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- Q: Is MONTANA 1948 a true story or based on actual events? LW: No, the plot and characters in MONTANA 1948 are fictional. Like many writers, I did take a detail here and there from my own life (my father and grandfather were both sheriffs, but before I was born), however the work is a product of my imagination.
www.larry-watson.com/events.htm
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Montana 1948 is a 1993 novella by Larry Watson. The novella focuses on the life of young Montanan David Hayden, his family and the fictional town of Bentrock, Montana, and focuses on the struggles of a family torn between loyalty and justice. [1] It was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize.
Jan 1, 1993 · A story of living in rural Montana in 1948. David and his parents lived close to an Indian Reservation. The Indians were part of their everyday life. David's Father and his Uncle Frank were very different men. His father was the town Sheriff and his Uncle frank was a doctor in the town Bentrock.
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Q: Is MONTANA 1948 a true story or based on actual events? LW: No, the plot and characters in MONTANA 1948 are fictional. Like many writers, I did take a detail here and there from my own life (my father and grandfather were both sheriffs, but before I was born), however the work is a product of my imagination.
- Background
- Themes
- Characters
- Quotes
Montana 1948is narrated by David Hayden, now a middle-aged history teacher, reflecting on the summer of 1948 that changed his entire life. It begins with David noticing that his Native American babysitter, Marie Little Soldier is unwell. Gail and Wesley, David’s parents, attempt to enlist the help of Wesley’s brother Frank, a well-respected doctor ...
Prejudice, discrimination and the abuse of power
Another key theme is prejudice, discrimination and the abuse of power. Frank’s abuse of the Native American women is both an abuse of his power and responsibilities as a Doctor and a way to take advantage of his personal belief in White “racial superiority.” Julian and Frank embody the toxic, violent and bigoted mentality prevalent during that time period, which Watson deplores as reprimandable and unacceptable. Even at the novel’s close, Frank’s death is symbolic in two ways. Firstly, it mea...
Law vs Justice
One of the central themes of ‘Montana 1948’ is the conflict between abiding by the law and doing what is just. Due to theinstitutionalised racism that existed in the 1940’s, Frank’s actions were not considered technically illegal, however, by intuitive standards of morality, his rape of Natives in his practice and his subsequent murder of Marie clearly warrant punishment. Thus, Watson touches on thefailures of the judicial system to consistently hand out judgements that are morally fair and i...
Loyalty vs Morality
Watson also touches on the conflict between loyalty and morality. This, as we know, forms thecrux of narrative’s tension. Should Wes arrest and prosecute his brother Frank or not? Should he stay loyal to his family or uphold the moral values that he must stand by as the towns Sheriff? Gail, David’s mother, embodies all the virtues of morality that we all stand by and she is appalled by Frank’s behaviour and demands that he be persecuted regardless of his relationship with Wes. In sharp contra...
Gail:
Gail is David’s mother and Wesley’s wife. She is a compassionate, idealistic and courageous woman. This can also be seen as she stands up for Marie, despite the prejudices in the society at the time. She also spends a ‘good deal of energy’ protecting herself and her family. She also doesn’t take part in Wesley’s racist jokes. For example, when Wesley makes a joke about Marie, ‘never been to anyone but the tribal medicine man’, David responds with ‘my mother didn’t laugh.’
David:
David is Wesley and Gail’s son and is the narrator of the text. He doesn’t share Wesley’s beliefs surrounding race and forms his own moral perspective. This is demonstrated when he makes a fuss about wanting to wear moccasins (which Gail sides with him on) while his father says will make him ‘as flat-footed and lazy as an Indian.’ Unlike his father, we don’t see David conflicted with his loyalties and he is particularly critical of his father. This is best demonstrated when he ‘was beginning...
Frank:
Frank is Wesley’s brother and is described as a ‘witty and charming’ doctor, and war hero who is widely loved by the community -particularly by his dad, Julian. In reality, Frank is a criminal who abuses his power - both a white man and a doctor to sexually assault Indian women - which he believes he can get away with. This is compounded when he states, “I am not concerned about social progress.” Through Frank, Watson demonstrates how some individuals can abuse their positions of power and pr...
Quotes on Prejudices, Discrimination and the Abuse of Power
1. “He wears those and soon he'll be as flat-footed and lazy as an Indian" - Discrimination is evident in Montana 1948 where Wesley uses stereotypes of Indians to imply they are inferior to them, and that David shouldn’t be like them. 2. "She's an Indian- Why would she tell the truth?” 3. “Your mother and I thought we’d have more to show than just one grandchild … and white- we want them we want them white” 4. “Screwing an Indian. Or feeling her up or whatever. You don’t lock up a man for tha...
Quotes on Law vs Justice
1. “Why did my grandfather first run for sheriff? … He wanted, he needed power. He was a dominating man who drew sustenance and strength from controlling others.” This quote shows that many people in society at the time held positions of power such as lawyers or sheriff but didn’t enforce the law or worry about the morality of their actions. Thus creating an unjust legal system that would allow these people to shape how the law is enforced with their own prejudices. 2. “You know what your Gra...
Quotes on Loyalty vs Morality
1. "David, I believe that in this world people must pay for their crimes. It doesn't matter who you are or who your relations are; if you do wrong, you pay. I believe that. I have to." 2. “I wish you wouldn’t have told the sheriff.” 3. “I think the problem has been taken care of. Frank said he’s going to cut it out” 4. “Well if Sheriff Hayden says it's so, it must be so.” 5. “You don’t lock up your brother. A respected man. A war hero.” “This is a legal matter.” “Bullsh*t.” “Then why have you...
Montana 1948 is an examination of one boy’s transformation from a world of innocence into one of experience and awareness. Through the conflicts of the adults who surround him, David comes to...
The best study guide to Montana 1948 on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
Sep 1, 1993 · Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. In 1995, an elderly unnamed widow is moving into an Oregon nursing home on the urging of her controlling son, Julien, a surgeon.
