Novel Montana 1948 example essay topic

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. L.P. Hartley. Montana 1948, as the title suggests, is concerned with the tragic events of one summer in Montana in 1948. The novel is set in Bent rock, a small town in Mercer County, northeast Montana, in the northwestern part of the USA. The events which form the action of the novel are shown to us from the viewpoint of the then 12 year old David Hayden, using the voice, however, of the mature (52 year old) David who is looking back on these events, which shaped his life, for the first time in forty years. a...

The Prologue. A prologue is a device sometimes used by writers to focus the readers' attention on some particularly important aspects of the novel. It is, in effect, a tease. We ask ourselves why the writer has emphasised these aspects and we are consciously looking out for them when reading the rest of the text. Writers will often use what is called an epigraph, usually a quotation at the beginning of a chapter or poem, to perform a similar function. Carefully read the Prologue to Montana 1948 and jot down: a... the three vivid and lasting images of David's boyhood that he describes; b... how he describes the memory of those images; and a...

A Sense of Time and Place. The fact that Larry Watson entitles this novel Montana 1948 immediately suggests that both the time and place are important factors in the novel. Using whatever resources are at your disposal, the library, the internet, an atlas etc., find out all that you can about the state of Montana. Pay particular attention to its history and the relationship between the white settlers and the Sioux Indians. Present your findings in as interesting a way as possible, using maps, diagrams, pictures, etc.

This is an assessment task. Your findings will also form the basis of a class discussion on why Watson may have used Montana itself for the title of the novel. b... Read the novel. You will have two weeks to complete your reading of the novel and the following comprehension questions relating to your reading.

They will form the basis for our discussion of the novel in class. Part One. 1... Note the descriptions of post World War Two Montana (pp 15-16). Why was there promise in the year 1948? 2...

Why is David disappointed in his father? 3... Why is David's mother disappointed in her husband? 4... What is David's attitude to each of his father, mother and grandfather?

How much of these responses is that of the child David? How much do you think the adult, reflective, David is imposing these responses on the child? What evidence can you find to suggest that these attitudes are those of the mature narrator, not the child? 5... Why does David love Marie Little Soldier? 6...

Why does David's father hold Indians in low regard? 7... Describe David's Uncle Frank. 8... Of what crime does Gail accuse Uncle Frank? 9...

Note how each of the characters reacts to the allegations against Frank. What do their reactions suggest about them? Part Two. 1... What is your initial impression of David's grandfather? Describe his house and what it suggests about him.

2... How does David's grandfather, Julian, react to the accusations against Frank? 3... Describe David's grandmother and Aunt Gloria.

In what ways are they similar? How is David's mother different to both his grandmother and Gloria?