Dear Mr Kilmer - Form 5 novel

Chapter 3, pg 29

• someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah Schermer's parents. They painted terrible things all over the walls.
• Hannah was upset - did not come to school that day
• The Schermers are originally from Germany. So some ignorant people thought it was patriotic to harass an innocent German family.
• The Schermers are actually loyal American citizens. Otto, their son, is now fighting for America in the war.

• Mrs Hansen brought a nice card with white flowers on it and written "with sadness".
• She wanted the students to sign on it  to express regret for what had happened.
• Abner refuse to sign the card , he thinks that the Schermers are German spies.
• Hannah is a fine girl , born in United States, Her parents have lived in the country form many years and they are upstanding members of the community.
• Blanche Freebold said when she went to Hannah's birthday party last year, everybody in her family sang German songs , even though the war was going on, as if they didn't care.
• Mrs Hansen said there is nothing wrong with singing German songs, it's their culture, and people cannot turn off their whole culture like a tap.
• Peggy Mason said thah Hannah thinks she is better than all of them, and she said Hannahthinks she has more culture.
• Harry Carver said Hannah won't help with math homework.
• Mrs Hansen was shocked to hear them talking like that ; She is just asking the students to sign a card expressing their sympathy because something terrible has been done to the Schermer family.
• Mrs Hansen cannot force the students to sign but whe would be very disappointed if they dont.
• All the boys feared that Abner and Harry would beat them up; The girls are worried that Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them anymore. So nobody signed the card. Blanche whispered at him, asking him not to sign. Abner and Harry cleared their throats loudly warning him.
• RIchard remembered Gus words "You've got to learn to fit in with other people, so if he signed the card , he would feel more of an outsider than ever.
• His reasoning : he is disgusted that people picked on her family just because the family sang German songs and spoke their own language.How would he feel if his family were picked on , he asked himself.
• Despite warnings from  Harry, Abner, Richard signed his name.
• Mrs Hansen was dissapointed because nobody show any sympathy toward those who deserve it
• It was obvious to Richard that the students felt that refusing to sign the card and defacing the Schermers' property was patriotic.