1. He wrote poems to express his feelings but he locked them in his drawer to prevent anyone from knowing. (pg 6) 2. Richard came up with the idea of exchanging letters with the soldiers overseas so they would not feel lonely or homesick. (pg 71) 1. When Richard tried talking to his friends about what had happened to Hannah, he thought
creative/talented/ intelligent
assertive/firm/rational
that others were being mean to Hannah. He did not change his mind even though the other classmates talked bad about Hannah because her parents are Germans. (pg 23-25) 2. When Mrs Hansen announced that the class should sign a card to show their for Hannah, Richard felt disgusted that his friends picked on Hannah and her family instead. They accused of them being spies and singing German songs. (pg 29-30) 3. Richard could put himself in Hannah’s place and thought of how he would feel if his family were picked on. So he bravely signed the card. (pg 33)
Character
Physical
thoughtful
1. As Richard walked home from school, he thought about picking some flowers for his sister to put on the table. (pg 25) 2. Before Richard handed the card to Hannah, he wrote a kind message in it for Hannah and her parents. He apologised for what had happened and told them many people respected them and they were fine citizens. (pg 38)
strong/brave/ courageous
1. Abner and Harry warned Richard against g the card for Hannah but he bravely signed his name on it. (pg 33) 2. After class, Richard asked for the card from Mrs Hansen so he could deliver it himself even though there was only one signature. (pg 35) 3. After school, Abner and Harry taunted him and started beating him but he kicked Harry in the stomach and straddled across Abner. (pg 37) 4. After getting encouragement from Mr Kilmer, Richard overcame his fear and informed his family his love for writing poems. (pg 47) 5. After much encouragement from Mrs Hansen, Richard read one of his poems in class and shared with them what Mr Kilmer wrote. (pg 58-60)
hesitant/fearful
1. Richard voiced his fear of telling people his love for poetry to Mr Kilmer in his first letter. He feared it would become worse for him. (pg 27) 2. Richard asked Mr Kilmer for opinion on what to do regarding his poems. He wondered if he should tell others about it or hide it from them. (pg 27) 3. He was nervous when he stood in front of his classmates to read his poem. His hand was shaking and his voice quivered. (pg 57)
sociable
1. Richard had a famous poet, Joyce Kilmer as a pen pal. (pg 68) 2. He exchanged a few letters with Mr Kilmer when he was preparing for war. (pg 44, 59, 63, 66, 68)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
2. Mr Knight @ Pa - Richard’s father
Description - dark & brawny - broad back - tall built
wise
1. As they followed the creek to a pool where deer often came to drink, they checked the direction of the wind and looked for a place to hide. (pg 3) 2. They placed themselves upwind of the pool so any deer that came to drink could not smell their presence. (pg 4) 3. Even though he felt sad killing animals, he understood that in order to keep on surviving, he had to hunt. (pg 7)
understanding
1. When Richard missed shooting the deer, he justified by saying the deer was already bolting and Richard would not have made a clean kill. (pg 5) 2. When Richard voiced out his thoughts about not wanting to kill animals, Pa gave him the permission not to hunt anymore. (pg 7)
determined
1. He hiked for five miles with his boys to their hunting cabin in order to go hunting. (pg 1) 2. He did not allow Gus to the army until he finished high school. (pg 12)
hopeful
1. When they were at the cabin, he kept saying Richard would get his first deer the next day before they went hunting. (pg 2) 2. Pa wanted his boys to get an education for a better future. (pg 12)
analytical
1. He could see that Richard purposely raised the rifle by a mere inch to avoid killing the buck. (pg 6)
diligent
1. He is a diligent farmer like his father before him. He spent hours at his farm overseeing farmhands and tending to the cattle.(pg 64)
discouraging
1. When Richard told his father he wrote poetry, his father could not believe it. He asked if Richard were teasing him. (pg 47) 2. He did not want to listen to any of Richard’s poetry but reminded Richard not to let it interfere with his chores or schoolwork. (pg 47) 3. He expected Richard to outgrow writing poetry as he thought it was just a temporary interest. (pg 48)
Character 3. Gus - Richard’s older brother - eldest child in the family - popular at school, terrific athlete (pg 8)
Character
Physical Description - dark & brawny just like Pa
Physical Description
4. Angie - Richard’s older sister
Character
Physical Description
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
brave/merciless
1. Gus killed his first buck when he was much younger that Richard. (pg 10) 2. He stated that he did not feel any guilt or sadness when he killed animals. Instead, it empowered him and made him feel like a man. (pg 10) 3. Gus wanted to the army and fight for his country. (pg 11)
concerned/persuasive
1. After the shooting incident, Gus told Richard he had to learn to fit in with other people as he was worried for him. (pg 8) 2. He advised Richard to get into sports so he would get into good shape. (pg 9) 3. Gus persuaded Richard to try baseball as Richard has a strong throwing arm. (pg 10)
hot-headed/impulsive
1. He was furious when Richard missed the shot and yelled at him without an ounce of patience. (pg 4) 2. When Pa told him to return to the cabin to pack up, he showed his annoyance by stomping away. (pg 5)
stubborn
1. Gus refused to let his brother shoot the buck. He wanted to kill it himself but his Pa sternly stopped him so he had to comply. (pg 3)
discouraging
1. He claimed that Mr Kilmer was wasting his time on a small fry like Richard. (pg 46) 2. He mentioned he hated poetry and it was sissy stuff. He said he would deny Richard as his brother if he grew his hair long and curly. (pg 48) 3. After dinner, he advised Richard not to go around school telling people he wrote poetry. He did not want Richard to pull another stunt like g the card for the Schermers and become an oddball. (pg 49)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
responsible
1. She took over her mother’s role after her mother died when she was nine. She spent her days storing and canning food, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes and sewing. (pg 14) 2. Angie also helped with the planting, harvesting and caring for the livestock on their farm. (pg 14)
sacrificed her life
1. Angie stopped school at eight grade to help in the farm. She gave up her life to provide for her family. (pg 14)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
5. Mrs Hansen - an English teacher
Character
- wore bifocals
Physical
responsible/creative
1. The school’s only English teacher who was strict but obviously cared a lot about what she was teaching. (pg 18) 2. At the beginning of the new school year, she announced that the class would put on a patriotic programme to help sell Liberty Bonds which helped finance the war. (pg 69) 3. She suggested that the girl who the best essay would play the role of “Lady Liberty” while the boy with the best essay would be “Doughboy”. (pg 69 – 70) 4. She announced that she would post the two winners' essays in class for everyone to enjoy. (pg 74)
encouraging
1. Despite the negative responses from her students, she encouraged them to sign the card for the Schermers to show their sympathy. (pg 31) 2. Mrs Hansen smiled encouragingly when Richard offered to send the card to the Schermers. She praised him for having some integrity. (pg 35) 3. When she read Richard’s poems, she had something nice to say about each one. She helped him choose one to send to Mr Kilmer. (pg 51) 4. She encouraged Richard to share his poem with his class. (pg 52)
knowledgeable
1. She informed the class that according to The New York Times, Mr Kilmer has volunteered to fight in the war. (pg 20) 2. She told the class about other great poets who stood up for things they believed in like Lord Byron and Walt Whitman who both fought in wars. (pg 21)
concerned/kind
1. When she heard that Hannah’s parents’ tavern was vandalised, she encouraged her class to sign a card for them to show their regret for the family. (pg 29) 2. When her students refused to sign the card, Mrs Hansen defended Hannah’s family saying that they were upstanding of the community and they have lived in the United States for many years. (pg 30) 3. She tried to get her students to sign the card but expressed her disappointment when Richard was the only one who signed it. (pg 34)
regretful/felt disappointed/empath y
1. When Mrs Hansen saw only one signature on the card, she expressed her disappointment and questioned why the students had no sympathy for those who deserved it. (pg 34) 2. She decided not to send the card to the Schermers as there was only one signature. (pg 34)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
Description 6. Mr Joyce Kilmer - works for New York Times - famous poet - published a book “Trees and other poems”
Character
Physical Description
brave/courageous/ patriotic
1. He volunteered for service in the Army to fight for his country. (pg 20) 2. He itted it was very hard to train to be a soldier. Although he was afraid, he had to overcome his fears. (pg 44) 3. He believed in President Wilson’s calling of “the war to end wars”. He volunteered to fight so young men would not need to fight and die in any more wars. (pg 66)
kind/caring
1. He wrote poems about living things. (pg 26)
encouraging
1. He wrote to Richard and empathised with him. He encouraged Richard to be brave and to overcome his fears. He asked Richard to share his poems with those he knew. (pg 44) 2. He asked Richard to write to him again and send him one of his poems. (pg 44) 3. Mr Kilmer signed his letter to Richard as ‘Your fellow poet’. This shows he acknowledged Richard’s ability to write poetry and could identify with him. (pg 44) 4. Mr Kilmer told Richard his poems were very fine and impressive. He encouraged him to continue writing as he might become a published verse maker in future. (pg 59) 5. He claimed he enjoyed reading Richard’s poems and letters. (pg 67)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
7. Hannah Schermer
Characters
- pretty - blue-eyed - blonde hair
Physical Description
thankful/grateful
1. After being unkind to Richard (when Richard gave her the card), she apologised to him and praised him for being brave and kind. (pg 52) 2. She was thankful there were neighbours who helped to paint over the awful words on the wall of the tavern. They promised to prevent it from happening again. (pg 53)
hopeful
1. She wanted the war to end immediately as her brother, Otto had ed the American Expeditionary Forces (American soldiers who went to Europe for war). She was worried about her brother. (pg 54) 2. She believed that people could live peacefully without wars if everyone could learn to wage peace in their own hearts. So, fewer people would die in vain. (pg 77)
patriotic
1. She did not stop her brother from ing the American Expeditionary Forces as her brother was patriotic and he claimed it was the right thing to do. (pg 54)
intelligent
1. She made a sensible suggestion to Richard on how to change the last line of his second poem he planned to send to Mr Kilmer. (pg 61) 2. Through her essay, Hannah voiced her opinion regarding the war. She said peace must be made right in America. People must learn how to care for one another despite the differences. (pg 77)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
8. Abner Lewis & Harry Carver
9. Blanche Freebold
- dark haired
10. All of the troublemakers - Richard’s classmates
11. Peggy
Character
Physical Description
proud
1. When Abner first heard Mr Kilmer’s poem, he said it was sissy stuff and claimed his father said poetry was for sissies but he did not know that several poets fought in battlefields. (pg 20)
mean/unkind
1. Abner and his friends wrote ‘Dirty Hun’ on Hannah’s book cover. He also claimed that they were Germans. (pg 23) 2. Harry said the Schermers served sauerkraut in their tavern and it proved that they were unpatriotic as the war was ongoing. (pg 24)
mean/unkind
1. She declared that Germans were barbarians who had to be stopped or they would take over the world and they cut people in two. (pg 24) 2. She heard that Schermers spoke in German and thought they might be plotting something and did not want their neighbours to know. (pg 24)
rude/mean
1. They ganged up against Hannah and her family and warned the other students not to sign the card that Mrs Hansen had prepared to express their regret. (pg 30 – 33) 2. All boys feared that Abner and Harry would beat them up while the girls were worried that Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. So, in the end, no one signed the card except for Richard. (pg 32)
narrow minded/unfair
1. Abner accused the Schermers of being German spies. (pg 30) 2. Blanche accused the Schermers for singing German songs during Hannah’s birthday. (pg 30) 3. Peggy Mason said Hannah thought she was better than them and had more culture. (pg 30) 4. Harry Carver added that Hannah would not help them with their maths. (pg 31) 5. Abner gave a threatening expression to Herbie as he was going to sign the card while Harry stared at him. It stopped Herbie from doing so. (pg 31) 6. Peggy told Millie not to sign the card. Millie obeyed as she dared not defy the popular girl. (pg 32)
snobbish
1. She felt Millie was too mousy and bad-looking to play the role of Lady Liberty. (pg 72 – 73)
narrow-minded
1. She felt that Hannah Schermer would be a mockery to the patriotic idea if she were chosen as she was viewed as a Hun. (pg 73)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
12. Mr Higby - History teacher
responsible/ knowledgeable
1. He taught the students about the current war and how American troops were arriving at the battlefield. (pg 62) 2. He reprimanded Abner from inaccurately using the word “Huns” to describe the enemy. He told them the truth that the Allies were fighting the Central Powers. (pg 62) 3. He corrected the students regarding the Liberty Bonds’ inaccurate posters. (pg 62) 4. He reminded the students to keep reading the newspapers to find out the latest news about the war even during the holidays. (pg 63)
Physical Description - tall, slender & pale - looked like mother (pg 2)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
loving/kind/caring
1. He thought that animals should not be hunted down unnecessarily. He cried when his Grandpa killed a deer when he was eight years old. (pg 15) 2. When he noticed Hannah was crying after school, he asked her what had happened as someone had scrawled the words 'Dirty Hun' on her book cover. (pg 23) 3. Richard spoke up for some students who did not want to sign the card for Hannah. He told Mrs Hansen that they wanted to sign but were afraid. (pg 34) 4. Richard kept hoping that the war would end before Mr Kilmer went to Europe. He was also worried that Gus might be killed in the war if he went after graduation. (pg 68)
observant/perceptive
1. Richard realised that Angie sacrificed a lot for his family. She took care of them after their mother died when he was seven. (pg 14) 2. Richard observed his father having a sad, haunted look whenever he gazed across the prairie. He wondered what his father thought about. (pg 65)
soft-hearted/ unwillingness to kill
1. As they were walking to look for their prey, Richard felt his gun as heavy as lead because he was hesitant to kill. (pg2) 2. As they quietly waited for a deer, Richard silently prayed that no deer would turn up to drink that day so that he would not have to kill it. (pg 3) 3. He itted to Pa that he did not have the heart to kill the buck he was supposed to so he purposely missed. (pg 4)
hardworking/diligent/he lpful
1. Richard did twice the amount of work on the farm than Gus did. (pg 9) 2. Richard helped his sister in the kitchen after supper. (pg 14) 3. In school, Richard worked hard and got excellent grades in studies. (pg 18) 4. When Richard got home from school, he did his chores, gathered the eggs and pitched hay to the horses. (pg 25) 5. During summer, Richard spent his days on the farm plowing, planting and cultivating. He also took care of animals. He loved working with his father. (pg 64)
obedient/filial son
1. Richard did not want to lie to his father regarding why he missed the shot so he told his father the truth. (pg 6) 2. Richard felt guilty for disappointing his Pa for not able to shoot the deer. (pg 6 & 10) 1. He wrote poems to express his feelings but he locked them in his drawer to prevent anyone from knowing. (pg 6) 2. Richard came up with the idea of exchanging letters with the soldiers overseas so they would not feel lonely or homesick. (pg 71) 1. When Richard tried talking to his friends about what had happened to Hannah, he thought
creative/talented/ intelligent
assertive/firm/rational
that others were being mean to Hannah. He did not change his mind even though the other classmates talked bad about Hannah because her parents are Germans. (pg 23-25) 2. When Mrs Hansen announced that the class should sign a card to show their for Hannah, Richard felt disgusted that his friends picked on Hannah and her family instead. They accused of them being spies and singing German songs. (pg 29-30) 3. Richard could put himself in Hannah’s place and thought of how he would feel if his family were picked on. So he bravely signed the card. (pg 33)
Character
Physical
thoughtful
1. As Richard walked home from school, he thought about picking some flowers for his sister to put on the table. (pg 25) 2. Before Richard handed the card to Hannah, he wrote a kind message in it for Hannah and her parents. He apologised for what had happened and told them many people respected them and they were fine citizens. (pg 38)
strong/brave/ courageous
1. Abner and Harry warned Richard against g the card for Hannah but he bravely signed his name on it. (pg 33) 2. After class, Richard asked for the card from Mrs Hansen so he could deliver it himself even though there was only one signature. (pg 35) 3. After school, Abner and Harry taunted him and started beating him but he kicked Harry in the stomach and straddled across Abner. (pg 37) 4. After getting encouragement from Mr Kilmer, Richard overcame his fear and informed his family his love for writing poems. (pg 47) 5. After much encouragement from Mrs Hansen, Richard read one of his poems in class and shared with them what Mr Kilmer wrote. (pg 58-60)
hesitant/fearful
1. Richard voiced his fear of telling people his love for poetry to Mr Kilmer in his first letter. He feared it would become worse for him. (pg 27) 2. Richard asked Mr Kilmer for opinion on what to do regarding his poems. He wondered if he should tell others about it or hide it from them. (pg 27) 3. He was nervous when he stood in front of his classmates to read his poem. His hand was shaking and his voice quivered. (pg 57)
sociable
1. Richard had a famous poet, Joyce Kilmer as a pen pal. (pg 68) 2. He exchanged a few letters with Mr Kilmer when he was preparing for war. (pg 44, 59, 63, 66, 68)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
2. Mr Knight @ Pa - Richard’s father
Description - dark & brawny - broad back - tall built
wise
1. As they followed the creek to a pool where deer often came to drink, they checked the direction of the wind and looked for a place to hide. (pg 3) 2. They placed themselves upwind of the pool so any deer that came to drink could not smell their presence. (pg 4) 3. Even though he felt sad killing animals, he understood that in order to keep on surviving, he had to hunt. (pg 7)
understanding
1. When Richard missed shooting the deer, he justified by saying the deer was already bolting and Richard would not have made a clean kill. (pg 5) 2. When Richard voiced out his thoughts about not wanting to kill animals, Pa gave him the permission not to hunt anymore. (pg 7)
determined
1. He hiked for five miles with his boys to their hunting cabin in order to go hunting. (pg 1) 2. He did not allow Gus to the army until he finished high school. (pg 12)
hopeful
1. When they were at the cabin, he kept saying Richard would get his first deer the next day before they went hunting. (pg 2) 2. Pa wanted his boys to get an education for a better future. (pg 12)
analytical
1. He could see that Richard purposely raised the rifle by a mere inch to avoid killing the buck. (pg 6)
diligent
1. He is a diligent farmer like his father before him. He spent hours at his farm overseeing farmhands and tending to the cattle.(pg 64)
discouraging
1. When Richard told his father he wrote poetry, his father could not believe it. He asked if Richard were teasing him. (pg 47) 2. He did not want to listen to any of Richard’s poetry but reminded Richard not to let it interfere with his chores or schoolwork. (pg 47) 3. He expected Richard to outgrow writing poetry as he thought it was just a temporary interest. (pg 48)
Character 3. Gus - Richard’s older brother - eldest child in the family - popular at school, terrific athlete (pg 8)
Character
Physical Description - dark & brawny just like Pa
Physical Description
4. Angie - Richard’s older sister
Character
Physical Description
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
brave/merciless
1. Gus killed his first buck when he was much younger that Richard. (pg 10) 2. He stated that he did not feel any guilt or sadness when he killed animals. Instead, it empowered him and made him feel like a man. (pg 10) 3. Gus wanted to the army and fight for his country. (pg 11)
concerned/persuasive
1. After the shooting incident, Gus told Richard he had to learn to fit in with other people as he was worried for him. (pg 8) 2. He advised Richard to get into sports so he would get into good shape. (pg 9) 3. Gus persuaded Richard to try baseball as Richard has a strong throwing arm. (pg 10)
hot-headed/impulsive
1. He was furious when Richard missed the shot and yelled at him without an ounce of patience. (pg 4) 2. When Pa told him to return to the cabin to pack up, he showed his annoyance by stomping away. (pg 5)
stubborn
1. Gus refused to let his brother shoot the buck. He wanted to kill it himself but his Pa sternly stopped him so he had to comply. (pg 3)
discouraging
1. He claimed that Mr Kilmer was wasting his time on a small fry like Richard. (pg 46) 2. He mentioned he hated poetry and it was sissy stuff. He said he would deny Richard as his brother if he grew his hair long and curly. (pg 48) 3. After dinner, he advised Richard not to go around school telling people he wrote poetry. He did not want Richard to pull another stunt like g the card for the Schermers and become an oddball. (pg 49)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
responsible
1. She took over her mother’s role after her mother died when she was nine. She spent her days storing and canning food, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes and sewing. (pg 14) 2. Angie also helped with the planting, harvesting and caring for the livestock on their farm. (pg 14)
sacrificed her life
1. Angie stopped school at eight grade to help in the farm. She gave up her life to provide for her family. (pg 14)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
5. Mrs Hansen - an English teacher
Character
- wore bifocals
Physical
responsible/creative
1. The school’s only English teacher who was strict but obviously cared a lot about what she was teaching. (pg 18) 2. At the beginning of the new school year, she announced that the class would put on a patriotic programme to help sell Liberty Bonds which helped finance the war. (pg 69) 3. She suggested that the girl who the best essay would play the role of “Lady Liberty” while the boy with the best essay would be “Doughboy”. (pg 69 – 70) 4. She announced that she would post the two winners' essays in class for everyone to enjoy. (pg 74)
encouraging
1. Despite the negative responses from her students, she encouraged them to sign the card for the Schermers to show their sympathy. (pg 31) 2. Mrs Hansen smiled encouragingly when Richard offered to send the card to the Schermers. She praised him for having some integrity. (pg 35) 3. When she read Richard’s poems, she had something nice to say about each one. She helped him choose one to send to Mr Kilmer. (pg 51) 4. She encouraged Richard to share his poem with his class. (pg 52)
knowledgeable
1. She informed the class that according to The New York Times, Mr Kilmer has volunteered to fight in the war. (pg 20) 2. She told the class about other great poets who stood up for things they believed in like Lord Byron and Walt Whitman who both fought in wars. (pg 21)
concerned/kind
1. When she heard that Hannah’s parents’ tavern was vandalised, she encouraged her class to sign a card for them to show their regret for the family. (pg 29) 2. When her students refused to sign the card, Mrs Hansen defended Hannah’s family saying that they were upstanding of the community and they have lived in the United States for many years. (pg 30) 3. She tried to get her students to sign the card but expressed her disappointment when Richard was the only one who signed it. (pg 34)
regretful/felt disappointed/empath y
1. When Mrs Hansen saw only one signature on the card, she expressed her disappointment and questioned why the students had no sympathy for those who deserved it. (pg 34) 2. She decided not to send the card to the Schermers as there was only one signature. (pg 34)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
Description 6. Mr Joyce Kilmer - works for New York Times - famous poet - published a book “Trees and other poems”
Character
Physical Description
brave/courageous/ patriotic
1. He volunteered for service in the Army to fight for his country. (pg 20) 2. He itted it was very hard to train to be a soldier. Although he was afraid, he had to overcome his fears. (pg 44) 3. He believed in President Wilson’s calling of “the war to end wars”. He volunteered to fight so young men would not need to fight and die in any more wars. (pg 66)
kind/caring
1. He wrote poems about living things. (pg 26)
encouraging
1. He wrote to Richard and empathised with him. He encouraged Richard to be brave and to overcome his fears. He asked Richard to share his poems with those he knew. (pg 44) 2. He asked Richard to write to him again and send him one of his poems. (pg 44) 3. Mr Kilmer signed his letter to Richard as ‘Your fellow poet’. This shows he acknowledged Richard’s ability to write poetry and could identify with him. (pg 44) 4. Mr Kilmer told Richard his poems were very fine and impressive. He encouraged him to continue writing as he might become a published verse maker in future. (pg 59) 5. He claimed he enjoyed reading Richard’s poems and letters. (pg 67)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
7. Hannah Schermer
Characters
- pretty - blue-eyed - blonde hair
Physical Description
thankful/grateful
1. After being unkind to Richard (when Richard gave her the card), she apologised to him and praised him for being brave and kind. (pg 52) 2. She was thankful there were neighbours who helped to paint over the awful words on the wall of the tavern. They promised to prevent it from happening again. (pg 53)
hopeful
1. She wanted the war to end immediately as her brother, Otto had ed the American Expeditionary Forces (American soldiers who went to Europe for war). She was worried about her brother. (pg 54) 2. She believed that people could live peacefully without wars if everyone could learn to wage peace in their own hearts. So, fewer people would die in vain. (pg 77)
patriotic
1. She did not stop her brother from ing the American Expeditionary Forces as her brother was patriotic and he claimed it was the right thing to do. (pg 54)
intelligent
1. She made a sensible suggestion to Richard on how to change the last line of his second poem he planned to send to Mr Kilmer. (pg 61) 2. Through her essay, Hannah voiced her opinion regarding the war. She said peace must be made right in America. People must learn how to care for one another despite the differences. (pg 77)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
8. Abner Lewis & Harry Carver
9. Blanche Freebold
- dark haired
10. All of the troublemakers - Richard’s classmates
11. Peggy
Character
Physical Description
proud
1. When Abner first heard Mr Kilmer’s poem, he said it was sissy stuff and claimed his father said poetry was for sissies but he did not know that several poets fought in battlefields. (pg 20)
mean/unkind
1. Abner and his friends wrote ‘Dirty Hun’ on Hannah’s book cover. He also claimed that they were Germans. (pg 23) 2. Harry said the Schermers served sauerkraut in their tavern and it proved that they were unpatriotic as the war was ongoing. (pg 24)
mean/unkind
1. She declared that Germans were barbarians who had to be stopped or they would take over the world and they cut people in two. (pg 24) 2. She heard that Schermers spoke in German and thought they might be plotting something and did not want their neighbours to know. (pg 24)
rude/mean
1. They ganged up against Hannah and her family and warned the other students not to sign the card that Mrs Hansen had prepared to express their regret. (pg 30 – 33) 2. All boys feared that Abner and Harry would beat them up while the girls were worried that Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. So, in the end, no one signed the card except for Richard. (pg 32)
narrow minded/unfair
1. Abner accused the Schermers of being German spies. (pg 30) 2. Blanche accused the Schermers for singing German songs during Hannah’s birthday. (pg 30) 3. Peggy Mason said Hannah thought she was better than them and had more culture. (pg 30) 4. Harry Carver added that Hannah would not help them with their maths. (pg 31) 5. Abner gave a threatening expression to Herbie as he was going to sign the card while Harry stared at him. It stopped Herbie from doing so. (pg 31) 6. Peggy told Millie not to sign the card. Millie obeyed as she dared not defy the popular girl. (pg 32)
snobbish
1. She felt Millie was too mousy and bad-looking to play the role of Lady Liberty. (pg 72 – 73)
narrow-minded
1. She felt that Hannah Schermer would be a mockery to the patriotic idea if she were chosen as she was viewed as a Hun. (pg 73)
Characteristics
Evidence/Elaboration
12. Mr Higby - History teacher
responsible/ knowledgeable
1. He taught the students about the current war and how American troops were arriving at the battlefield. (pg 62) 2. He reprimanded Abner from inaccurately using the word “Huns” to describe the enemy. He told them the truth that the Allies were fighting the Central Powers. (pg 62) 3. He corrected the students regarding the Liberty Bonds’ inaccurate posters. (pg 62) 4. He reminded the students to keep reading the newspapers to find out the latest news about the war even during the holidays. (pg 63)
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