5/21/08
C.P. English II
Power and Corruption
It is human nature for people with power to tend to abuse it because of their greed and/or personal needs. Such is the case in Larry Watson’s ¬Montana 1948 when Uncle Frank abuses his power as a doctor to rape Indian women. Not only does Frank abuse his power, but Wesley abuses his power by not sending Frank to jail and instead keeping Frank in his basement. This was a huge change of pace for Frank. Uncle Frank was the favorite in the family through the eyes of his parents. He was a star athlete in high school and college, and he is handsome. He was a genuine war hero complete with decorations and commendations. Frank was and is everything Wesley was and more. Wesley was just the town sheriff. He took over the job from his dad who was the sheriff for many years. His brother, Uncle Frank, became a doctor. Uncle Frank always seemed intrigued by Indians, but no one knew that of these provocative desires. Wesley has a son, David Hayden, who is the person telling us the story. Wesley is also married to Gail. They also have a live-in housekeeper named Marie. Marie is an Indian Woman who the family has grown attached to. Wesley and Frank show their abuse of power throughout the book. It is easy to see how abuse of power can affect people around them, but mostly how much it can corrupt even the most loyal people and drive them crazy.
The first abuse of power comes from Uncle Frank, the person who ignites this flame of corruption. Everyone wants to be Frank and everyone looks up to him, but little do those people know that he is obsessed with Indian women and he uses his power as a doctor to get them alone and then rape them. Most people would ask, why don’t you just report him to the police? The reason is that these girls are Indians, and civilized society does not care about the fate of young Indian girls. In court it would become the Indian women’s voice against a white mans, one whose father was once the well-respected sheriff. Franks influence over the community as well as his job title allow for him to abuse his power and Take advantage of Indian women. In June of 2000 two doctors were charged with rape and trying to cover it up. Dr. Alkoc invited two Canadian women into his apartment, drugged them then raped them. Before the women could file a complaint, Dr. Alkoc fled to his home country of Turkey. In both of these cases the doctors used the power given to them by their jobs to get women alone and rape them. Uncle frank uses his power and knowledge as a doctor to rape the Indian Women; and Dr. Alkoc used his power as a doctor to lure the women into his home then drug them and rape them. Uncle Frank’s abuse of power causes someone very close to him to abuse their power as well.
Another abuse of power was committed by Wesley, Uncle Frank’s brother, who is the current sheriff in town. Wesley hears the rumor that his brother is a rapist and decides to investigate. When he finds out that it is true, Wesley puts him under house arrest and locks him in his basement instead of arresting him and sending him to jail. Wesley abused his power as the sheriff to save his brothers public image. If people found out that Uncle Frank was a rapist, people would no longer look at him as the great amazing hero that he is portrayed to be. In October of 2007, a beating occurred in Orange County's Theo Lacy jail. This beating involved six inmates beating a fellow prisoner. The guards caused the whole fight by erroneously telling the inmates that the victim was a child molester. The other inmates felt it necessary to beat the victim. The guards knew the victim was not a child molester, but they told the inmates he was, and because of the power given to them by their job, the inmates believed them and beat the victim. The guards saw it as an easy way to get someone killed and not be blamed for it. In these instances you can see how a sheriff, or in the case of the beating the deputies, have a lot more power and influence and they can abuse it for their own personal needs, wants, or desires.
You can see that there are multiple examples of abuse of power in Montana 1948. The most important theme in Montana 1948 is abuse of power. Two main examples of this theme are how Uncle Frank and Wesley abuse their power. This theme showed up multiple times in the story and truly set up the plot. Another theme is how the social system was in the 1940’s. Since Indians were on the bottom of the social system if the Indians accused him of rape they would just get rejected and shutdown. This book is reminiscent to Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird because in To Kill A Mockingbird, a black slave gets accused of raping a white woman and even though the evidence shows him innocent. Since he is a black man and at the bottom of the social system he is found guilty. This is the same way in Montana 1948 except instead of a black person being found guilty because of his skin, it is an Indian getting taken advantage of because of.
During my research I learned a plethora of new ideas; some of them I agreed with and others I did not. When I was reading Samuel’s Reading Chair, Samuel said, “David soon finds himself forced to deal with concepts and complications that will scar him for the rest of his life”(Samuel). The events happening in the story are going to scar him for life. These are the kind of events that one should learn from to make them stronger. After David sees how abuse of power and corruption can negatively affect the people around him, he will learn to not abuse his power like his father and Uncle did so he does not destroy his family. While reading Samuel’s Reading Chair, I also discovered how he relates Montana 1948 with Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. He says, “In short, Montana 1948 could be called To Kill a Mockingbird for less patient readers.” I completely agree with what Sam is saying because In To Kill A Mockingbird a black man gets accused of rape and is found guilty because a white family abuses their power as higher-class citizens.
There are many important themes in Montana 1948. The most important was the theme of abuse of power. This theme showed up multiple times in the story and truly set up the plot. Another theme is how the social system was in the 1940’s. The reason that the raping of the Indian girls continued to happen in Montana 1948 was due to the social status of the Indians. Many people today abuse their power as a doctor or an officer of the law or in any profession that gives a person power over people. People do it because of their greed, which is human nature. All people should be aware of this and the consequences that come with abusing power. If people know the consequences of abusing power and how it can negatively affect their families and everyone close to them, people will learn to control their desires and defy human nature.
Chris Garcia
6/2/08
Bibliography
'MONTANA 1948' WONDERFUL LITTLE BOOK DESTINED FOR STARDOM.(LIFE & LEISURE)." Albany TImes Union 3 Apr. 1994: 18. Gale Cengage Learning. 7 May 2008. Keyword: Montana 1948.
"LCC Reading Project Explores Power and Privilege in Society.(Arts & Literature)." The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) 2 Nov.-Dec. 2003. Custom Newspapers. Gale Cengage Learning. 12 May 2008.
Samuel. "Samuels Reading Chair." 19 Feb. 2008. 12 May 2008
Newman, Andy. "Doctors Indicted in Case of Rape and Cover-Up." New York Times 30 June 2000. Proquest. 1 June 2008.
Berthelsen, Christian. "O.C. to Vote on Forming Sheriff Review Board; the Panel Would Check Allegations of Abuse by Deputies and Offer Policy Ideas. a Sheriff's Official Says It's Not Necessary." Los Angelos Times 22 May 2007. Proquest. 28 May 2008.
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