Montana 1948 Character Analysis

That night I cried for the first time since that whole, sad, sordid, tragic set of events began (125) David Hayden lives in a small town in Montana. His house keeper Marie Little Soldier one day dies unexpectedly in their house. David questions the true value of family and law, when one of his family members is the suspects. Sometimes the people you don’t expect, cant hurt you the most.

Gail during the novel has expectations from Wes, but when these events occur the character is affected. Wes never fitted into her ideal occupation and happiness. Her reason is as a sheriff, Wes is expected with dangerous events which can possibly risk his life. Gail wants her family to move from Bentrock because she wants Wes to be himself and not a Hayden.

The Hayden family gets together at grandfather Julian`s house. David adores the house, due the amount of space. He felt the tensions when his father asked grandpa Julian where Franks was and asking his dad about something. David is accustomed to listen to conversations near the doors, since he found out about Uncle Frank. Frank being in trouble, David believed his grandpa would teach him a lesson. "Yes tell, him, I thought, Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he`ll take care of everything" (71). Wes tried to tell his father, but his own dad told Wes, Frank always loved the red meat, which didn’t surprise Julian. David felt anger inside, the person he loves also turned him down. He show his anger by squeezing the trigger of the lighter over and over again. With the lighter flicking, David is trying to forget the murder of Marie and the family members reacting to Franks assassination, by each fire flick, it meant he tried to burn those memories. He believed his two family members would not do such thing of denying. Children have an idol when they grow up, but after David found out what Frank did, he was delusional of his

Three days after Marie`s death, Wes brought his brother to his house, as David saw his dad he wasn’t happy. After putting his own brother in the basement as a punishment, he drinks whiskey to ease the pain of letting someone down. When Gail came from work Wes told her he arrested his own brother. He felt emotional for putting his brother in jail, he had no choice. Having Frank in the basement, made the Hayden's come to Wes`s house. Grandfather demanded Wes to left Frank out, what he was doing was absurd. Wes tries to explain to his father this a legal matter in which his father ignore the truth. Even his own mom denied a girl can mistaken a doctors procedure. Julian exclaims Wes to bring Frank out with his point of view of the murder. "Ever since war, ever since Frank came home in a uniform and you stayed here, you`ve been jealous" (119). Wes is hurt from his fathers own belief of him. His father keeps insisting Wes he locked up his own brother, a son and a hero. Wes defends himself by telling his father, what the law is. His father leaves after Wes claims Frank is a murder. David found his father lying on Gail's lap, he is crying to the fact his own father chose Frank over what justice is meant. He is affected emotionally having to decide these decisions. As a brother, son, and sheriff he had no choice, but to the right even if he lost his fathers relationship his