Steve Harmon In Walter Dean Myers's 'Monster'

Tucker Holloway

Mrs. Juhas

1st-2nd

2-10-23

Good People What is your definition of good or monster? Steve Harmon is a 16 year old boy from New York City. He is on trial for murder and robbery of a 55 year old drugstore owner. The jury must decide if he is a good person and not guilty or if he is a monster and guilty. In the novel, Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, Steve Harmon was a good person because he is not guilty and he cares for others. Steve Harmon is a good person because he is not guilty. Steve likes to write in his notebook and is writing about how he is innocent. We know this when the author wrote, “I didn’t kill Mr. Nesbitt.” (Myers 140). Steve is a good person because he didn’t kill Mr. Nesbitt and we know this because later in

Steve was wondering about Mr. Nesbitt after he got shot and what thoughts went through his head and what he felt. We know this when the author wrote, “The pictures of Mr. Nesbitt scare me. I think about him lying there knowing he was going to die.” (Myers 128). Steve is a good person because he can think about other people and not himself. He has selflessness and can care for other people’s situations and have empathy towards them. So he can just understand the horror that Mr. Nesbitt had to go through because an actual monster named James King shot him. Now you can see that he is a good person but there is still more proof to show you. Similarly, Steve knows that he is a good person but has to prove it to the jury. We know this because when the author wrote, “I want to look like a good person. I want to feel like I’m a good person because I believe I am.” (Myers 62). Steve is a good person because he can feel it and if you can feel something like an emotion then you can easily show it. So he, feeling like a good person and is a good person can show that he is a good person with ease. And he doesn’t have to put on a fake smile or a mask to hide what he truly feels because we know that he thinks that he is a good person and innocent of that criminal activity. Steve Harmon is a good person because he has selflessness and can have empathy towards

Friends or people you hang out with can influence your actions so if you hang out with bad people you're going to do bad things. Also, there just wasn’t enough proof to find him guilty so if there was more proof he would be found guilty because he said he was in the store in his journal. However, just because Steve is friends with bad people doesn’t mean he is a bad person. Therefore, Steve is a good person because he wants the world to be better. Mr. Sawicki was the film club director when Steve was in it and knows about his character. We know this when the author wrote, “‘He’s very much involved with depicting his neighborhood and environment in a positive manner.’” (Myers 235). Steve is a good person because he just wants a better world. This shows that he is a good person because his old film club director can remember that he depicts his neighborhood in a good way and he doesn’t live in the best neighborhood. So, Steve is clearly a good person who wants the world to be