wesley

Wesley Hayden, a character serving as sheriff in the novel Montana 1948, is a strong, moral character, who provides many roles throughout the text. Held back by physical weakness, his mental strengths and morals uphold the law. Though he consistently works for the benefit of the community, even his own son, David, initially views him as less than a typical sheriff, as he does not display the conventional masculinity often affiliated with role.

Wesley, at the beginning of the book, very quickly has his limp brought to attention. The limp suggests he is weakened, that he lacks strength over criminals. Perhaps allowing his brother to escape blame for as long as he did. It represents his status as a ‘fallen hero’, but also shows his determination to instigate justice, peace, and equality to the community, in spite of his weakness. Through pitying such emphasis on Wesley’s weakness and physical barriers, Larry Watson highlights the characters strengths, mentally and morally. The readers quickly understand that Wesley’s unconventional use of the role was a positive aspect of his character, showing Wesley’s role as a moral figure; It shows that he solves crimes and problems through negotiation, as an alternative to threats or violence. His son, however, does not realise this, and that is shown clearly by Wesley’s gun. A “small .32 automatic, italian make and no bigger than your palm “, the gun pales in comparison to what young David believed his father, as sheriff, should have been using, a “nickel plated western lot.45”. Used only in emergencies, even the small gun was only used as a symbol of Wesley’s role as sheriff, as Wesley never needed, nor did he choose, to use it. When his brother, Frank Hayden, is revealed to be a serial ra...

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...law. The law is based on equality, and though it is often misguided in a town of racism, he continues the case against Frank, as he must uphold the word of that law; not only was he choosing to prosecute on behalf of a character who was, in the novel, seen by many as racially inferior, he was prosecuting against his own brother, a man famed for his heroism.

In conclusion, Wesley Hayden is a strong character, who consistently upholds his morals in the faces of racial and sexual inequality. Despite superficial weakness, that of his limp, he was a stronger sheriff than his son saw him to be. He was morally sound, and was a respectful character. Wesley was also shown to be a compassionate and caring man, a courageous protector. Though he lacked the masculinity showed by other male characters within the novel, it was not shown to have a negative impact on his integrity.