Montana 1948

David’s father’s beliefs and actions change dramatically. At what point does he decide to follow the law rather than remaining loyal to his family? What influences him to arrest and hold his brother?

What is the source of David’s mother’s sense of right and wrong? How do her beliefs and actions change? What makes her tell her husband to release Frank after she has been so insistent that he be punished for his crimes?

David considers his father’s attitude towards Native Americans racist. At what point does David’s father change his views on equal rights for Native American people? Is David’s father permanently “cured” of his racism?  

Len, the deputy sheriff, says that a lawman in the West must learn when to look and when to look away. What would have happened if David’s father had ignored Marie’s accusations and not pursued a case against his brother?  

Give three examples of the use of guns and firearms as symbols of emotions in the novel. Explain how each use of a gun depicts a specific emotion for the character involved.

In what ways does the town of Bentrock, Montana, in 1948 resemble a place in the Wild West of a much earlier time? How are conflicts and problems dealt with? Is the town a civilized place to live?  

The mature David at 52 years old believes that keeping secrets has led to the strokes that killed his grandfather and disabled Len and that his father’s bitterness induced his fatal cancer. What is the relationship between stress and health? Do you agree or disagree with David’s diagnoses?

The novel is very clear in its depiction of white people’s racist attitudes towards Native Americans. In what ways does the novel also describe social prejudice against women?