horse ride on his Grandfather's ranch.

Davy described his father as "self-effacing". He was accustomed to his Dad lying about trips to Yellowstone, knowing these lies where only a diversion to end conflict. As he listened to his mother confront Wes with the details of Frank's deeds on the reservation, she hollered "Don't you turn away. Don't". She knew his nature to back away. Davy knew it too, and hated it. But as I examine these traits in Wes, and the effect they have on Davy, I notice a repetition of the trait in Davy. Several times he implied that he wished he hadn't listened in on private conversations about Frank, that way he wouldn't need to confront the truth. And as the book ended with the suicide of Frank, Davy was overcome with relief because none of them would need to complete the confrontation of Frank and Julian. Even as an adult, Davy does not purchase Big Band Records because he does not want to confront the memories of that summer. This trait reveals itself fully as this scene ends with the pistol pointed at the temple of Uncle Frank. Davy's first thought was "Would everyone's problem be solved?" His second thought, "Would my father be relieved?" Like his father, Davy just wanted the problem to go away.

Or perhaps Grandpa's offer was only to spite Wes and Gail. Gail didn't like Davy to have guns at all. And Wes didn't approve of automatic handguns and careless waste of ammunition. But Grandpa never did care what Wes and Gail wanted. Grandpa knew Wes would not object and Davy knew his dad would never confront Grandpa on this or any other conflict. He knew to ask permission but wasn't surprised to hear the only protest his father could offer was "just coyotes though". He was glad his father didn't stop him, but disappointed in his father's weak attempt to show authority. Grandpa’s offer was just another display of control over Wes. Davy’s perception of his father frustrated him and added to the pressure that boiled over that day on the ranch.

I’ve examined many of the tensions and emotions Davy faced that summer. Many were typical of twelve year old boys. These may have contributed to the level of agitation displayed that afternoon, a fury only calmed by the killing of the magpie. But Davy’s thought “I needed to kill” and his thoughts as he pointed the pistol thinking only "Could I?" but never contemplating "Should I?" were far from typical. Uncommon pressures led to these thoughts. The theme that repeated itself throughout the story was Wes’ inability

Some topics in this essay:
Indian Reservation, Davy Maria, Uncle Frank, Davy I’ve, II Watson's, Wes Davy’s, Frank Davy, Americans Daisy, Wes Davy, Grandpa Wes, uncle frank, wes gail, trait davy, twelve-year-old boy, actions afternoon, actions afternoon davy, own beer, own father, box ammunition, father town, davy hated,