Adapting to a New Life

What's New

The wolf could not catch Violet. Perilee's husband, Karl had to register as an alien enemy only because he was born in Germany. After that, there where lots of  storm days. One day, Plug (her horse) came with Perilee's children who got lost with the storm when they where returning home from school. Hattie made them stay for the night. Some days later, winter ended and Hattie started to plant. The kids started to visit her a lot. One day, Hattie saw the kids return from school but some other boys where throwing rocks at them because Karl had given them a German fairytale from her mother; when the other kids found out they bothered them saying that German books where not allowed at school. Hattie stopped the bullies. Hattie went to church to a knitting group. When she returned, someone had left a card telling her if she wanted to link to an anti-german group.

Who gave this message to Hattie?

Hidden Messages in the Book

"It was a broadside of sorts. Join the Montana Loyalty League, it read. It hunts home huns, checks class conflicts, promotes pure patriotism. Membership free to all Loyal Montana men, women, and children" (Larson 111-112). Huns are Germans in the book. This quote shows that not only in Germany Jewish people where discriminated, but in the U.S all kinds of German people where mistreated. Karl was German, but he was only born there and did not hate Jewish people, any ways, he had to go and registrate as an alien enemy. Karl's children in-law are being bullied at school because of their Mother's husband.

"'It belonged to Karl's mother,' said Chase as we climbed the steps to my front door. 'Old fairy tales.'
'And Lon threw it-' Mattie held her own nose and covered her doll's. 'In the necessary.' 
I ladled warm water from the reservoir on the stove into an enamelware bowl, soaked a rag, wrung it out, and handed it to Chase. He gently dabbed at his face.
'Why?' I asked.
'They say it's against the law to have German books.'" (Larson 103). People where mean to each other during war. Even children from the two fighting countries where rude to each other. Chase and Mattie (Perilee's and Karl's children) where not really German, but their father-s in-law nationality made them have a hard time at school. Karl was a really kind man.

What I Learned

This part of the book made me be sad about Perilee's family. People should not judge Karl by his nationality because he was a very good person. No one should be bullied. This children where also very kind and cute and did not deserve to be mistreated.