Sample Essay Response

Here's a sample essay response for Montana 1948. It will be a good start when preparing for the exam.
Essay 4
To what degree are the main characters in ‘Montana 1948’ responsible for their own behaviour?

The main characters in Larry Watson’s Montana 1948 are truly able to control their own behaviour, but only to a certain extent. It could be argued the novel is not as simple as this. Within the text there are external factors contributing to the behaviour of the main characters that need to be explored.

Montana 1948 is narrated by the now adult David Hayden as he recounts the summer of 1948. Through David’s narration a reader is able to gain a sense of the depth of analysis included within the novel. The adolescent David leaves his childhood behind when he realises his Uncle Frank has abused his position of trust as a doctor. However at the same time David continually contrasts this knowledge with his emotional responses towards his uncle. Frank is his father’s brother, and in this role has represented an important source of family, strength, love and care throughout David’s childhood. Therefore a reader gains a deep sense of conflict within the narrative; a conflict between David’s maturing social awareness, and the secure memories and feelings left from his childhood. Watson presents the character David as one with conflicting thoughts and feelings, which compete and govern his actions throughout the novel.

Wes Hayden, David’s father and the ‘hero’ of the text, is a character who is described in the novel as one who does not like to feel the earth shifting beneath him. He, like his brother Frank, has a specific position of duty and trust to uphold in his community. As is shown constantly throughout the text this sense of duty is one he takes seriously. However Wes also has strong ties of loyalty to his own father, Julian, and brother. Frank’s actions place Wes in a complicated position that compromises both his role as the county sheriff and his roles as a brother and son. Therefore while Wes himself has complete autonomy over his actions, it is obvious that the decision over what course of action he should ultimately take has grave emotional consequences.

Wes’ wife Gail Hayden, a strong female character given the setting of the novel, is at first adamant that Frank be brought to justice for his actions. However this need for a greater social justice disappears when the workers from Julian’s farm arrive to collect Frank and Gail realises the full extent of the danger to her family. It could be argued that Gail succumbs to the pressure placed on her by her husband’s family, however it is also obvious that she too places great emphasis on loyalty to, and the protection of, her own family. In contrast to the actions taken by Julian, Gail’s actions and decisions are bound by a need to protect rather than to control.

It can be convincingly argued that Frank callously takes advantage of his position of trust as a doctor and as an influential, powerful white male when he sexually abuses his female Amerindian patients. However there are surrounding influences that, although never justifying or excusing Frank of his liability, determine the degree of control he has over his actions. Julian is the archetypal patriarchal figure, a man who likes to controls. He has always condoned Frank’s taste for ‘red meat’, going so far as to publicly comment that hopefully Frank’s marriage would see an end to his visits to the Indian reservation. Therefore we can see that Frank has been raised in an environment that has overlooked his flaws and ultimately allowed his behaviour. The childhood environments of Wes and Frank, although not detailed within the text, provide a telling contrast to the childhood environment of David. David learns the moral values of responsibility, maturity, protection and trust, whilst Julian provided an environment of greed, power, jealousy and deceit for his sons.

Therefore it would seem that while Montana 1948, tells the story of David Hayden’s transition to adolescence it also explores possible motivations and explanations behind an individual’s actions. Larry Watson has constructed his main characters so that although they have control over their actions, the factors surrounding their decisions are ultimately conflicting and difficult. 690 words