Montana 1948!

What are the major themes in Montana 1948?

One of the main themes in Montana 1948 is sibling rivalry. The novel illustrates how sibling rivalry can result in problems among the family members. For example, when Uncle Frank came over to the house, Wesley knew that something was going to go wrong because he and his brother never got along. “Brothers naturally invite comparison, and when comparisons were made between those two, my father was bound to suffer.” (Montana 1948) Frank was always the favored child in the family; therefore, Wesley hated whenever he was compared to him. Wesley had good looks; however, Frank had good looks, a built body, and athletic ability that Wesley never had. The tension between the brothers was carried through the years even up to when they were adults. This demonstrates how sibling rivalry can become a large problem within families.

Sibling rivalry is prevalent in all ages. What are tactics to stop sibling rivalry? Are those tactics seen in our literature?

Sibling rivalry can result in problems among family members; however, there are ways to control it. One way to control is to not let the situation get out of hand. Siblings should make sure that no one would get angry to a point where they can’t control the outcome. Another way to deal with the rivalry is to remember that they are family and the only family you have. It is not worth it to fight when you love each other. For example, “Genevieve and I are brother and sister, so most of the time we try to do our best and work things out,” says Max. (as stated in Henry, 2008) The novel, Montana 1948, illustrates how sibling rivalry can result in problems among the family members. For example, when Uncle Frank came over to the house, Wesley knew that something was going to go wrong because he and his brother never got along. “Brothers naturally invite comparison, and when comparisons were made between those two, my father was bound to suffer.” (Montana 1948) Frank was always the favored child in the family; therefore, Wesley hated whenever he was compared to him. Wesley had good looks; however, Frank had good looks, a built body, and athletic ability that Wesley never had. Even though they used to compete with each other, they eventually grew out of it. They used the tactic of outgrowing jealousy and developing maturity when it came to those kinds of things.