ipl-logo

Summary Of Walter Dean Myers 'Monster'

647 Words3 Pages

The issue of racial injustice in the American court system is a significant concern. Statistics show that 48% of people serving life imprisonment are black due to discrimination and racial profiling. Walter Dean Myers’ novel “Monster”, addresses this dispute effectively. The book explores the injustice of the court system and racial labeling. The novel delves into the life of 16-year-old Steve Harmon, on trial for his alleged involvement in the murder of a drugstore owner. Throughout the book, Steve grapples with being unfairly labeled by the prosecution, leading him to question his identity. By the end, the final verdict declares Harmon innocent. The appropriate acquittal of Steve is completely justified down to the lack of crucial evidence and faulty witnesses. A significant aspect of this case is the …show more content…

Richard “Bobo” Evans is another witness who testifies on false altruism. Evans testifies solely on the fact that he may get a lighter sentence for previous crimes, including drug distribution. When on the stand, Briggs highlights him as unsympathetic and emphasizes to the jury that he is the only one in the room who admits to being in the robbery. Briggs says to Bobo on page 187, “You’re the dope dealer and the thief who could see a man killed and then go over to a fast-food place and have a nice meal. That’s who you are, right?”...then again on page 188 “As far as this jury knows, you are the only man who admits being in the drugstore when Mr. Nesbitt was killed. You admitted to planning the robbery. You also admitted to taking the cigarettes, and you admitted to being there when Mr. Nesbitt was lying on the floor of the store he had worked so hard for. But now you blame somebody else for the killing to get a break for yourself, isn’t that right?” Briggs brings up the fact that Bobo can kill someone and then eat without any remorse, completely exposing his lack of empathy and

Show More
Related
274 Words | 2 Pages

In the book, Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, Steve didn't act as a lookout for King and Bobo. On page 177, Bobo said, “Me and King planned out a get over and we done it.” According to Bobo’s words, he didn't mention Steve’s name, which proves that Steve didn't plan to rob a drugstore with King and Bobo. For example, as stated on page 182, Petrocelli is having a conversation with Bobo, “You said you received a sign from Mr. Harmon. Can you tell me what that sign was?”

Read More
497 Words | 2 Pages

The title of the novel Monster, illustrated by Walter Dean Myers, the main character Steve Harmon a 16-year old African-American male. That shows a lot of conflicts that he goes through the novel, the theme of the novel is that this character Steve Harmon goes through rough moment in jail and letting himself down for that. He learns this lesson when Osvaldo was lying in court so, then they thought, the people who defend Steve Harmon, O’Brien thought that everything Osvaldo said was lies. In Page 106 When they ask him if he used to be in a gang, he lies about it says that he wasn't part of no gang then, osvaldo said the information I got right here says that you were a part of a gang call Los Diablos or this

Read More
554 Words | 3 Pages

The only reason Bobo believed Harmon was in on the robbery was because King said he was. According to Steve’s journal he was only in the drugstore at the time to look for mints. When he left the store he didn’t give a visible signal to the robbers, Bobo and King. Because of this small detail it disproves the alleged fact that he gave a signal.

Read More
349 Words | 2 Pages

Many people today get involved with the wrong people, as a result, many people are wrongly accused and incarcerated for crimes they didn’t commit. In the book MONSTER, there is a witness named Steve, who is on trial for the murder of a drugstore owner. Steve was the lookout in the robbery, however, he was not responsible for Mr. Nesbitt’s death. First of all, Steve was the lookout because he planned the robbery with James King.

Read More
226 Words | 1 Pages

His defendant Kathy O’brien may have supported him through the trial, but she did believe he was the Monster Sandra Petrocelli made him and Steve King out to be. This proves that opinions do not always change because of results. More so towards the end it shows how O’brien still believes he is wrong and she still sees him as guilty. To begin, on page 13 Harmon asked

Read More
494 Words | 2 Pages

The witnesses are motivated by fear, as seen in Brigg’s, King’s lawyer, question to them, saying, “You were afraid and you would have said anything” (Meyers, 37). The witnesses themselves would admit to this. Bolden stated that “I knew that the people got killed, and was thinking of trading what I knew for some slack” (Meyers, 48). When someone is afraid, they are willing to say anything to get out of trouble. Both witnesses were afraid of going to or staying in jail.

Read More
456 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout this time period, Steve has acquired a bad assumption from his peers as he was at the scene of a robbery and murder he did not commit. On the day the robbery went down Steve stated, “ I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, then I walked out.” ( Myers, 140) This statement clearly states that Steve walked in and grab some

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

In today’s society, many people make bad decisions. In the novel, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, the narrator explains how one bad choice can lead to another. Steve Harmon, the narrator, was accused of being the lookout for a robbery which led to the murder of Mr. Nesbit and he goes on trial, debating whether he was an accessory to the murder. After reading the novel, one might think that Steve is not guilty because he didn’t kill Mr. Nesbitt and no witnesses saw him in the store. The jury has to decide if he was guilty for the murder, if he was guilty of being the lookout, and he even questions his innocence.

Read More
448 Words | 2 Pages

(Myers 138-139). This is an example from the book showing that the main character Steve is actively lying to try and persuade the jury to find him innocent. Another time where Walter Dean Myers shows how truth, perception, and reality are connected is in the quote, “I don’t know exactly where I was when the robbery took place, most of the day I was going around taking mental notes about places I wanted to film for a school film project” (Myers 231). Steve had become a

Read More
1223 Words | 5 Pages

In his novel Monster, Walter Dean Myers argues that incarceration distorts people's identity through the gradual change of language, visual appearance, and the manner of actions prisoners perform while interned. The novel Monster shows the hardships of being a prisoner through Walter Dean Myers main protagonist Steve. In the story, Steve is being tried for felony murder and he is put in prison from his arrest to the end of his trial. In prison, Steve begins to notice that his identity begins to change in many ways. Walter Dean Myers shows that the identity of Steve in prison is clearly not static.

Read More
1124 Words | 5 Pages

Innocent or Guilty Once William Shakespeare said, “We know what we are, but not what we may be.” This quote tells people that they could know what they are right now but they do not know what will happen to them in the future. In the realistic fiction book Monster Walter Dean Myers proves this quote is true with the main character. The main character shows that people can be in a situation where they know they are innocent but it may look different in other people's eyes and change their innocence to guilt. The story starts out with the main character Steve Harmon talking to a middle-aged woman, this woman known as O’Brien.

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

In Bryan Stevenson's memoir "Just Mercy," the theme of racial injustice is a pervasive and critical element that underscores the flaws within the American criminal justice system. The section spanning pages 184-207 of the book offers a poignant and illustrative examination of how race and racism perpetuate systemic inequities and miscarriages of justice. This segment of the memoir highlights specific cases and personal anecdotes that reveal the deep-seated racial biases that continue to influence legal outcomes and the treatment of individuals within the system. One of the most striking cases detailed in these pages is that of Walter McMillian, a black man wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Alabama.

Read More
890 Words | 4 Pages

Monster, a novel written by Walter Dean Meyers, tells of a young black teenager named Steve Harmon and his experiences and feelings he encounters during his stay in jail. Steve is on trial for being “the lookout” of a robbery gone wrong, which resulted in the death of the store owner, Mr. Nesbitt. The man responsible for the death of Mr. Nesbitt was James King who actually pulled the trigger to end Mr. Nesbitt’s life. Yet, Steve is on trial for felony murder for being the so-called “look out”. Steve should not be held responsible for a crime he did not commit.

Read More
420 Words | 2 Pages

Racial injustice in the court system is a significant issue in America. 48% of people serving life imprisonment are black due to discrimination and racial profiling. The novel “Monster” by Walter Dean Myers, discusses this dispute effectively. The book explores the injustice of the court system and racial labeling. The novel delves into the life of 16-year-old Steve Harmon, on trial for his alleged involvement in the murder of a drugstore owner, and James King, also on the same trial.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

Steve’s judgment of his actions is similar to a pendulum swinging. Although Steve believes within himself that he is innocent, of the important people around him, make him insecure as to the degree of his innocence and turn to others for confirmation. Steve Harmon, the defendant, is faced with an internal conflict that questions his self-identity and his character in relation to the crime.

Read More

More about Summary Of Walter Dean Myers 'Monster'

Open Document