Montana 1948

Sunday, November 8, 2009

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?




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