Julian Hayden And Wesley Hayden example essay topic

Julian and his son Wesley in Larry Watson's "Montana 1948" In the novel "Montana 1948", the father and son, Julian Hayden and Wesley Hayden, are quite different in term of personal trait. Julian Hayden loves power and likes to be conspicuous, while Wesley Hayden is meek in using power and likes to be self-effacing. Julian exerts his power to achieve what he desires, while Wesley obeys his conscience to do what he should do. Their different views and uses of power shape the different responses to Frank's crime. The differences exists between the father and son determines the inadvertent conflict and the tragedy of Hayden family.

Julian Hayden is the first person in Hayden family who served as sheriff in Bentrock because he "needed power" (20). He is a "dominating man who drew sustenance and strength from controlling others" (20). He loves power and is good at keeping it. Mercer County has a Statute that "a sheriff could serve only three consecutive terms", Julian and his deputy Len McAuley take turns running the office (20). By doing this, they preserve the power in their hands.

It is Julian who wants to pass the power to his son Wesley. At the time Wesley obeys his father to take the office, he is doing "his fledgling law practice" (21). Because Wesley is living under Julian's control, he has no escaping route but to obey his father's will. "It would never have occurred to my father to refuse" (21).

David, Wesley's son, becomes a good witness to his father. Julian so "wanted" and "needed" power that it is natural for him to control his son. In other words, Wesley is forced to take the office. Actually, he can't be his real self working as a sheriff. Wesley is torn between being a Hayden and being himself. To be himself, he chooses to be a "self-effacing" person (19).

To be a Hayden, he has to use power. The name of "Hayden" means power in the town of Bentrock. Wesley does not fit into the image of a sheriff. "As long as my father was going to be a sheriff, a position with so much potential for excitement, danger, and bravery, why couldn't some of that promise be fulfilled?" (17). David is disappointed with his father because Wesley brings nothing exciting or dangerous to him. Wesley's routine jobs are such things as arresting "the usual weekly drunks", mediating "disputes about fence lines or stray cattle", calming "domestic disturbances", and warning "teenagers about getting rowdy" (16).

Wesley makes proper use of power, does everything he should do as a good sheriff. Wesley does not look like a sheriff either. He wears "a shirt and tie, as many of the men in the town did" (17). He never wears the badge that shows his office rank, instead, "he carried it in his suit-coat or shirt pocket" (18). He has a gun but "he never carried it" (17). Obviously, Wesley is not showing off himself.

He is not arrogant, not puffed-up. He just wants to do the right thing. Power means responsibility and duty to Wesley. To Julian, power means another thing. Power is to achieve social status and influences; power is the ability to keep power. We can see Julian's controlling power over the town people clearly in the occasion of celebration while his son Frank returns from the war.

Once people finished eating and drinking, Julian "climbed onto a picnic table", "simply stood there", people who see him pay their attention to him. Julian assumes that just his standing up would silence the crowd. He knew people have already gotten used to listen to him and obey him. Julian not only exerted power over town people, he also is a dictator to his family. His wife can serve as a piece of good evidence. She is " a thin, nervous woman", seldom speak with her husband's presence.

Because her husband is dominating, she either doesn't have a chance to say or dares not to say anything (68). She is meek, faint, living under the shadow of her husband Wesley is a good sheriff; he is honest with his conscience and loyal to his duty. If not, he won't be in contradiction when Gail told him about Frank's sins. If not, he won't get so tired and old due to the fierce struggles. "It doesn't matter who you are of who your relations are; if you do wrong, you pay.

I believe that. I have to". (156) This is said by Wesley after he have gone through many tensions and struggles. At the time of this declaration of his stance, even his wife who stood with him from in the beginning have given up to choose "expediency" and "practicality", but not Wesley, who stick to "moral absolutism" (150. Wesley doesn't like conflict. He always tries to make relationship among his family smooth.

When he and Gail went into conflict about the matter of Frank, he was quick to express his offer to make peace with Gail. He asked Gail if she needs any honey while he was leaving for the Reservation. If yes, he said he could buy it on the way. This little favor is for the purpose of bringing harmony.

While driving to his father's house with his family, Wesley talked about taking a few days to go to Yellowstone to see the geysers. The purpose is the same-to alleviate the tension among the family, to make everyone happy. Wesley is a good father. "I did not often demand my parents' attention because I knew I could have it whenever I wanted it". (33-34) This is what his son David said. We can see from here that Wesley and Gail pay a lot attention to their child.

Once Wesley met with Ollie Young Bear in a caf'e, David approached them while they are talking. Wesley did not reproach his son like some parents, "go away to do your own business, we are doing adult things. Why are you here?" Instead, he said, "What can I do for you, David?" (61) Wesley is such a gentle and loving father, who concerned about his son's needs. He is not like Julian who demands and dictates, instead, he gives and recommends. The night following Marie little Soldier's death, David had difficulty of falling in sleep. Wesley comforted him by gently rub his back and massaging his both sides of spine.

He showed his fatherly love through many ways. It is unfortunate for Wesley to be the son of Julian. These two people are so distinctive that they are impossible to hold a same opinion regarding to Frank's sins. Julian is sure to excuse his son, while Wesley has to obey his conscience to bring Frank to justice. The tensions between the father and son are latent and activated by the scandal of Frank's. If nothing particular happens during Wesley's life, he maybe lives in Bentrock for his whole lifetime, and the conflict between his father and him may never be brought out.

But the particular thing did happen; everyone has to face the reality. Frank's sins is also the result of Julian's mal-parenting. He did not object to Frank's wrong doing when Frank was caught doing the same thing at an earlier age. The tensions between father and son is intensified when it came to pass that Wesley detained Frank in his own basement.

Julian confronted Wesley and asked to release Frank. Wesley declined. Julian was not clear what kind of sin Frank had committed, he just insisted that brother could not arrest brother and Wesley has to release his brother. There is no law in his mind; there is only power in it-the power to release somebody that is guilty or the power to convict somebody that is not guilty. But to Julian's disappointment, Wesley is not a person in his kind. The father and son relationship is thus greatly hurt.

The style of Julian is using force to solve conflict to achieve his personal goal. He sent his fellowmen to break into the basement to free his son Frank. The conflict of the father and son reached its climax at this time; the relationship becomes totally broken and irreparable. After Frank's suicide, everything is quite up, so does the conflict of the father and son. Wesley's family moved out of the town of Bentrock to begin their new lives. Wesley finally practice law as Gail had wished.

Grandma Enid wrote to Wesley family regularly and visited a few times, but not with Julian. He disappeared in Wesley's life completely. What's ironic is the one who disappeared in Wesley's life hurt his heart most and keep hurting him. The wound never goes away.

When his daughter-in-law asked about things about Montana, Wesley responded by saying, "Don't blame Montana!"Don't ever blame Montana!" (175) The emotion is so strong that he "pushed himself away from the table, left the room, and never returned to the meal". (175) Later that night, David sat in the chair where his father had sat, the moment he put his hands in the table, he felt the wood still vibrating from his father's blow. I believe not only David could feel the vibration, but also we as readers could. The wound from the incident of Montana 1948 is incurable to Wesley; the impact of his father on him is indelible. Who caused this wound? The vibrating wood would help us to answer.

Only Julian would not like to answer this question.

Bibliography

Watson, Larry. Montana 1948.
New York: Washing Square Press, 1993.