52 pages • 1 hour read
Montana 1948
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During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
Reading Check
1. What expression does David use to describe his mother’s passing?
2. What does Wesley think of Indigenous Americans?
3. How do white people view Ollie Young Bear?
4. What does David’s grandfather give him before he goes horseback riding?
5. What notable change does Wesley go through when he is centering on a suspect?
6. What makes David cry?
7. What emotion does David feel for his uncle at the end of the novella?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Compare and contrast how David and his mother, Gail, view his father, Wesley. What is Gail’s primary concern for her husband and child?
2. Who is Marie Little Soldier? Where does she come from, and what is her role in the Hayden family?
3. Why does Wesley call his brother, Uncle Frank? What information does Marie share with Gail about him?
4. Summarize the circumstances surrounding Marie’s death. What suspicious sight does David tell his parents that he sees?
5. Why do David’s grandparents visit? What do they argue with Wesley about and why?
6. What does Gail suggest to Wesley after their home is almost raided? What does Wesley decide to do?
7. Summarize the events of the Epilogue. What major changes do David and his family undergo in the aftermath of 1948?
Paired Resource
Interview with Author Larry Watson
- Watson shares more information regarding the background of, as well as his choice of characterization in, the story.
- This connects to the themes of Coming of Age/Adolescence and Family Loyalty.
- How does Watson’s interview give you more insight into the story? What questions remain unanswered?
Recommended Next Reads
Justice by Larry Watson
- In this 1995 prequel, Wesley and Frank Hayden go on a hunting trip that tests the law as well as the Hayden family name, revealing important events that occur before Montana 1984.
- Shared themes include Wild West, Law and Law Enforcement, and Family Loyalty.
- Shared topics include the Hayden family genealogy and the setting of Montana.
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
- This 2012 novel follows Saul Indian Horse, a First Nations boy, as he trains to be a professional hockey player while battling racism, cultural alienation, and tragedy.
- Shared themes include Racism and Coming of Age/Adolescence.
- Shared topics include Indigenous peoples in North America and ineffective support mechanisms for marginalized communities.
- Indian Horse on SuperSummary
Reading Questions Answer Key
Reading Check
1. “[A] good death” (Prologue)
2. “[H]e believed Indians, with only a few exceptions, were ignorant, lazy, superstitious, and irresponsible.” (Chapter 1)
3. As “an example of what Indians could be” (Chapter 2)
4. A gun (Chapter 2)
5. He becomes more charming. (Chapter 3)
6. The thought of never seeing his horse Nutty again (Chapter 3)
7. “It was gratitude, yes, but it was something more. It was very close to love.” (Chapter 3)
Short Answer
1. David is disappointed with his father, Wesley, as he believes that he does not fit the archetype of a sheriff. Similarly, David’s mother Gail is also disappointed; she wishes he continued to practice law so she and David could leave Mercer County. Gail is concerned that her husband will always be under the controlling shadow of his father, and that David will become “wild” by growing up in the region. (Chapter 1)
2. Marie Little Soldier is a Hunkpapa Sioux woman from North Dakota who helped to take care of David, as well as the house, while his parents were working. David recalls loving her, but not feeling threatened by her boyfriend, as David “worshipped” him. (Chapter 1)
3. Uncle Frank is a doctor in the town. When Marie falls severely ill, Wesley calls Frank to attend to her; however, upon seeing Frank, she insists on keeping Gail in the room with her. After Frank leaves, Gail reveals to Wesley that Marie said Frank sexually assaults Indigenous American girls. (Chapter 1)
4. Gail finds Marie dead the day after they visit David’s grandfather’s house. David reveals to his parents that he saw Uncle Frank leaving their house earlier in the afternoon, and that he believes Len saw him, too. (Chapter 2)
5. After Wesley arrests Frank and “imprisons” him in the basement, David’s grandparents come to the house and demand to see their son. When Wesley denies his father’s requests to release Frank, a tense argument ensues in which David’s grandfather is dismissive of Frank’s actions of sexual assault and murder, as well as pejorative to Wesley’s ability to work in law enforcement. (Chapter 3)
6. Gail insists that Wesley let Frank go, because she wants to feel safe again. Initially, Wesley agrees; however, he changes his mind and says he will move Frank over to the jail in the morning. As a result of this decision, Frank dies by suicide in the cellar. (Chapter 3)
7. The Epilogue opens with David recounting the move of his family from Bentrock to Fargo, North Dakota. Wesley is finally able to practice law, Gloria remarries, and Len is elected sheriff. (Epilogue)
