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The Abuse Of Power In Montana 1948 By Larry Watson

Decent Essays

Montana 1948 is a novel about power, influence, and judgement. Wesley Hayden, the head Sheriff, finds a devastating secret about his brother Frank, his father's favorite son. The Father is willing to do whatever he can to keep Frank as a perfect son, even going against the law and his own son. Wesley is stuck between family and the law, and it’s affecting his family enormously. His Father’s power over the town negatively influences many characters in the book. In Montana 1948, Larry Watson highlights an important message throughout the novel about how abusing power can lead to devastating effects through the vigorous character Julian Hayden.
Julian Hayden’s enormous power affects both his sons’ behaviors and futures negatively. Len, the neighbor …show more content…

Wesley had hopes of practicing law, but his father insisted him being the next new sheriff. David talks about how even he saw his father would do whatever his father asked: “So my father set aside his fledgling law practice and took the badge my grandfather offered. It would never have occurred to my father to refuse” (9). If Julian didn’t have power and put the pressure onto his son to be like him, Wesley could be doing a job that he would enjoy. If someone from outside the family had been elected as sheriff, they could have taken care of Frank without direct pressure from the family. The grandfathers overwhelming power forever changed parts in the book; his son wouldn’t have had to deal with impressing his grandfather and protecting the favorite son, …show more content…

He talks to Wesley about how he shouldn't arrest Frank for raping women: “You don’t lock up a man for that. You don’t lock up your brother. A respected man. A war hero….Stop this now. Stop this before I have to” (113). Julian makes Wesley feel bad about his case against Frank, by telling him: “You don’t lock up your brother.” Not only does he make Wesley feel bad, but he threatens to use his power to stop Wesley. If Julian had respected the law, it would be much easier to arrest Frank for the awful crimes he committed. As we find out later in the book, he sends four men out to break into the house and get Frank out. Julian has such enormous power in the small town, that he can find ways to go against the law and protect his son through negatively effecting

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