Imagine a situation where one’s most valued person in their life turned against them. Think how they would honestly feel and how would they act? Larry Watson writes an incredible book, Montana 1948. The main character, David, who is twelve years old, lives in Bentrock, Montana and was born into a high up family who seems to be perfect in other’s eyes. When a tragic happens in the family, many will get hurt and peoples’ true identity become exposed. When people have a special connection with others, they can once in a while turn against each other when they least except it.
Wes, David’s father, has had a hard life of making people happy and have a good relationship with his family and his loved ones, but people turned on him by making a simple decision. Wes went to explain to Gloria why Frank was in the basement of his house. Wes trusted Gloria, and she needed to know about her husband who she loves. If she truly loved him, she would have ran to David’s house to see if Frank was ok. Instead she chose the mistake of making up lies to rigorous, dominate Grandpa Julian, “That’s what Gloria said. She said you arrested Frank for assaulting an Indian. 118). Wes replies to his father, “Whoa! Wait! What did Gloria say? ” (118).
The word assaulting was the final flame that made Wes burn his fine line with his parents. Hearing what Gloria stated, changed the whole meaning of family to Wes in his mental dictionary. Gloria was a strong sister figure to Wes and his family, and trusted his son’s life with her for a while. Relationships can be a glorious thing one day and can crumble down for example when people eat week old banana bread the next day. Close net family relationships can do more then crumble when feelings are hurt.
In the same fashion of family relationships, Wes was raised on the mind set of being the second place child. On Grandpa Julian’s behalf, the citizens of Bentrock threw a party for Frank’s returning from the war. Wes was not taken back by this event and almost expected the party. ” ‘Now l’d like to bring my son up here. ‘ Uncle Frank had not hesitated either, he knew that Julian meant him. ” (37). Wes had always been in the back round while knowing Frank was a little questionable. The question which left a hole in Wes’s life was finally solved, he did not hesitate to accept.
Frank was molesting Indian women, and through out the book Grandpa Julian makes many inside remarks about knowing Frank’s secret actions. The parents of Wes and Frank were blind when their favorite kid grow up into a cocky war hero, and the other kid was a mirror figure of Julian. Many would conclude a parent would be proud of their child if they turned out like them, but here, they are mistaken. Wes worked hard in his life for making his wife and child proud and keeping up the name in town. Working hard on specific material and make one blind of the people around them who would sadly urn against them.
In addition, Frank fooled many people to believe he was the perfect man and doctor in town. Growing up, David thought Frank, his uncle, was a pure man and was adored all round the town. David and his family trusted Frank because not only was he doctor but was a big part of the Hayden family. Without Frank, there would be a missing piece in the Hayden puzzle. Slowly David, while with his parents, his piece faded away when they found out about Frank’s actions. “Charming, affable Uncle Frank was gone for good” (49). When David finds out, he does not believe it.
Frank has the perfect life of being a war hero, daddy’s perfect son, and having a well paying job of being a doctor. What more would he want? The next step for Frank is turning on people, even if he is not aware it. As Frank turned on David, David realizes to not judge a book by the cover. People do not have a perfect life, events happen in their lives which make them turn out to who they are today. Sometimes people make poor decisions while events happ between people.
Frank does not think twice when he achieves his actions which sadly turns on David with out Frank even knowing. nd create a wall While Frank was turning on David, he horribly turned on David’s parents, Wes and Gail, as well. Wes and Gail love Marie without exception. Marie is hired as David’s caregiver and cares for David equivalently as her own child. Heartbrokenly, Marie dies and Wes and Gail got a hole taken out of their hearts. The least they excepted was Frank killing Marie. “While I was sitting there I saw someone cutting across our backyard. There’s a knothole you can see out of. I was pretty sure it was Uncle Frank” (97). Later with out assuming, Gail and Wes know Frank killed Marie.
Gail askes Wes, “Marie? Wes replies with, “Don’t ask how (150). Gail was not as surprised as Wes was when the news was delivered. Overall, Frank mistrusted them with all their family ties and with taking care of their son. Marie was another family member to the Hayden family and took great care of them and their house if no one was available. Marie was taken way from them as fast as Frank turned on them. The Hayden house will now be quitter than every. The pleasant memories of Marie will appear and understand the young, beautiful, Hunkpapa Sioux women taken was out of the world to soon.
Frank did not think is actions would turn on David and his parents when he was to busy making himself look comparable to the perfect Montanan Man. Marie was turned on the most in the summer of 1948 unexcpectantly. Marie grew up on a Reservation in North Dakota who came to Montana when her mother married a secretly, lousy Canadian man. Her life in Montana includes friends she made at the Bentrock Reservation, a caregiver for a white family and an amusing, loving sweetheart. Terrified, through her friends at the reservation, she finds out the local doctor, Frank, in town was sexually assaulting them.
After rusting the white family, the Haydens, Marie tells Gail what has been happening. ” Your brother makes some of his patients undress completely and get down into indecent positions. He makes them jump up and down while he watches. He fondles their breasts. He puts things inside them. Wesley, your brother is raping these women” (47). Even though Frank and Marie are not to close, he turns on her and disrespects her heritage of being an Indian. The Indian culture sticks together and are always protecting each other’s back. Protecting each other means the whole world.
When a situation happens where they annot protect one another, guilt and blame is formed. Marie was feeling guilt for Frank hurting her on the “doctor appointment”, and anger over powered the guilt, so she told the women she felt protected by. Marie was turned on by her feelings and the heritage of her, and the other Indian women. Lastly, Marie was not only turned against by Frank, but the other brother, Wes. Marie takes a lot of guts to tell Gail about what has happened, and when Wes knows Frank is guilty, he takes a Here, Wes disrespects her because he does not want to let the Hayden name go down.
Sadly he does not ant to do the right thing and take the wrong path and not while to arrest protect the one who takes care of his only son. Frank, in this situation is the only one being pampered even though he did wrong. One can clearly see who the family loves the most. “He didn’t want to go to jail, not here in town” (109) stated Wes. Even though Marie is not part of he actual Hayden family tree, Wes needs to do what is right. Wes is more worried about what people are thinking than being a real, courageous sheriff. When it comes to family, it is truly easier to take there side because they do not want to let them down.
People would conclude Wes would have believed the woman who is cautiously taking care of his kid, over a man whom is taking advantage of innocent women. Marie worked to hard in the world to be forgotten in the wind and to not be turned on. When people have a special connection with others, they can once in a while turn against each other when they least except it. Through these events, the Hayden family become distant at the end of their path living in Montana. As, a positive side, these events made the people become stronger and become the people who they truly are in the inside.