Montana 1948: The Irony in Bottling Up a Deep Dark Secret In Montana 1948, there are many ironic events occur due to the secret David Hayden keeps bottled up. Ironic events are revealed with David’s quick escape on his grandfather’s ranch, his change of heart towards his Aunt, and the dark thoughts of him killing his very own Uncle. David knows something that will completely change the series of events that follow once the secret is out. He struggles internally to figure out whether or not he should “let the cat out of the bag” and inform his parents on something vital to putting the pieces together on the suspicious death of his caretaker Marie Little Solider. Many events in the story are surfaced by David Hayden keeping a secret from his parents. The irony is brought on by David knowing that Uncle Frank was at the house shortly before she was discovered dead. This evidence, along with the accusations of his Uncle Frank molesting Native American girls while doing physical exams, unveils a lot of ironic events.

David Hayden secret holds a great burden and when he arrives to his grandfather’s ranch he doesn't hesitate when an opportunity to escape presents itself. He changes and acts differently when he is no longer in Mercer County. The recent events that occur make him grateful to get away from all the unpleasant memories that Mercer County now holds for David. He is in a world of his own on his grandfather’s ranch where his knowing of what his Uncle Frank’s whereabouts can be put on hold for a short period of time. He copes with his stress by shooting a bird at the ranch. The release of stress from his shooting the bird can be seen vividly when he says “This wasn't the first time I had killed something and it wouldn't be the last, and I felt the way I often did, that extraordinary mixture of power and sadness, exhilaration and fear. But there was something new. I felt extremely calm, as if I had been in a state of high agitation but had now come down, my pulse returned to normal, my breathing slowed, my vision cleared. I needed that I thought: I hadn't even known it but I needed to kill something. “(Watson, pg. 72) The irony of his realization that he was in a state of agitation and now he was finally calming down to a more peaceful state reveals how much this secret is effecting David. The irony is spiked when David emotionally needs to escape in order to cope with knowing something his parents do not about Uncle Frank.

David’s character is developed more as he goes through changes due to the murder of his caretaker Marie by his Uncle Frank. His feelings towards his Aunt Gloria change as he questions how a woman can stay married to a man that is capable of doing such horrible things. His initially feelings towards his Aunt are ones that are unusually those of a sexual attraction and liking. She came in late one night to make sure I was covered. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, but when she bent down to feel my forehead I could smell her perfume. The scent itself seemed warm as it closed in on me. She backed away and went to the window, and I opened one eye. She was wear just the top of a pair of pajamas, and as she stood before the window just enough light came in from the street lamp to silhouette her breasts perfectly. (Watson, pg.68) These are his feelings towards his Aunt before the death of Marie, but his feelings can be seen after Marie’s death when he says “I loved Aunt Gloria-she was sweet and beautiful and good to me. Yet that day I couldn't bear to look at her. How could she act normal, I wondered, when she was married to Uncle Frank? How