The facade of Bentrock, Montana is the idyllic, but boring American frontier town. Ordinary people work long hours in the fields every day to provide for their families. Striving for, and ultimately living, the American dream is the essence of what it means to be an American. Having equal opportunity and seeing hard work rewarded is what all Americans hold in the highest regard. Larry Watson in Montana 1948 explores the post-World War II era's disillusionment with the idealized American dream and exposes the true meaning of what it meant to be an American at that time, through David Hayden's loss of innocence in the novel. David's illusion of a perfect American citizen is shattered when he realizes that Bentrock, a representation of post-World War II American society, has lost sight of the idea of ​​meritocracy, a cornerstone of the American dream and what it means to be a American citizen. American. People should be judged solely on their merit, not on any other distinguishing factor, such as race. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In this small frontier town, this morality of the American Dream should be stronger, not subject to racial prejudice and the systematic oppression and exclusion of the minority Native American population. David describes an example of the city's discrimination: "Ollie Young Bear...hard work will get you" (3). America is a melting pot of identities, and the Native American minority should not be oppressed to the point of being essentially confined to the reservation, limited in mobility up and down the social and monetary ladder. The only way to advance your career shouldn't be to give up your culture, like Ollie Young Bear did. Prejudice against Native Americans is unquestioned in Bentrock, and Wesley Hayden is probably not even aware of the casual prejudice against Native Americans he is displaying in this passage. Ollie has made everyone from white society celebrated, becoming a "model minority", and is even rich. Yet somehow it's not enough to make up for his race. The important word choice is “could be” versus “should be.” Wesley believes that Native Americans are lazy in general and only approves of Ollie because he has been assimilated into white culture. At the beginning of the novel, David is blind to this injustice, but at the moment of Uncle Frank's arrest, he finally understands how horrified he is. Living the American dream suddenly became exclusive. Being American should mean that hard work will earn you rewards and that you will have equal opportunities to do so. Hard work doesn't actually get him anything for Ollie, just a taste of the respect white men in society receive. David spends much of the novel sifting through images of popular representations of the American frontier. His fantasies must confront his realities, and he must reconcile these images with Bentrock's harsh reality. Marie Little Soldier does not reflect the stereotypes of Native Americans present in popular culture. The author points out that the United States systematically disenfranchised Native Americans and harbored entrenched prejudices against them, and then argues that the loss of innocence in small-town idealism highlights the flaws of the idyllic American Dream of the post-World War II era. David is shocked to realize that the American dream is currently not available to everyone and sees a new evil in everyone in society..