Montana 1948 Character Analysis

In the novel, Montana 1948, there are many women who represent their strength.

First, Marie Little Soldier, a Native American woman, speaks out against Dr. Frank Hayden, the brother of Sheriff Wes Hayden who is her employer.
When Marie falls ill, Wes calls his brother Frank. This makes Marie very upset, and she tells them she does not want Dr. Hayden to see her. She gives the excuse that she sees a different Doctor by the name of Dr. Snow. Wes thinks it would be easier and more convenient to just call his brother. Marie persists and even gets hysterical. Gail Hayden, Wes’s wife, goes in to talk to Marie. Gail then tells her husband what Marie shared with her.
Gail explains that, “ ‘The reason, Wesley, the reason Marie did not want

to be examined by Frank is that he - he has… is that your brother has molested Indian girls … He’s been doing it for years, Wes. When he examines an Indian he … he does things he shouldn’t. He takes liberties. Indecent liberties’ “ (45)
This demonstrates strength within Marie because it took courage to speak out against a respected doctor. Women in that era just did not talk about sexual matters, and Native American people in general did not speak out against a white person.

Then, Gail demonstrates that she is a strong woman by being capable of handling a tough situation.
When men show up at the Hayden home, Gail and David are the only two people home besides Frank who is locked away in the basement. The men proceed to come towards the house and she takes the situation into her own hands and grabs the shotgun. She orders David to find his dad, but on his way back he hears the sound of the shotgun being set off. He comes into the kitchen to discover that his mother had shot through the window towards the men.
She yells at them, “ ‘You get away from there! Get away from the house - do you hear me!’ ” (137)
This shows Gail as a strong and independent woman. She is willing to stand in the way of danger to protect what is hers and what she cares about. In this case that is David and her house.

Finally, Two Native American women, whose names are never given, are willing to stand up to Dr. Hayden and testify in court.
Wes talks with Ollie Young Bear, a Native American man who is highly thought of by the white, about the situation going on with Marie and his brother Frank. When Wes comes back to the house he explains to David that Ollie Young Bear has been doing some work on the case also.
He explains that, ‘ “He’s found some women from the reservation, two anyway, who are willing to come forward and testify against Frank.’ ” (141)
This demonstrates that the Native American women have a very strong will to fight against what they think is right. This is also considering that women especially of the Native American race did not speak against someone in such a manner.

In the novel, Montana 1948, there are many different situations where someone abuses their power.
First,