Themes In Monster Walter Dean Myers

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. She is Steve's lawyer for his case, Steve has been accused of being a part of a robbery that led to a murder. Steve is

An example of this can be seen when Steve is in his prison cell and looks at himself. Steve thinks, “When I look into the small rectangle I see a face looking back at me but I don’t recognize it” (Myers 1). At this moment Steve can’t even recognize himself in jail anymore because he believes that the person looking back at him is not him. This is important because it shows that Steve has been in prison long enough to look at himself and be confused about what is looking back at him. Another example is when the author shows Steve’s confusion when debating whether he is a good person. Steve reflects, “In a way, he was right, at least about me. I want to look like a good person because I believe I am. But being here with these guys make it hard” (Myers 62). This shows that being in jail and being around the people in prison makes it hard for Steve to accept that he is a good person. This is important because he is so confused about his identity that he can not even accept that he is a good person anymore. At the beginning of the book, Steve’s confusion can be shown in his first journal entries. In his journal, he shows that he is confused about himself and doesn’t know what to do about it, and if he doesn’t figure it out soon, it may lead him to prison

An example of this can be seen when Steve starts thinking about what will happen to him if he loses his case. Steve feels, “I am so scared. My heart is beating like crazy and I am having trouble breathing. The trouble I’m in keeps looking bigger and bigger” (Myers 201-202). In this scene, it can be seen that Steve is having a panic attack thinking about the position he is in. This scene illustrates Steve because during the scene he starts to think about the rest of his life and starts freaking out about what will happen to him. Another moment when the author shows Steve as being worried is when he sees his mom crying. Steve thinks, “For a moment I felt sorry for her, but I don’t anymore. The only thing I can think of is my case” (Myers 270). In this scene, it can be seen when Steve sees his mom crying, he could only feel bad for a moment and then go back to worrying about himself and his case. This is important because it shows that Steve is so worried about his case that he can not even feel that bad for his mom who is crying. Over the course of the book Steve being worried is shown through his journal entries. A personal journal shows a lot about a person and Steve shows that he is worried during his