The character of kathy obrien in monster from litcharts. Monsters twopronged narrative structure reflects the complexity of steve. Study 72 terms monster questions test flashcards quizlet. The white gaze and postmodern triple consciousness.
Obrien does not celebrate with steve when he is found not guilty. Monster is so titled because during his trial, that is what the prosecutor refers. Monster guilt and innocence presentation by steve harmon. What is the theme of the book monster by walter dean. Was steve an innocent party, wrongly accused by guilty boys simply. Apr 27, 2009 the book monster by walter dean myers, is about teenager steve harmon who has a gift for screen play writing. Booktalking monster by walter dean myers the new york public.
Steve ruminates on this, still uncertain whether he is guilty or not, despite the jurys decision. A harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that steve served as the lookout. As a means of coping with jail life, steve draws upon his. Monster is the story about a 16 year old black boy named steve harmon from harlem. Are these feelings of being a monster based on the truth that he did passively signal the allclear to the robbers, and thereby he has blood on his hands. Steve is on trial for a being a possible accomplice to a murder. The character of kathy obrien in monster from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Still, steve certainly feels enough guilt throughout the novel to suggest that his choice to act as. The book monster is supposed to portray steve as an easy to relate to character who is going to a rough time in life, and is on trial for murder. Twentyfive years to life in prisonthats the sentence facing our main man, steve harmon. He describes events spanning from 1982 to 1998 in convincing detail. Is obriens coaching intended to hide steves guilty feelings from the jury. What does this suggest about her feelings toward steve.
Printz award in 2000, and was named a coretta scott king award honor the same year. Steve strives for obrien to see him as a human rather than a monster, thus revealing steve s own struggle with his sense of himself. The high drama in this dialoguedriven story will appeal to even reluctant readers. He admits that he is not a bad person which shows that he has grown through the past weeks. Guilty or innocent, steve becomes a pawn in the hands of the system, cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. Monster by walter dean myers the main character in the novel monster by walter dean myers is 16yearold steve harmon who has been arrested and put on trial for his part in a robbery in which a convenience store owner was killed.
Get everything you need to know about steve harmon in monster. This is the anchor book test for the novel, monster. It portrays the reality of the american judicial system, and how it mistreats minorities. I feel that steve is not the monster that they said he was, and they show that many time thought out the book.
The subject of this book is thomas luther, a complicated and sociopathic man who raped, assaulted, and sometimes killed a series of women between colorado and west virginia. Steve, sixteen and in prison awaiting a murder trial, is an african american teen and. Have you ever been on trial for a murder you didnt commit, and risked the rest of your life being spent in jail. In the opening pages, we learn that steve is currently in prison awaiting trial for murder. Steve is guilty of accessory to murder of agluinado nesbitt. Monster 2004 read online free book by walter dean myers in.
Monster by walter dean myers book summary minute book. The story takes place in manhattan and harlem, new york city, mostly in a city lockup, but sometimes in the neighborhood where steve harmon lives. Jennifer kendall is an english teacher, librarian, and writer specializing in young adult and childrens literature. The definition of a monster is an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, andor frightening, and i believe that steve is neither ugly nor frightening. The story is told from steves perspective in a movie format. Steve harmon guilty or innocent monster by walter dean myers. He is now beginning to realize that the case is a matter of his life and death and he might actually end up on death row. Steve may have made some poor decisions in the last 16 years, but hes not a monster. At the end of the novel, we learn that king has been found guilty of murder, while steve walks away free. Was steve guilty or innocent in the book monster answers. The story is told through steves perspective, primarily as a screenplay he has written about the experience. Monster study guide contains a biography of walter dean myers, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Evans testifies that steve was part of the robbery team, acting as a lookout man. The character of steve harmon in monster from litcharts.
Is obriens coaching intended to hide steve s guilty feelings from the jury. For example, in the novel monster, by walter dean myers wrote, anybody can walk into a drugstore and look around i walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then i walked out. Monster is a young adult drama novel by american author walter dean myers and was. Sixteenyearold steve harmon is sitting on the edge of a medal cot, head in hands.
Steve, sixteen and in prison awaiting a murder trial, is an african american teen and a product of inner city poverty and circumstance. Why is steve innocent in the book monster by walter dean. Walter dean myers grew up in harlem, where steve is from. He is on trial for a murder that he is almost sure he did not commit. Steve is pretty freaked out, in need of a way to deal with both the trial and the nastiness surrounding him in prison. Monster is a young adult drama novel by american author walter dean myers and was published by harpercollins in 1999. Opening statement we think that steve harmon is innocent because there is not enough evidence to prove he is guilty, he is very certain and stuck with trying to prove that that he was not there when the crime was committed and finally because. Steve harmon, a sixteen year old boy who is on trial for murder, is writing a movie about his life and his mistakes. Harmon does not go into any details about the verdicts, but at. Essay about walter dean myers monster guilty until. The book monster by walter dean meyer 1039 words cram.
While this book wasnt exceptional or moving, walter dean myers does a good job with the entire book. According to steves notes on july 7th, what do they talk about in jail. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The story is written in screenplay format along with steves journal writing which he.
Booktalking monster by walter dean myers by miranda mcdermott. Another theme finds the main character, steve, reconciling who he is with who others think he is. The book monster is really good i like it a lot its very interestin sixteenyearold steve is on trial for the role he played in a robbery and murder of a shopkeeper. One theme in walter dean myers book monster is the direction the lives of young black men in harlem can take if they dont have positive role models. Rather, she has a preset view of steves character and does not view him as a unique person. The book monster by walter dean myers, is about teenager steve harmon who has a gift for screen play writing. Thats what prosecutor petrocelli calls him, and he cant help but dwell on. Monster guilt and innocence presentation by steve harmon on. Monster is about a 16 year old boy named steve harmon, and how he had to go on a trial for felony murder. This changed steves life forever, because he would not spend his life in jail.
Even in the middle of the novel steve still thinks he is not guilty and not a bas person but know he has to take responsibility for his actions. According to the book monster, by myers, steve harmon is found innocent. Obriens doubt about steves actual innocence is confirmed when, after they win the case and steve is found not guilty, she stiffly refuses his attempt to hug her in gratitude and happiness, suggesting that even. Steve is a 16yearold black kid from harlem charged with felony murder for his involvement in a botched robbery that ended in mr. Steve also believes that because hes african american the jurors are going to think he is guilty. Are these feelings of being a monster based on the truth that he did passively signal the allclear to the robbers, and. James king is found guilty, while steve is found not guilty. And teens will appreciate debating whether steve s guilty or not, and related issues, such as the fairness of our judicial. Some people would argue that this shows that steve harmon is guilty because steve harmon was in the drugstore when the robbery happened. In language arts class we read a book called monster, by walter dean myers. The reader is left as uncertain as steve is as to whether or not he is a monster. Walter dean myers monster guilty until proven innocent monster is an example of what patty campbell would call a landmark book. He is sixteen years old, lives in the harlem neighborhood of new york city, and he is a student at stuyvesant high school in downtown manhattan.
Although obrien is his lawyer, steve feels as though she does not truly believe in his innocence. Steve harmon is the main character of the book monster. Obriens doubt about steves actual innocence is confirmed when, after they win the case and steve is found not guilty, she stiffly refuses his attempt to hug her in gratitude and happiness, suggesting that even though she defended his innocence and genuinely did her best to understand him, she does not regard him well. Thats what prosecutor petrocelli calls him, and he cant help but dwell on it. The story is told through steves perspective, primarily as a screenplay he has written about the experience at the outset, steves trial is just beginning.
The story is told through steves perspective, primarily as a screenplay he has. Obrien seems to believe that steve is guilty and does not have a very good. After she made him look bad, he thought he was doomed because she was brain washing everyone with all of these accusations towards him, which is why his reaction was to write monster repeatedly in his notebook. In the book, he tried to mollify himself by denying in. He claims he is innocent and didnt participate in the robbery. Steve is on trial for allegedly being the lookout in a serious crime that involved robbery and murder. Steve harmon he is a sixteen year old young black man who has been arrested for acting as the lookout in robbery that goes bad and ends in a murder. At the end of the novel monster, by walter dean myers, many different things happen. In this awardwinning novel, walter dean myers brings us the story of 16yearold steve harmon, on trial for the murder of a drugstore owner in harlem.
This is a quick book summary of monster by walter dean myers. In 1999, in his young adult book monster, walter dean myers introduced readers to a young man named steve harmon. Probably not, but in the book monster that is the case for steve harmon, a poor africanamerican in rundown harlem in the book monster by walter dean myers, which is a fascinating piece of young adult literature. Mar 28, 2016 this is a quick book summary of monster by walter dean myers. This book reminds me of dutch just of the case part but ever thing else different. And teens will appreciate debating whether steves guilty or not, and related issues, such as the fairness of our judicial system. Steve was caught in the drugstore and all 3 king, osvaldo and bobo reconized steve as the lookout. Steve was caught in the drugstore and all 3 king, osvaldo and bobo reconized steve as. It shows that power, control, and punishment can truly shape a person.
The novel begins with 16yearold steve harmon writing in his diary awaiting for his trial for. Steves greatest conflict is not really the trial itself, though its certainly stressful and difficult. The book begins with him in jail waiting for his trial to start. Rather, she has a preset view of steve s character and does not view him as a unique person. Steve strives for obrien to see him as a human rather than a monster, thus revealing steves own struggle with his sense of himself. Monster 2004 read online free book by walter dean myers. Monster argumentative essay the united states judicial system says that you are innocent until proven guilty. The character of steve harmon in monster from litcharts the.
Why isnt steve harmon guilty of felony murder in the book monster by walter dean myers. Obrien gives him the cold shoulder after the trial, which only makes him doubt himself more. Sixteenyearold steve harmon is on trial for murder. But not everyone agrees with steve, least of all sandra petrocelli, the attorney who is prosecuting him for felony murder. Steve s greatest conflict is not really the trial itself, though its certainly stressful and difficult.
For the best answers, search on this site in the novel monster, written by walter dean myers, we can learn from steve harmons experiences that sometimes the guilt or the innocence of a person might not be determined by solid evidence but by the onlookers opinions and interpretation of the crime. Steve jacksons research for his book monster must have been exhausting. Just writing in his journal isnt cutting it, so he. Texts such as these encourage readers to interact with the text and with one another by employing a variety of devices, among them ambiguity campbell 1 because it is told through the eyes of steve himself, the plot can be difficult to decipher. Although steves actual guilt or innocence is never explicitly revealed, his inner. Should steve harmon, who is 16, and on trial for felony murder be released from prison. Steves outcome of the trial was not guilty with which many would most likely not agree with. The book is set as if steve is making a screenplay. A guard tells both king and steve that a verdict is awaiting them. Get an answer for what was steve charged with in the book monster. It was nominated for the 1999 national book award for young peoples literature, won the michael l. He fights his worst battles in his head, as he tries to figure out if hes truly a monster.