Montana+Group+One

DATE:3/21/11 GROUP #: 1 MEMBERS: Allyson, Tiffany , Julez , Cassie
 * Book Group**

**I. Introduction:** > **II. Supporting Section #1:**
 * In __Montana 1948__ by Larry Watson, he expresses family relationship difficulties within the Hayden family.
 * Wesley feels like he is not a good son compared to Uncle Frank. Also, after Frank is accused of sexually abusing his female Indian patients, the grandfather tries to get him out of it. When Wesley refused to free Frank of the charges against him, the grandfather stopped talking to Wesley and his family and attempted to break Frank out of his basement to save him.
 *  The grandfather's favoritism towards Uncle Frank is to blame for Uncle Frank and Wesley's problems.
 *  The grandfather has always shown favoritism towards Uncle Frank.
 * Grandfather did not say, "my son the veteran," or "my son the war hero," or "my son the soldier." He simply said, "my son." And why wouldn't the county sheriff be called on to make a small speech? But my father didn't move...Uncle Frank had not hesitated either; he knew immediately that Grandfather was referring to him. (page 37)
 *  "This isn't about family," my father said. "This is a legal matter." "Bullshit. Then why have you got him locked up here and not over at the jail? This is your brother here. My //son!//" I looked at my grandmother. Didn't she want to say that Frank was her son too? (page 116)
 *  First quote-shows how everyone in the family, especially Uncle Frank, knew that he was Grandfather's favorite son. Second quote-it seems that Grandfather cares more about Frank's well-being more than Wesley's. (commentary—not on the slides, but verbalized by group members.)

**III. Supporting Section //#2://**
 *  Uncle Frank always knew that he was the favorite son, so he knew he could get away with anything and Grandfather would always bail him out if he got caught.
 * His tone must have angered her, because her voice went right back to where it had been earlier, and though it seemed each word was the product of effort...//He does what he wants to do."// (page 47)
 * Len gestured toward the yard's end, where the truck had been parked. "Dale Paris. Mickey Krebs. Couple other men who work for your pa. They were here, looking to bust your brother loose, I suppose." (page 140)
 *  First quote-shows that Frank sexually assaults his female Indian patients and he can get away with it. Second quote-shows how Grandfather will keep Frank safe and out of trouble, no matter how bad his crimes are. (commentary—not on the slides, but verbalized by group members.)

**IV. Supporting Section #3:**
 *  Wesley is forced to follow in his brother's footsteps in attempt to reach their father's expectations.
 * ====When my grandfather finally decided to retire for good and return to the ranch, he found a way to do this yet retain his power in the county: he turned the post over to my father...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. (page 21)====
 * <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">My mother fervently believed that my father - indeed, all of us - would be happier if he practiced law and if we did not live in Montana, and her reasons had little to do with the potentially hazardous nature of a sheriff's work...she felt, allow my father to be fully himself. (page 19)
 * <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> First quote-Wesley would drop all of his dreams just to please Grandfather's wishes. Second quote-The mother feels that Wesley is not following his own dreams, he's following Grandfather's dreams.

<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.2pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.2pt;">**V. Conclusion:**
 * <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.2pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">The grandfather's favoritism towards Uncle Frank is to blame for the problems between the Hayden men. The grandfather has always expressed his favoritism towards Uncle Frank. Uncle Frank knew that he was the favorite son, so he also knew that he could get away with anything and Grandfather would always be there to bail him out of trouble. However, Wesley is forced to follow in Frank's footsteps to please their father.
 * <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 37.2pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Everyone should be treated equally, no matter who you are even if it's your own children. If you show favoritism now, it will come back to haunt you in the future and may end up tearing your family apart.

For your reading of //Montana 1948//, book groups will meet four times to discuss the novel and address each aspect listed below. Take notes on your wiki for each of your meetings and save it to your group’s Wiki, noting the date and members names at the top.

**This is the reading/book discussion schedule. Be sure you have completed each part prior to the book discussion day.**

1) Part One, Monday, March 21st 2) Part Two, Thursday, March 24th 3) Part Three, Monday, March 28th 4) Afterward/Epilogue, Wednesday, March 30th

**Directions: Write your notes for every category below on your group’s wiki space. Be sure to discuss in your groups:**

= · Imagery/ Symbolism =

= · Character Behavior or Psychology: = For Part one you **must** focus on characterization of the main characters listed below. **For each character, discuss all three modes of characterization:** You must use textual evidence for each of these three elements of characterization
 * 1. What the character says **
 * 2. What the character does **
 * 3. What others/narrator says about the character **

__Narrator’s Father__ - He's jealous of his brother (Uncle Frank). He also held Indians in low regard. "He was not a hate-filled bigot - he probably thought he was free of prejudice! - and he could treat Indians with generosity, kindness, and respect (as he could treat every human being). Nevertheless, he believed Indians, with only a few exceptions, were ignorant, lazy, superstitious, and irresponsible." He is the sheriff of the town and now has to deal with the case of figuring out if the accusations on his brother are true. (Pages 17, 19, 34) Wesley now has to deal with the case that Dave has brought up to him, that Frank might have killed Marie because he was at the house around 3 with nobody home and Dave saw him. He doesn't know what to do with all that is going on.

__Narrator’s mother (Gail)__- His mother doesn't like sickness. Anytime they are walking and someone sneezes or coughs in front of them she slows down her pace to make sure the germ in the air go away. "She spent a good deal of energy avoiding it or keeping it away from herself and her family. She would not accept or extend invitations if she knew it meant someone sick might get too close. If we were walking down the street and someone ahead of us coughed or sneezed, my mother slowed her pace until she thought those germs had dissipated in the air." The narrator respects his mother. She doesn't want Marie to go to a hospital and is mad at Uncle Frank because he rapes the girls he examines. (Page 27)

__Marie and Ronnie Tall Bear__ - Marie: She is an Indian that lives with the narrator's family. She has long black hair, brown eyes, and broad shoulders. The narrator loves her and has a crush on her. She got sick and refused to see a doctor. When the doctor came she never wanted to be alone with him, and for the time that she was he touched her and she was screaming for Gail to come into the room. (Page 25, 31) Marie died on Monday, August 14, 1948.

Ronnie Tall Bear: Marie's boyfriend. He was athletic and very smart but no colleges would accept him because he was an Indian. The narrator loved him like he loved Marie but in a different way. (Page 26)

__Uncle Frank (and Aunt Gloria)__ - Uncle Frank: He was a doctor and is everything the narrator's father is and more. It is said that he rapes or does certain "things" to the Indian girls when he examines them when they're sick. Most girls don't want a doctor because of this reason. (Page 44) Aunt Gloria: She was a worried women. Thinks she thinks that Frank is hiding something from everybody.

__ Grandfather __ -He respects and loves his son Frank more than Wesley because Frank was a war veteran while Wesley became a sheriff. He thinks he can still maintain power over Wesley. Grandfather likes to be a powerful and controlling person to others. (Page 20) Grandfather doesn't want the situation being brought back to him. The children want to not disappoint him because he doesn't want him to get mad and more controlling of them.

= · Interesting Passages (at least two passages, cited in proper MLA format) =

= · Questions/ Predictions you have: =

Tiffany- I predict that David will admit to what he has heard and that Grandfather will somehow protect Uncle Frank from being thrown in jail.
Allyson-I predict that David will tell his father about what he knows. This would later result in Uncle Frank being thrown in jail but have Grandfather so support and will help him not be thrown in jail.

= · Connections to modern life or your personal life = In modern life, there are some doctors that take advantage of their female patients. They are supposed to be helping them, but they are really scaring and hurting them.