Wesley Hayden example essay topic

Montana 1948 follows the life of a twelve-year-old boy, David Hayden, whose father, Wesley Hayden, was town sheriff in the little town of Montana. There he lives peacefully with his wife, Gail Hayden, and continues to up-hold the law following a tradition left for him by his father. His brother Frank is also a respected member of the community, even more so than his brother, being the town doctor and a decorated war hero. It was in the summer of 1948 that the events which make up the tale occurred.

Marie Little Solider, the Hayden's family Sioux housekeeper falls ill and requires the services of a doctor. Naturally, the Hayden's call on Frank to come and see the patient. To their surprise, Marie is petrified at the thought of being treated by Frank and begins to scream and shout in resistance. Marie later confides in Gail that Frank is said to have sexually assaulted other Indian girls around the county. Wesley is immediately told, yet does not want to believe what he is hearing. Deep-down he knows that what his wife is telling him is true but still he attempts to make excuses for his brother.

He realises that he is now in a difficult position, torn between his loyalty to his brother and family, and his duty to uphold justice. Frank also kills Marie in a desperate attempt to conceal the truth, but young David sees him getting away which eventually forces Wesley to arrest him but keeps him in his basement. Wesley tells Gail, Franks wife, the reason why he has been arrested and she in turn tells Wesley's father who handed down the position of county sheriff to his son. His enraged father goes to Wesley and demands that Frank be released.

Wesley takes a firm stance and refuses to release Frank knowing that his decision will cause he an his family trouble because his father is one of the most respected and influential men of the county. And indeed his father causes a lot of trouble, firstly sending around 4 men in an attempt to break Frank out. Wesley's wife, not willing to face anymore attempts to convince Wesley to let Frank go but Wesley feels that he must uphold the law, family or not, and decides to move Frank to the gaol. The evening before he plans to move him though, Frank sets about destroying all the bottles of jam etc. also kept in the basement. He then uses these broken bottles to kill himself with. The Hayden's lives are now completely destroyed and they decide to move houses.

These events have a dramatic influence over David Hayden and the memory of these occurrences stay with him his entire life. Characters The story is told through the eyes of young David Hayden. A ten-year-old boy who witnesses the events in the summer of 1948 and tells us the story through his thoughts. David is a simple boy yet extremely mature for his age. He is affected greatly by the events and even forty years later when he is a married history teacher the proceedings play over in his mind.

David's father, Wesley Hayden is the county sheriff whose job it is to uphold the law in the little town of Montana. A respected member of the community, Wesley is serving his second term as sheriff when the events of 1948 occur. His dilemmas through the tragic events are almost incomprehensible. He is torn between his loyalty and love for his brother and parents and his duties to uphold justice against innocent members of the county who voted him in to protect them. He is also influenced a lot by his father. Frank, Wesley's brother was an extremely respected member of the community.

He was a star athlete in high school and college and a decorated war hero. He was also the town's doctor. He was a well built, handsome man and was greatly admired and loved by all. Wesley's father was the retired county sheriff who left the position to his son. Over the years of serving the county as sheriff he had grown to acquire many powerful friends. His son Frank was his pride and joy who he always showed off given the opportunity.

He held Frank with great respect but did not give that same respect to Wesley. So it was therefore expected when Wesley locked up his brother that he would go round to his house and demand that Frank be released. Wesley's wife Gail was a strong-willed woman who was the voice of reason throughout most of the story. She supported her husband and helped to keep him strong as he faced the overwhelming campaign to release Frank. Main Themes One of the main themes of the story was the dilemma which Wesley had to deal with, with Frank's arrest: should he uphold the law or should he let him off because he was family and allow him to perhaps abuse other girls. His choice was not easy.

On one hand he had his brother who had been with him all his life, who he had grown up with and shared his childhood with. The brother he loved dearly and the father who also loved him dearly, more so than Wesley himself, who would fight to keep his pride and joy from the embarrassment of being kept in gaol and tried for such a humiliating crime. This would also tarnish and even destroy the proud Hayden name which had accumulated all that respect. On the other hand, he had his duty to the people of Montana who had voted him in for his second term of office to be the county sheriff. They expected him to uphold justice in the county and to protect them from crimes. It was his job to protect the innocent from criminals and to arrest those individuals who were not obeying the law.

Another of the main themes was how the way history is told is largely dependent on who was telling it. Because Frank was Wesley's brother he decided to keep him locked up in the basement. Also at the end of the story, the town was told that Frank had tragically died while trying to help Wesley fix a shelf in the basement.