Montana 1948 Study Guide, Part III #26-50

26. What do you make of Len and David's mother's embrace on page 140 (133)? (It's a small detail, but look at the short paragraph half way down the page where "Len step[s] back."
27. Until the very end of this scene, David's father in unaccounted for; in effect, he leaves his family to fend for itself. What does this show? How grave is his error?
28. On page 143(136), David's mother--who all along has forced David's father to confront the worst of Frank Hayden's sins--does an abrupt about-face. What does she say that's surprising? How have her allegiances shifted? When she speaks of "her family," whom does she mean?
29. Consider Len's remarks on page 147(141), regarding the idea that Marie's body should have had an autopsy. What is his thesis? Why do you suppose he view things this way?
30. On page 149-150 (143), David's father emerges from the basement with a stunning piece of news. What does he mean on page 150(144) when he says, "Don't ask how"? Are we meant to know exactly?
31. Speculate: why do you think Frank has confessed at this time? Evaluate his motive. Has he underestimated his brother Wesley? Or perhaps he's estimated correctly....
32. What symbolism is found in the breaking of the jars? Consider what these jars are used for, and who has used them. (It may help to recall Wesley Hayden's remark on page 113 (105-106) that "women come and they want fresh paint.") What psychological motive could Frank have for breaking them?
33. Can you see any connection--symbolic, metaphoric, psychogical--between the inverted "V" made by the bed linens on page 152 (146) and the "V" shape of Wesley Hayden's injured leg mentioned on page 16 (4)?
34. The following morning in the kitchen, Wesley Hayden tells his son a story about the Highdog brothers, members of the Blackfoot Tribe. What is this story meant to show? Consider especially his remark on page 157(151)  that the Highdog brothers regarded the slough as part of their "territory." What's the historical metaphor?
35. On a similar note, what's the historical significance of the fact, mentioned on page 158(152), that the oldest Highdog, drunk, "was killed when he lay down on the railroad tracks outside town." What's the significance of the railroad in the history of the American West?
36. Why do you think that David's father takes coffee to his brother Frank on page 159 (153)? Why in the text is so much attention paid to this, the cups and saucers and aroma of it?
37. As for Uncle Frank's suicide: is there a special significance to the fact that he has used the broken jars to slash his own wrists?
38. Speculate: what is Uncle Frank's motive for comitting suicide? Does his suicide add up? Does it force the reader to reconsider the kind of man he is, and his most recent actions?
39. David says on page 161 (155) that "Uncle Frank's suicide had solved all their problems." How is he correct? How is he incorrect?
40. How is it possible, as David says on 162 (156), that he now feels love for his Uncle, despite everything he knows? Does death change the way we regard someone?
41. On page 165 (159) we learn that David's family moved away from Bentrock almost immediately, never to return. Somewhat suprisingly, it his his mother, not his father, who is the author of their departure. What does this show about her? About Wesley Hayden?
42. What do you make of David's remark on page 167 (161) that "Frank's death was an unbridgeable gap between us?" And later, that "If there was any sense, any purpose at all in Uncle Frank's suicide, if he killed himself for any reason, it was so these people--his wife, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law--coudl be reunitd after his death"? Is Wesley saying something about the relationship between the future and the past for a Western town like Bentrock?
43. On page 169 (162), looking into his empty house, David comments on the irony of his family's exile. What is that irony? What does it say about the price paid for justice?
44. David's father returns to his first career, becoming a lawyer. David is amazed by this. As he says on page 170 (164), "after what I observed as a child in Bentrock, I could never believe in the rule of law again. That my father could continue his profession I attributed tohis ability to segment parts of his life and keep one from intruding on another." What does he mean? Is this true? Has his father always demonstrated such an ability?
45. Consider also the ways in which his father's career change is an appropriate one, under the circumstances. How is being a lawyer different from being a peace officer?
46. On page 170  (164)we learn that David has become a history teacher as an adult. He comments at length on the ways in which this is both appropriate and ironic, too. Explain. How do we usually remember and record history?
47. David makes a case, on page 171(165), that the incidents in Bentrock in the summer of 1948 directly caused the deaths of three people, in addition to his uncle: Len, his grandfather, and his father. Yet, all three died of natural causes. What does he mean? Consider the cause of death and circumstances in each case.
48. On pages 172-3 (166-167), David as the adult narrator of the story briefly flashes back to a memory of an afternoon in the company of Marie and her boyfriend Ronnie. What's this a memory of? Why is it so compelling for him? Consider the actual game they play, and why it appealed to him at the time, appeals to him still. What sort of world is he remembering, even wishing for?
49. Consider the final scene of the novel, in which David's wife Betsy questions his father at Thanksgiving dinner. First of all, what's the significance of Thanksgiving? What does it commemorate?
50. What does Betsy say that makes David's father so angry? And why does it anger him? Lastly, consider his final, thundering remark: "Never blame Montana." What about Montana is he defending?

Montana 1948 Study Guide, Part III #1-25

Montana 1948 Study Guide, Part III #1-25


Montana 1948, chapter 3 and epilogue, pages 105-175.(older edition) 97-169 (newer edition)

1. The first matter of the chapter is the burial of Marie Little Soldier. Her family has chosen not to have her buried locally, but to take her back to North Dakota. On page 105, (97)) David's father says, "I tried to tell Mrs. Little Soldier that this was Marie's home also and that we thought of her as a member of the family, but she didn't want
to hear..." What's odd about this remark? And why does David's mother "nod knowingly" before she answers?

2. On page 106 (97) David describes his father's approach to a criminal investigation, comparing his present investigation to one several years before. What does this description show about the way the law is conducted in Montana? How is this different from the way we expect the law to be applied?

3. What is the particular significance of the model of the B-29 that David is working on when his uncle and father arrive at the house on page 107? (99)Remember that the author could have had David doing anything at all--the model is a carefully made, perhaps symbolic choice. Consider its variety of meanings. (There's no one right answer here...)

4. Why is Uncle Frank carrying "a small satchel"? Usually--in virtually every other scene in the novel when Uncle Frank comes the house--he carries a doctor's bag. Even David notes the change. What's the meaning of the change?

5. Why do you suppose Uncle Frank seems so cheerful? Is this ironic?

6. On page 108, (100)after David's father emerges alone from the basement, he drinks liquor. What's the significance of the brand he drinks? And why does David say that he "held the glass to the rain-streaked window as if he were examining it for impurities"?

7. David also says that his father "was making a long journey while he stood in our kitchen." Explain.

8. On the bottom of page 108,((101) David leads us to believe for a moment--just a moment--that his father has killed his uncle. Why does he say this if it isn't true? Is there a sense in which he has killed his brother?

9. On page 109 (101-102)we learn what has happened. What is Wesley Hayden's motive for locking his brother in the basement? How does this represent a compromise of sorts? Evaluate his decision, based on what you know about the way the law is applied in Montana, and how in general we expect a lawyer and peace officer to behave.

10. Now, consider this gesture as metaphor. Why not the attic? A bedroom? The tool shed? Why the basement?

11. Consider also: how secure is the basement? Is it an effective jail? What does this tell you about both Wesley and Frank Hayden?

12. On page 112,(104) David's mother insists that Gloria be told immediately what has happened. This gives us a new insight into her character. Why this sudden interest in Gloria and her "rights"? How does this add complexity to the situation, to all the characters' struggle to do what's right?

13. On pages 112-113,(105-106) David's father instructs him to perform a chore. What chore, and why is it significant? Why would his father have a sudden interest in home repair? In formulating your answer, consider carefully his father's words on page 113,(106) when he seems to contradict himself, advising David that "if it was up to [him], [he'd] probably just let it go...." What wish is his father expressing?

14. On pages 115-116(106-107), David's grandfather arrives with his grandmother to demand Frank's release. Here's a question; why do you think he brings his wife along, since she says almost nothing? (In fact, even David notices her failure to claim Frank as her son....)

15. Regarding the same scene, on page 116(108), David's father says that "This isn't about family....It's a legal matter," to which his father replies, "Bullshit. Then why have you got him locked up here and not over in the jail?" Is his grandfather correct? Who is winning this argument?

16. Assess the way David's grandfather treats his father in general in this scene.

17. On page 116 (108), David is briefly afraid that his grandfather is going to pull a gun, so afraid in fact that he cries out. Instead, his grandfather produces a cigar. Apart from the obvious sexual symbolism (a cigar is another version of a gun, a male phallus), what else does it signify?

18. David's grandfather says to his father on page 119 (112), "That fucking uniform. If I could have gotten you in one, maybe we wouldn't have this problem." This is obviously an oversimplification of the situation, but it shows a great deal about grandfather Hayden's logic. He is accusing his son of failing to be a good soldier. What does this mean? What does a soldier do? How has Wesley Hayden failed to live up to this definition?

19. Consider also Grandfather Hayden's remarks on the following pages, beginning with "What the hell am I supposed to think? Screwing an Indian..." and concluding with, "Is that why I gave you that goddamn badge?" What sort of authority is his grandfather claiming? How far does he believe his will to extend over others?

20. On page 121 (113), David reminds us that he's listening to the whole conversation through the heating ducts, and suddenly realizes that his Uncle Frank is probably doing the same thing. Then he has a realization, more eerie and profound still, that his Uncle could, at this moment, speak directly to him without being heard by anybody in the living room. What do you make of this? Why does this possibility concern him so much?

21. On page 123 (116) David comes downstairs and sees his mother and father in the kitchen. Have we seen this scene before in the novel? Where? And what do you make of David's assertion, made on page 124, (117) that "this was the moment I knew my father would die someday"? In what sense is his father's mortal nature imbedded in the scene?

22. On page 124, (118) David grieves for his horse, Nutty. Why is this grief so acute for him? What does the horse represent to him? What, beyond the companionship of a responsive animal, is being lost? (An additional connection you can make: on page 16, (4) we learned that David's father's limp is caused by an accident with a horse when he was 16. Consider this as you fathom the metaphoric nature of horses in the novel.)

23. On pages 126 to 129 (118-121) David walks to town. En route, he experiences a disturbing new train of thought. What is that train of thought? How might this represent a significant turning point in his life?

24. When he returns home on 129 (122), David confronts his mother. During this conversation, she is slicing cucumbers. What is the symbolic significance of this act? (Sorry....it's obvious, but it must be noted.) How does slicing cucumbers relate to what she tells him?
25. On pages 130 to 140 (123-133), we reach one of the climaxes of the novel (novels, unlike short stories, can have several climaxes, just as a novel can more easily accommodate more than one protagonist; this scene, you might say, is the "climax" of the tale for David's mother.) On its surface, this scene might come from any number of other novels or films set in the West. How so? And more importantly, what is different here?

Elements of the Novel

Reading 099
Literary Elements of the Novel Defined

1.Plot
The series of events in the story.
.Protagonist
The main character around whom much of the story centers.
3.Antagonist
This element is the force against the protagonist.
4.Setting
The time and place of the story. Also may include minor characters add to the realism of the work.
5.Character
Below are the elements of chracterization
--what the character does
--what the character says
--what others say about the character
--what the author states directly
--physical description
5.Point of View
The “eyes” through whom the story is told. Three points of view are possible”
--1st Person(An individual tells the story through his/her eyes. It uses the first person pronoun "I."


--Omniscient(This view is all-knowing. The reader is able to see all of the characters'
points of view. It uses the third person pronouns: he, she, they, etc.

--Limited Third (This view is a combination of 1st and Omniscient. The reader is able to see all of the characters' points of view, but it zeroes in on one more than the others.

7 Conflict
There are 4 conflicts , or opposing forces ,which often appear in a novel.
--Man against Man
--Man against himself (internal)
--Man against Society
--Man against nature


8.Climax
This element is the decisive moment of the story or the turning point ,when we find out whether the protagonist will triumph or not.
9.Flashback
Here, details from an earlier point in time are revealed to the reader.
10.Foreshadowing 
This element reveals hints to the reader of upcoming plot developments.
11.Irony

Irony is when the words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters. This is the result of the reader having a greater knowledge than the characters themselves.
12 Theme
This element is the idea about life that the author is relaying to the reader.It is the driving force behind the entire novel.
13.Simile
This element compares two unlike items with one thing they have in common. The words "like" or "as" are used.
14.Metaphor
This element compares two unlike items with one thing they have in common without using "like" and "as."

Montana 1948 Study Guide Part 2

Montana, 1948, Chapter Two, pages 57-102(47-93)

Pages in ( ) are 2007 edition.

1. As the second chapter begins, we see David Hayden begin to reconstruct his father's investigation. We are reminded that, in large measure, the story of what happened that summer in Montana is heresay and deduction. How accurate do you suppose are David's conclusions? Do the three deductions presented on the following pages give us confidence in his ability to feret out the truth? Why or why not?

2. Ollie Young Bear--his role in the story is slight. In fact, he virutally disappears after this one scene. Why is he in the story? What is the significance of the fact that he has a white wife?

3. What's important about the scene in the bowling alley on page 59 ?(p.49) What does it show about David, about his father?

4. What's the significance of the weather in the scene on page 63 (p.53), when David and his mother are temporarily banished from the house?

5. On page 65 (p.55), David's mother delivers a short soliloquy on the geography of Montana, and the geography of her youth. David interprets this as her way of saying "she wanted a few moments of purity." He also ads that he is "on the trail of something that [will] lead him out of childhood." Explain.

6. On page 67 (57), en route to the ranch, David's father makes a tentative suggestion that the family take a trip to Yellowstone, a national park in Montana and Wyoming. Is this destination arbitrary? And what do you make of David's observation that "unfortunately, he did not often keep his promises."

7. On page 69 (59-60), we get to see David's grandfather for the first time. What sort of figure is he? Does he resemble anyone else in the story, or anyone else you have seen in the literature and film of the West?

8. On the same subject--what do you make of the Hayden's house on page 68 (58)? What does it say about its occupants?

9. On page 71 (62), the subject of Frank's and Gloria's childlessness comes up--just when David, who is eavesdropping, expects his father to tell Grandpa Hayden about Frank's improper sexual relationships with Indian girls. What do you make of this juxtaposition? Why do you think David's father is bringing up the subject now?

10. On the same page, David thinks: "Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he'll take care of everything. He'll grab Uncle Frank by the shoulders and shake him so hard his bones will clatter like castanets. He'll shake him up and shout in Frank's face that he'd better straighten up and fly right or there'll be hell to pay. And because it's grandfather, that will be the end of it." What does this deep faith in his grandfather show about David? And what do you make of the violence of this vision? Why his grandfather, and not his father?

11. David's grandfather, on the next page, lets slip that his son Frank has "always been partial to red meat." He is speaking about Indian women, of course, but the metaphor he chooses is telling. What does it show about him? How does he seem to feel about his son's improprieties?

12. The novel then moves to flashback, returning us to a distant memory of Frank's bachelor party. Again., David relays an overheard conversation. Look to page 75 (65)-here, his father delivers a drunken speech about the "Hayden boys," describing them as a kind of fraternity of lawlessness and macho bravado. "We are the law!" he says. Then he vomits. Explain the connection between this scene and the statement on page 21 (9) that David's father is a man "who tried to turn two ways at once" .

13. On page 76 (67) we meet David's grandmother. How is she different from the other women in the novel, especially David's own mother? What is this meant to show?

14. On page 77 (68), David confesses his erotic attraction for his Aunt Gloria, and describes a scene when, bedridden, she tended to him. He even pretends to be asleep, in order that he may enjoy her closeness to him: "as she bent down to feel my forehead," David confesses, "I could smell her perfume." Does this arrangement--an erotic attraction in the midst of medical care--remind you of anything else in the novel?

15. Subsequently, David overhears a whispered conversation between his aunt and his uncle, then the squeaking of their bedsprings. What's going on here? Does this scene change, if briefly, our sense of Uncle Frank the Indian molester?

16. On page 79-80 (70-71), David is given an automatic pistol by his grandfather and told to go shoot coyotes. David says of handguns: "They were something not serious, not for bringing down game but for shooting as an activity in and of itself...." How is this gun different from the guns David's father has given him and trained him to use? Is it significant that it comes from his grandfather? Does it have a symbolic meaning?

17. What is the double meaning of the two paragraphs on page 80 (71) that begin: "I shot up the entire box of bullets." (Consider that in the scene immediately preceding, David has experienced powerful erotic sensations at his aunt's perfume--and disgust as well.)

18. Of the magpie that he shoots, David says on page 81 (72), "I hadn't even known it but I needed to kill something." What is he struggling with? Why must his anger manifest itself in violence?

19. Continue your interpretation on page 82 (73), with the paragraph that begins "I felt the way I did when I woke from an especially disturbing and powerful dream....." Pay particular attention to the lines: "I realized that these strange, unthought-of connections--sex and death, lust and violence, desire and degredation--are there, there, deep in even a good heart's chambers."

20. One last point to consider. A heart has chambers, as David says. So does a gun. What's the symbolic connection?

21. On page 82 (74), David sees his father and uncle talking. What's the first strange thing he notices? What is the significance of this?

22. Why does David pantomime shooting his uncle? What would his motive be for murder?

23. As the scene closes on page 84 (75), David notes that "My father and Uncle Frank walked off together, their broad shoulders almost touching." What are we meant to think has transpired between them?

24. What's wrong--or insufficient--about David's father's remarks to his wife on the return drive page p.85 (75)?

25. What is the significance of Marie's strange remark on page 86? (77) ("He's hard to see when you look for him.") What's hard to see? What's David been looking for?

26. On page 87 (78), David says that he "knew, knew immediately what had happened." What does he know? How does he know it?

27. What's the symbolic significance of the open medical bag on the table on page 87(78)?

28. On page 88(79-80), Uncle Frank suggests a couple of explanations for Marie Little Soldier's sudden death. David also notes that as he spoke "he stood up so straight he seemed to be at attention." What's the meaning of this body language? A soldier is one who stands at attention. Whose orders is he following?

29. On a related note--speaking of soldiers, what do you make of Marie's last name?

30. On page 89(80), Uncle Frank says, "Pneumonia is still a serious disease. Very serious. We mustn't lose sight of that." What is he asking his audience to do? And is there a connection--an echo--between these words and Marie's last words on page 86 (77)?

31. On page 93(84), Len, who has served as a deputy under both David's father and grandfather, explains what it means "to be a peace officer in Montana." What does it mean? Does it mean that still, in this story, in the summer of 1948?

32. Why do you suppose the author, Larry Watson, chose to make Len an alcoholic? What does this say about the kind of life he has led? Is this a by-product of being "a peace officer in Montana"?

33. David also supposes that Len is, or has been, in love with his mother. Nothing much comes of this in the novel--the matter is simply noted here, then dropped. Why is it in the story? What does it say about Len, his basic qualities of character, his loyalties and allegiances?

34. Why do you suppose David chooses not to tell Len what he saw on page 94 (85)?

35. After David tells his father what he saw, he notices his father's injured knee. Go to the paragraph on page 100(91) that begins "My mother turned on the lamp beside the bed." What is the connectin that David notes between his father's injured leg and "the pain he felt over his brother"?

36. Closing the chapter, on pages 101-2 (92-93), David has a dream about all the Indians in Bentrock, on top of Circle Hill. He notes, among other details, that in his dream, they aren't dressed as they are in the movies, but just as they appear in his daily life. How do you interpret this dream, in particular the way they are dressed?

Montana 1948 Study Guide Part 1

From LaSalle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Pages in parenthesis are for 2007 edition

Montana, 1948, prologue and chapter one, pages 11-54 (xv-43)
1. Before you even begin reading, the novel story announces in its title the importance of its setting. What expectations are established with this title? What do you know about Montana, about 1948, about Montana in 1948? What do you know about novels and stories set in the West?
2. In the prologue, the narrator, David Hayden, explains a few things: how old he was when the story took place, how old he is now, and what has happened since. List this information, and then speculate: why, perhaps, is he telling the story now? What expectations does this establish for the story to come?
3. Also in the prologue, David offers a list of images. What do these images suggest? And what do you make of his insistence, on the following page, that these images, and others like them, be viewed simultaneously, not chronologically?
4. Lastly, David describes himself at the bottom of page 12 (p xvi) as "a witness." What does this word mean? List all its possible meanings.
5. On page 15 (page 3), David introduces the setting promised in the title. What are the important facts, figures and details of this description? What kind of place is Mercer County?
6. On page 16 (page 4), he describes that time in his life as "a new, blessedly peaceful era." How so? And how is this related to David's own age? (Why is 12 more peaceful than, say 10, or 15?)
7. On the same subject, what do we already know about Mercer County that tells us to be suspicious of this idyllic description?
8. The following pages are devoted to a description of David's father, in particular his job. In what ways does he defeat our expectations of the typical Western lawman?
9. Along the same lines, a great deal of time is devoted to a description his gun and holster. How does this encapsulate his failure to conform to our image--and David's image-- of a "typical" Western sheriff? How does Dave seem to feel about this?
10. The badge, too, gets some attention, and here David comments on something he later learned about it --page 19( page 7). What is the significance of his new, adult understanding of the reason his father never wore a badge?
11. On pages 19-21 (pages 8-9) we learn that the Hayden family is something of a dynasty in law enforcement. Later, on page 21 (page 9), David describes his father as a man "who tried to turn two ways at once." Describe this conflict, including in your answer some thoughts on David's reference, in the same paragraph, to his "grandfather's domain."
12. A patriarch is a father figure, one who heads a family. A patriarchy is a society that is ruled by men. If the world of Mercer County is a patriarchy, what values are its principle values? What is the LAW?
13. On page 22, (pages 10-11) David lays out a second conflict. What is it?
14. Why is it significant that David and his family live "in the middle of town"? page 23 (page 11) What does this positioning suggest?
15. Comment intelligently on David's other life--his country life--at his grandfather's ranch. Is he, like his father, a man pulled two ways?
16. What do you make of the story of the toothless Indian woman on page 25? (page 13) What does it show about Bentrock, and the general attitude of whites toward Indians? And how does this foreshadow the accusations later made against David's uncle?
17. On the following pages, 25 to 29,(pages 13-18) David descibes Marie Little Soldier and his feelings for her. Comment on two details: the incident, mentioned on 29 (page 17), in which he accidentally sees her naked (what else in the story does David see that is naked?); and his remark on page 25 (page 13) that "her body could be ready, at a moment's notice, for sex or work."
18. Why do you think David mentions his own encounter with chicken pox on page 28? (page 16)Hint: he's speaking of a childhood disease, suffered as an adult.
19. On pages 32-33 (page 21) what is the meaning of David's rhetorical question: "Was the sweat hers or mine?"
20. On page 22(page 34) we get a glimpse into David's father's prejudice against Indians. What do you make of David's explanation? Does he defend his father? Try to rationalize his racism?
21. On page 35 (page 23), David's father calls his brother on the phone. What do you make of his saying, "We've got a sick Indian girl over here, Frank"? What is strange about this?
22. Marie's objection to Frank's visit is personal; she's afraid he will molest her. But the story also raises some more general questions about the role of a white doctor treating a Native American. Is there anything strange, or wrong about this? Ambiguous perhaps? Modern medicine is, after all, a Western science. In what sense might ANY treatment by a white doctor qualify as a kind of rape, metaphorically speaking?
23. Pages 35 to 38 (pages 24-27)) are devoted to discussion of David's uncle Frank. What sort of man does he appear to be? Does his personal resume make him out to be more than an ordinary man?
24. On the same subject, consider the scene in which David's grandfather calls his "son" to speak to the crowd. How are we to interpret the final moment of this scene, when David's father is seen picking up pieces of trash?
25. What happens in Marie's sick room on pages 40-41? (pages 28-29) What do you make of the shouted "NO!'s"

Montana 1948 Study Guide Overview

Themes: Journey from innocence to awareness; justice and the price it sometimes extracts; collapse of family structure; professional misconduct; unethical behavior; privilege and power.

This book is about the horrific events that consumed the summer of 1948 in Bentrock, Montana. The events are seen through the viewpoint of a 12-year-old boy, now 52, who is looking back 40 years to understand how and why his life was shaped the way it was.

Setting-

the setting of a novel encompasses a number of different, but linked, elements:

* time - day or night; summer or winter; the historical period (an actual date)

* place - inside or outside; country or city; specific town and country; real or fictional

* social - the minor characters who take little part in advancing the plot, but whose presence contributes to the realism of the novel

* mood and atmosphere - eerie; dangerous; menacing; tense; threatening; relaxing; nostalgic; happy; light-hearted etc.

Answer thoughtfully:

What purpose does the prologue play in this story?

What do you expect will happen by the novel’s end?

How is the "harsh life" of Bentrock illustrated in the description of the town?
----What is the importance of the year 1948? Consider the historical events in the years preceding this story.
--What promises does the year 1948 hold for the people of Bentrock?
--What is the importance of the Indian reservation in the novel?

In what ways are the lives of the Indians different than that of the townspeople?

-- In your opinion, who are the major characters in the novel so far?

-- Which characters would you classify as minor? How do each of them contribute to the plot?

Essay Questions- Novel Test

Behrani tells his son, "Remember what I've told you of so many Americans: they are not disciplined and have not the courage to take responsibility for their actions. If these people paid to us the fair price we are asking, we could leave and she could return. It is that simple. But they are like little chidren, son. They want things only their way" [p. 172]. How accurate is his perception of Americans? How well does it apply to Kathy and Lester? Does this apply to Behrani himself?

Should Behrani be held responsible, on some level, for the crimes and excesses of the Shah's regime? Is he responsible for Esmail's fate?


What justification does Behrani have for strangling Kathy? For killing his wife? For taking his own life?

What kind of treatment is Lester getting in jail, considering the fact that he is a policeman?

To whom has the colonel left all his possessions, including the house on Bisgrove Street? Why is this such an ironic twist in the plot?

Why does Colonel Behrani put on his military uniform at the climax of the novel?

What is Kathy thinking about while watching the house out of her hospital window? How are these seemingly unimportant people significant to her?

Why has Kathy avoided telling her mother and brother the truth about her situation? Does their meeting at the end of the novel resolve any of Kathy's difficult feelings about her place in the family?


What do you find most disturbing about the novel's denouement? If you find yourself imagining an alternate ending, what would that ending be?