Montana 1948 Character Analysis

Just like in the book Montana 1948, I would like to write to you about how human nature is explained through loyalty and justice. As we have gone to school together for seven years, I would like to show you how the faults of our human nature can be explained through what has happened in Montana 1948. Throughout the book, the faults of human nature are seen as loyalty outweighs justice which as seen through Frank molesting Native American girls. Wes’s loyalty to his brother, Frank, and his prejudice towards Native Americans questions the belief of justice. Wes has received all his power from his parents, so it is nearly impossible for him to go against his family. However, Wes is stuck between his father, a powerful, intimidating man and his
After Wes had gone to the Native Americans in order to ask about Frank. After realizing the story of the raping of the girls was true, Wes went to his father’s house where he confronted his brother. While Wes was confronting Frank over his actions, Dave, his son, said of the event, “Now they were barely speaking. Uncle Frank was backing away and muttering something. My father picked up a rock, wound up as if he were going to throw it as far as he could, then simply crossed it into the creek. I watched the splash to see if a trout rose to check it as they sometimes will. Nothing. I wasn’t surprised. You weren’t likely to get a trout out in the middle of a shallow creek on a hot day.”p.74 In this quote, Dave says that his father picked up a rock, symbolizing a fight of argument, and that Wes was going to throw the rock, starting the fight. However, Wes threw the rock weakly into the creek, symbolizing the argument. Then, a trout, symbolizing Frank, would normally take notice, but the argument or creek was shallow, symbolizing not much could change. Lastly, the hot day is symbolizing the heated argument, but you should notice the argument when you are in a cool creek. In short, the author was trying to show how Wes’s argument went through Frank’s deaf ears. This helps show how Wes might try to bring justice to Frank, but Wes was too fearful to throw the rock ,the argument, and that loyalty is overpowering justice.
Loyalty is what is holding us back as seen through the bullying that occurred at our school, as well as the prayers to our earthly father who is concerned about ourselves. However, like Wes many could argue that loyalty has gotten them to where they are to. This is true, loyalty got Wes his power, but justice showed Wes’s differences from Julian. Justice was the defining difference between Wes and the other Haydens. However, unlike Wes, we should aim to throw rocks into deep water so our splash will be heard and just like Wes, we should be strong enough to let the jars break before us. Whether it is bullying at school, raping Native American women, or arguing with our brothers, justice should be the number one thing taken into consideration. We should not fear our future; just like the jars our past will cease to