MONSTER

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Myers, Walter Dean. 1999. MONSTER. Ill by Christopher Myers. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0060280778

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Is Steve Harmon really a monster, a sixteen year old accused of being the lookout for a robbery in which the store owner was killed, or was he an innocent boy who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time? As Steve grapples with the reality of what he has done and his time in jail awaiting his trial, he begins to picture the whole situation as that of a filmmaker. He is able to distance himself from what is going on in the courtroom by writing the script as he sees it. Steve tells the story of what really happened the night of the murder, his involvement, his time in jail, and the trial itself. Before long it is hard to decide whether Steve is truly convinced of his innocence or if this is the only way he can keep himself from being the monster described to the jury.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Walter Dean Myers uses an interesting format to tell the story of Steve Harmon in this young adult novel. Between the script, script notes, and notes for camera angles, some of the horror of what has happened in this novel seems easier to take. The true feelings of Steve come out in his journal which is “written” in his bold script. This difference in fonts and styles helps the reader see the difference in the feelings the character truly has and the spin he gives on the reality of the situation.

From the scared sixteen year old who questions his involvement to the hardened gang member who actually pulled the trigger of the gun, the characters are real. The dialogue is true to the streets of Harlem (“Me and King planned a getover and we done it”, “You got to leave your mark on somebody”, “Since when you been down?”). The main character changes from an innocent young boy who chooses to get involved with the wrong crowd to one who actually put himself in the position of being considered a murderer.

Christopher Myers uses grainy black and white images to give the book the feel of an actual notebook with photographs added. There are even pages in the book where it looks like Steve marked out parts of his script and wrote in the word Monster over and over. This gives the book a realistic feel without allowing the reader to get caught up in the illustrations rather than in the story being told.

This realistic novel leaves the reader wondering who the main character really was…an innocent boy or a monster. The decision of the jury and how Steven feels about himself will leave the reader haunted long after the pages of the novel have ended.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Michael L. Printz Award 2000 (the first book to receive this award)
National Book Award Finalist

School Library Journal:”Steve Harmon, 16, is accused as serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot and killed, and now Steve is in prison awaiting trial for murder. From there, he tells about his case and his incarceration. Many elements of this story are familiar, but Myers keeps it fresh and alive by telling it from an unusual perspective. Steve, an amateur filmmaker, recounts his experiences in the form of a movie screenplay. His striking scene-by-scene narrative of how his life has dramatically changed is riveting. Interspersed within the script are diary entries in which the teen vividly describes the nightmarish conditions of his confinement. Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist’s character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him. Steve searches deep within his soul to prove to himself that he is not the “monster” the prosecutor presented him as to the jury. Ultimately, he reconnects with his humanity and regains a moral awareness that he had lost. Monster will challenge readers with difficult questions, to which there are no definitive answers. It’s an
emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing.”

Booklist:”Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and an intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon is accused of acting as lookout for a robbery that left a victim dead; if convicted, Steve could serve 25 years to life. Although it is clear that Steve did participate in the robbery, his level of involvement is questionable, leaving protagonist and reader to grapple with the question of his guilt. An amateur filmmaker, Steve tells his story in a combination of film script and journal. The “handwritten” font of the journal entries effectively uses boldface and different sizes of type to emphasize particular passages. The film Script contains minimal Jargon, explaining camera angles (CU, POV, etc.) when each term first appears. Script and journal together created a fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve’s journal that will endure in readers’ memories. Although descriptions of the robbery and prison life are realistic and not overly graphic, the subject matter is more appropriate for high-school-age than younger readers.”

5. CONNECTIONS
In order to have a better understanding of the legal system, students could take a field trip to their local courthouse and reenact the trial scenes from the book.

The students could put together brown bag reviews. Half the class could bring items concerned with Steve’s time in jail while the other half could bring items pertaining to his regular life.

The theater arts teacher could come and demonstrate some of the filming terms used in the book. Students could write a script concerning Steve’s first days back home and try to perform it.

Discuss with the students if they agree with the verdict given in Steve’s trial. They can explain why or why not by responding in a reader’s response journal.

Other books by Walter Dean Myers include:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER. ISBN 0060582928
BAD BOY: A MEMOIR. ISBN 0060295236
HANDBOOK FOR BOYS: A NOVEL. ISBN 0060291478
HERE IN HARLEM: POEMS IN MANY VOICES. ISBN 0823418537
145TH STREET: SHORT STORIES, ISBN 0385321376
SHOOTER. ISBN 0060295201