Montana 1948

             In the novel Montana 1948, by Larry Watson, the theme of racism, and the character Frank Hayden help identify the mystery, and develop the investigation that illuminates the meaning of the work.
             The mystery of the novel is whether or not Frank Hayden is a molester. Frank's brother Wesley, the sheriff of Bentrock, is the one who reveals many of the clues and contributes the most in the investigation. This is an awkward situation as not only are the men brothers, but his father handed down the position as sheriff to Wesley, hoping to keep a clean Hayden family name. Marie Little Soldier, Wesley's a local Native American housekeeper soon reveals a dark secret about Frank that sets Sheriff Hayden off on an investigation that turns up much more than is expected.
             Frank Hayden is a favored son of a rich landowner, a doctor, and a war hero, who is well-liked in Bentrock especially by his own father. When Frank became a doctor after returning from the war, no one thought anything of his new profession. Suddenly, Frank's patient, Marie Little Soldier dies while everyone was out of the house. Many people become suspicious because when she became ill she refused to see Frank as a doctor.
             Through investigation we learn that there is a great deal racism against Native Americans in Bentrock. The investigation starts when Wes's housekeeper Marie reveals that Frank has been molesting young Indian women for some time. Wesley as the sheriff of the city plays a key role in this investigation. With his son, David's confession of seeing Frank around the going in the house earlier the same day as Marie's death, Wes knows he must search for more clues. This is when Wes's wife confesses to the truth about Frank as a molester to her husband, "When he examines Indian girls he does things to them," then she goes on to explain. Marie's death leads to Frank's as the murderer, and Wes if forced to arrest him. He is now faced with the terrible choic...

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Montana 1948. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:35, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/74924.html