DEAR MR.

KILMER
BY ANNE SCHRAFF
PREPARED BY, F
DARSHANA DK HANNAH MARYAM JAISHIREE KANNATHASAN 5
CHAPTER ONE
SYNOPSIS
Richard Knight is a quiet, sensitive boy of fifteen. He is out deer hunting with
his father and elder brother, Gus.
He deliberately misfires to avoid killing the beautiful young buck. Although his
father is disappointed and pained, he allows Richard the liberty of not deer
hunting in the future.
Gus tries to encourage his small fry brother to man-up; be more sociable and
conforming, but Richard prefers the world of poetry and nature.
After helping his eldest sister, Angie, in the kitchen, Richard goes to his room and
recalls his first hunting trip at the age of eight and the private tears he had
shed when Grandpa killed a majestic deer with one pull of the trigger.
Inspired, Richard composes a poem to depict his remorse he felt at the killing.
He locks it away in his private drawer of the past poems he has written. Later on,
he burns this newest poem because he is afraid his family would find out and
think him to be stranger than he already is.
CHARACTERS

CHARACTERS IN
RICHARD KNIGHT PA
CHAPTER 1

MR. KILMER GUS

RICHARD KNIGHT
Appreciates Nature
Example:
Richard fired at the deer and missed on purpose as he couldn't bring himself to
kill a majestic animal.
Creative
Example:
Richard writes poetry and has a drawer full of poems. He wrote a poem about a
majestic deer that was unfortunately killed by his grandfather.
Compassionate and Appreciative
Example:
Richard feels compassion and appreciates Angie who makes sacrifices for the
family by not going to school but instead, stays at home to run the household.
PA
Understanding
Example:
Pa is an understanding person as he understands Richards reluctance
in killing the deer and tells him he doesn't have to go hunting if he
doesn't want to.
GUS
Athletic
Example:
Gus excels in sports. He is also in the football team and is expected to make
captain the following year.
Patriotic
Example:
Gus is eager to join the army after high school to fight in the war that has
been raging in Europe since 1914.
ANGIE
Responsible
Example:
Angie began taking over her mothers duties after her mother died. She even
quit school in eight grade so that she could become a full-time farm woman.
Understanding
Example:
She understands that Pa is a difficult man as he has lost his brother and his
wife and deserves a little patience.
MORAL VALUES
We must appreciate the nature.
Richard fired at the buck and missed on purpose as he could not bring
himself to shoot the large young buck.
Richard appreciated the beauty of the majestic deer by writing a poem
about it.
We must be understanding with our family members.
Pa understands that Richard does not like killing anything and tells
Richard that he doesn't have to come hunting anymore if he doesn't
want to.