Monster (Myers novel)

Monster

Author	Walter Dean Myers
Cover artist	Christopher Myers
Language	English
Genre	Drama, Crime novel
Publisher	Harpercollins
Publication date	April 21, 1999
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	281 pp
ISBN	0-064-40731-4
OCLC	40043530
LC Class	PZ7.M992 Mon 2004

Monster is a young adult drama novel by American author Walter Dean Myers and was published by Harpercollins in 1999. It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000, and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.

The book is a mixture of the screenplay and diary formats, which are used to tell the story of Steve Harmon's murder trial. The book is written from Steve Harmon's perspective.

Summary

At the beginning of Walter Dean Myers' young adult novel Monster sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon and twenty-three-year-old James King's lives are about to change forever. The young men have just been arrested and charged with the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Although Steve is presumably not the actual killer, the young boy's role as a supposed "lookout" for the gang who did commit the crime ultimately land him in jail alongside King. But, was the undoubtedly naive Steve even aware of what he was doing? Or was he just at the wrong place at the wrong time?

From thenceforth, the novel's plot focuses on Steve's time in prison and his experiences in the courtroom throughout his trial. As Steve sits quietly alongside his attorney while the fast-paced hearings progress, the aspiring filmmaker records the events of his trial in screenplay format. Interspersed with journal entries containing Steve's own thoughts and provide the reader with some valuable background information concerning the boy's life prior to the violent acts that ultimately landed him in this serious position. Steve must learn to cope with the notion that, if found guilty, he could spend the rest of his years in prison. As more and more people testify to his involvement in the getover, the predicament grows, and Steve's hopes look bleaker than ever.

As the story continue to unravel, Steve must struggle with himself in order to answer the question of whether he truly is the "Monster" that the prosecutor has portrayed him as. The difficult questions he asks himself in the process undoubtedly spark questions in the readers' own minds, forcing them to look within themselves to determine what they would have done had they been in Steve's position. Myers does an incredible job of weaving together the past and present to afford the reader the opportunity to judge Steve for him or herself.

At the novel's close, Steve rediscovers his personal identity, and develops a set of moral standards for himself that ultimately shape the person he becomes following his trial. Unfortunately things do not pan out so well for Steve's friend, James, who is found guilty of murder. Fortunately for Steve, he is found not guilty and, with the charges dropped, he is afforded a second chance at life and is able to start over with a clean slate.

Main characters

• Steve Harmon: A black 16 year-old young man who is on trial for felony murder in New York City.
• Kathy O’Brien: Steve Harmon’s defense attorney. ( She doesnt know if he is guilty or innocent but she still tries her best to plead him innocent.)
• Sandra Petrocelli: Assistant District Attorney. She prosecutes Steve and James King, labeling them "monsters" before the jury.
• James King: the defendant who encourages Steve to join the robbery. He is responsible for the death of the store owner, Mr. Nesbitt.
• Richard "Bobo" Evans: the defendant who plans the robbery. The procecution uses his testimony in an effort to put Harmon in jail.
• Asa Briggs: the defense attorney for James King. He has blue eyes and white hair.
• The judge: a 60 year-old man. He is tall and thin with white hair.
• Osvaldo Cruz: a 14 year-old boy. He is slim and well-built. He has a tattoo of a devil's head on his left forearm and one of a dagger on the back of his right hand between his thumb and forefinger. He is in a gang, The Diablos.
• Jose' Delgado: the drugstore clerk. He is young, well built, and very articulate.
• Sal Zinzi: a nervous man, slightly overweight, who sells stolen goods. He wears thick glasses, which he touches over and over again as he testifies.
• Detective Williams: responsible for questioning Steven Harmon. His partner is detective Karyl.
• Mr. Nesbitt: the drugstore owner who was shot and killed in the robbery.
• Mr. Sawicki: Steve's film club mentor.

Themes

Introspection: Steve must come to terms with his own identity. He accomplishes this throughout the novel in his journal entries which he makes during his time in jail awaiting trial.

Peer Pressure: This theme is the basis for how he ended up in his current situation. Had he not given into the peer pressure by James King he wouldn’t have been involved with the robbery that led to the death of the store clerk.

Humanity: Steve is called a "monster" by the Assistant District Attorney at the beginning of the novel and Steve grapples with the question of whether or not he is monstrous for his actions in the robbery. He is constantly reflecting upon this in his journal entries. The word can also be found scribbled faintly and scratched out on pages of the novel itself.

Autobiographical elements

Like his character, Walter Dean Myers grew up in New York. As a young man, he struggled with a speech impediment that caused many of his classmates and teachers to ridicule him and think him unintelligent. Myers often got into trouble at school and on the streets when trying to defend himself against the ridicule, causing many to label him a “bad boy” (hence the name of his memoir), much like Steve Harmon was labeled a "monster." Later, while working as a construction worker, Myers decided to follow advice given to him by his high school writing teacher and began writing at night after work, just as the character Steve Harmon writes throughout the novel.

Actual legal cases

In August 2009 a similar robbery to the one that occurred in Monster took place in Harlem, New York. This robbery had different consequences than the one Steve was involved in. The owner of the restaurant being robbed shot back at the robbers and killed two of the four involved in the robbery.

In New York City there is a long established law that allows a person to use deadly physical force when they reasonably believe it is necessary and there is no chance of retreating from danger. In most cases of robbery when the suspect is a minor (case depending) they are only held until they are 18. However, when there is a murder involved this rule no longer applies and the juvenile can be incarcerated for much longer.

References

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