Justice In Larry Watson's Montana 1948

In the novel, Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, follows a twelve-year-old boy dealing with adult issues in his family and does not know what to think of these controversies. A novel in which includes many issues going on today sends numerous messages to the reader, a big theme being sometimes justice being served isn’t always the justice deserved. In David’s family, he has a babysitter, Marie, who is very much adored by the whole family, and she becomes ill. David’s father, Wesley, wants to bring in his brother who is also a doctor to many people in the town, but Marie refuses to see a doctor. Wesley thinks it is an Indian superstition and wants to be healed by natural ways, but the family soon finds out the real reason why Marie refuses to be seen by a professional. David’s mother explains, “ The reason, Wesley, the reason Marie didn’t want to be examined by Frank is that he- he has… is that your brother has molested Indian girls” (Watson 45). Watson reveals a big secret that has been kept throughout the community about Wesley’s brother, Frank. Frank has been molesting Indian girls for a …show more content…
David’s father is the town sheriff, and knowing his brother might be a child molester sets him on a journey to find proof of his crime. The next day, David states, “ When I saw my father and Ollie Young Bear sitting together at a table away from the others in the cafe, I knew my father was asking Ollie if he had heard anything about Uncle Frank molesting Indian girls. Was he asking the right man? I wondered. Although Ollie Young Bear was much admired by the white population, he had no special status among the Indians” (Watson 60). Ollie Young Bear is looked at as one of the most respected Indians in most of Montana at the time, Wesley is trying to find out if Mr. Young Bear knows anything about Frank to gather evidence so he can serve the justice necessary for his