Monster by Walter Dean Myers

MONSTER

By Walter Dean Myers

Monster is the story about a 16 year old black boy named Steve Harmon from Harlem. Steve is on trial for a being a possible accomplice to a murder. The book begins with him in jail waiting for his trial to start. The story is written in screenplay format along with Steve’s journal writing which he does even in the courtroom. Steve enjoys filmmaking and screenplay writing. Steve writes this way to keep his sanity while being in prison during the trial. The majority of the story takes place in the courtroom. Steve is there with another defendant, James King, who has his own attorney. The events of the robbery unfold through the accounts of witnesses, attorneys and the participants. The book is about Steve’s trial and whether he will be found guilty of felony murder. In the end, Steve is found innocent but the reader is left to wonder if Steve is guilty or not. It is a story of a young man who wants to act tough and ends up in trouble for this.

The story starts with Steve in his cell. He is very scared. He only cries at night so the other prisoners can’t hear him. There is a mirror in his room with names of other prisoners scratched into it. He looks into it and calls himself “Monster” . This is the name the prosecutor gave him and the others involved in the crime. He flashes back to when he was ten. He and his friend are throwing rocks and breaking windows then running from the owners. He is with strangers all the time now. He eats, sleeps and even has to go to the bathroom in front of them. He sees a guy make a knife out of a toothbrush. The day his trial starts a guy gets hit with a tray at breakfast. There is blood everywhere. He misses his family very much even his younger brother. His family comes to see him on visiting day and get to see him in court. His mother always looks sad in the courtroom.

Sandra Petrocelli is the prosecuting lawyer and is good. She is pushing for the death penalty. She states that everyone involved in the crime is equally guilty including the one who wrestled for the gun, the robber and the two lookouts. She is trying to prove that Steve knew and associated with the two robbers who are bad characters. He was a lookout for them.

Two men, James King and “Bobo” Evans entered a drugstore. They were to rob the owner, Mr. Nesbitt. Mr. Nesbitt had a licensed gun. There was a struggle and Mr. Nesbitt was shot dead. There was a woman in the store at the time of the crime named Loreen Henry. She identified King and states there was another black man possibly Bobo Evans. Although Bobo is already in jail for

other crimes, he denies the crime and says he was not there. King is accused of the shooting. Five cartons of cigarettes were stolen during the crime. The stolen cigarettes ended up being sold to a shady character named Bolden. He has a long record but states he was told about the crime. He tells of the two young lookouts Steve and Osvaldo Cruz. Cruz is a member of the Diablos gang. Cruz was the lookout for the front of the store. Cruz’s character is questioned because they find out to get in the gang, Cruz must cut someone. He admits to this.