Montana 1948 is a novel based on a 12 year old boy named david hayden. In montana 1948, written by larry watson, the events that took place irrevocably changed david haydens life in several ways, both good and bad. This story is as fresh and clear as the trout stream fished by its narrator, david hayden, growing up near the montanacanada border. When davids story begins, his life is a stable and happy one, and his family are close and loving. Montana 1948 is a very good example of what it was like to be part of the fringe of society.
In this fictional piece we get to see the misuse of power and reputation through the tyrannical characters of julian and frank hayden. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Davids uncle frank, a war hero and respected doctor. David hayden david is the author of the story and the firstperson narrator of the book. The events of the summer of 1948 mark for david a read full character analysis wesley hayden. When gail had said she wanted a new paint job, she wanted the. He recalls the summer of 1948 as the summer everything changed for him. The events of the small town during summer in 1948 alter davids views on his family, his emotionally damaged father wesley, his once respected war hero uncle frank. The book montana 1948 by larry watson, published in 1993, is a dark comingofage tale. Symbolism in montana 1948 by luke schommer on prezi. A significant character in the novel montana 1948 is wesley hayden, father of david and spouse of gail. One day david notices that marie little soldier, his native american babysitter and housekeeper. Set in bentrock, montana, in 1948, it is a powerful exploration of conflict, relationships and power dynamics in the world around us from the perspective of one boy growing up through a scandalous time period. The events of that cataclysmic summer permanently alter twelveyearold davids understanding of his family.
David is a very shy but serious young boy who was very curious as to what went on around him. Montana 1948 a series of tragic events were to have a major impact on david and his parents. A stark tragedy unfolds in watsons taut, memorable novel, the winner of the publishers national fiction prize. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis.
Davids shocking revelations lead to his painful gaining of wisdom. It tells the story of how 12yearold david grew up fast after learning about longheld family secrets and the social system that protected them. Watson in a dark time, 1980, winner of the 1993 milkweed national fiction prize, offers a lean, gaunt narrative rich with implication about a 12yearold boy who witnesses the anguish of his sheriff father, who is forced to arrest his own brother for rape. Justice is the stunning prequel that illuminates the hayden clans early. The events described are experienced through the eyes of david hayden, a twelveyearold boy. Montana 1948 characters from litcharts the creators of. Montana 1948 summary from litcharts the creators of. The tale he records involves accusations of sexual abuse against his fathers brother, davids uncle frank.
David is twelve as the events of the summer of 1948 unfold. All the characters good and bad are presented realistically and believably, and as a reader, i really had a sense of what small town life in 1948 montana must have been like. As universal in its themes as it is original in its particularities, montana 1948 is a significant and elegant addition to the fiction of the american west, and to contemporary american fiction in general. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like racism and coming of ageadolescence. To 12yearold david hayden, his family is comfortable and familiar. David is the storys contemplative and highly perceptive narrator. In the first chapter, david describes the town where he lived with his parents in 1948.
The novel montana 1948 traces the events of august 1948 through the recollections of the adult david hayden. The book montana 1948 by larry watson, published in 1993, is a dark. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on montana 1948 by larry watson. The story is narrated by david hayden, who is 52 at the time he is telling the story, but is only 12 when the events of the story occur. To me, i think that the paint represents secrecy covered up. Need help with prologue in larry watsons montana 1948. Anybody know where i can download an mp3 file of somebody reading montana 1948 by larry watson. It was awarded the milkweed national fiction prize plot.
David lived in bentrock, the only town in the region, holding less than 2,000 people. David is a very shy but serious young boy who was very curious as to. He and his parents live in montana where his father, wesley, is the sheriff of mercer county and his mother, gail, works in the county courthouse. Plot at the age of 52, david hayden recalls and reflects on the events of the summer of 1948 when he lived in montana. He is an adult, however he tells the story as he saw it from when he was 12 years old. This novel was written from 1st person perspective. During the summer of 1948, a solid, middleclass family in a small montana town is wren.
Filled with sharply drawn characters and set in an archetypal western town, this remarkable comingofage story is also a gripping mystery. When davids native american housekeeper marie little soldier falls ill, frank hayden, the local. The novel montana 1948 by larry watson is indeed all about the tragic event of david haydens twelfth summer, which irrevocably changed him. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read montana 1948. The events are seen through the viewpoint of a 12yearold boy, now 52, who is looking back 40 years to understand how and why his life was shaped the way it was. Montana 1948 larry watson, 1993 milkweed editions 186 pp. Writing in a deceivingly simple style, larry watson tells a suspenseful local tale that raises some universal questions about human behavior. An analysis of the characters and themes in the book montana. Another image of davids father, kneeling on the kitchen floor, begging.
The creators of sparknotes montana 1948 characters from litcharts. The events of that smalltown summer forever alter david haydens v. He writes the story forty years after the events, once everyone else, especially his parents and grandparents, are dead. Montana 1948 is about family and loyalty to family, murder, cultural relations, and childhood innocence. An analysis of the characters and themes in the book. Montana 1948 by larry watson meet your next favorite book. He writes the story forty years after the events, once everyone else, especially his parents and grandparents, are. 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. The narrator, a man named david, reflects on the summer of his twelfth year in 1948 and tells us that the images remaining from this summer are indeliblethe years have not erased or faded them. Montana 1948 major character analysis supersummary. It would never occur to my father to refuse the role of the sheriff. He was born in 1910 in mercer county and grew up on a large cattle ranch just outside of bentrock with his brother frank, mother enid and father julian. Montana 1948 by larry watson overdrive rakuten overdrive. Montana 1948 is a beautiful lyrical little novel of around 160 pages.
David thinks about his parents and the year he saw his father on the floor, crying, and his mother by the window, holding a gun in her hands. Came to mercer county, montana because of her mothers marriage to frenchy was 20 when she came to montana a hunkpapa sioux native originally from the fort berthold reservation in nd loved to laugh and talk, great tease, close to 6 feet tall, dresses were either handed down or handed up, wide face and high cheekbones, long straight. It was awarded the milkweed national fiction prize. An indian girl from the reservation is the housekeeper babysitter for young david. Montana 1948 is the story of tragedy of a smalltown family.
With nearly perfect pitch, watson evokes a time, a place, and more. Montana 1948 summary the novel starts with a prologue in which the main character and narrator, david, thinks back to the year 1948 and the events that influenced his life. The movie rights to montana 1948 and justice have been sold to echo lake productions and white crosses has been optioned for film. David hayden the narrator of montana recollects powerful information that uphold his father wesley hayden losing control of himself and his emotion to his daughterinlaw due to the. Montana 1948 is an excellent example of this struggle between the weak and the strong. The people there have a harsh life, and they have to endure poverty and a harsh climate all year round. David is the son of wesley and gail hayden, and was brought up in a privileged home of a well. Montana, 1948 is one book that parents should read with their teens. It tells of the fight for family loyalty andor justice proceeding to the consequences of such decision. Though he is the firstperson narrator, he is only the witness to the novels main events.
Discuss montana 1948, by larry watson is novel set in american midwest that raises a question who was to blame for the tragic events that occurred that summer. The events of the summer of 1948 mark for david a read full character analysis. So begins david haydens story of what happened in montana in 1948. Montana 1948 is a quiet novel, filled with insight into the 12yearold mind when dealing with important issues that threaten the family. Montana 1948 by larry watson essay 585 words bartleby. The author does an extraordinary job at depicting certain struggles of power between the characters in the book. Get the entire montana 1948 litchart as a printable pdf. David lives in town, across the street from the courthouse, but loves spending time at the farm. Montana 1948 study guide contains a biography of larry watson, literature essays, quiz.
Montana 1948 quotes montana 1948 quotes david it would. From the summer of my twelfth year i carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them so begins david haydens story of what happened in montana in 1948. David hayden, a 12 year old narrator, 52 before flashback. The reason these struggles are so easy to pick up on is because the narrator describes the characters to full detail. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of montana 1948. Tragic events in the novel montana 1948 by larry watson. Also can i have a plot summary of the whole book since i need to make a brochure for my american lit class for the book montana 1948 and i need to include a plot summary and a list of major characters with brief descriptions and why my audience should read this book. He always wanted to grow up in the country, as he felt. Otherwise thought to have been murdered by uncle frank. Montana 1948 is an intriguing novel written by larry watson.
This book is about the horrific events that consumed the summer of 1948 in bentrock, montana. Montana because of her mothers marriage to frenchy was 20 when she came to montana. The narrators father, hes also the sheriff in the small town where the family lives. David s father and the elected sheriff of mercer county. Montana 1948 is a without a doubt a novel about the struggle between honesty and corruption during the tragic events which took place in the wild west town of bentrock. Montana 1948 study guide contains a biography of larry watson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
He and his parents live in montana where his father, wesley, is the sheriff of mercer county and his mother, gail, works in. At the tolerable length of 175 pages, this book is the right size and the right interest level for all. Montana 1948 is set in a small town on the very northeastern edge of the state of montana. David hayden, the young protagonist in this novel, observes the struggle of his father who is the sheriff in their small town. Larry watsons bestselling novel montana 1948 was acclaimed as a work of art susan petro, san francisco chronicle, a prizewinning evocation of a time, a place, and a family. He tells the story as a grown man of 52 looking back on his childhood. As the events of the summer in 1948 unfold, david is twelve, though he is re telling this significant part of his life from a firstperson perspective as a 53 year old man. David hayden, now a history teacher, narrates the events of over 40 years ago, when his father, trained as a lawyer, was in his second. The story focuses on the powerful hayden family living in a small, insulated town in montana. For montana 1948 who are the major characters and a brief description about them. The author pointed to many characters and events in the book which affected the story, and david made me more interested to keep reading the book. Both library journal and booklist named montana 1948 one of the best books of 1993. The novel montana 1948, is written from the point of view of david, the son of the mercer countys sheriff, wesley hayden and features many events which are indelible from his memory.
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