The novel begins with 16yearold steve harmon writing in his diary awaiting for his trial for. 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. Buy a cheap copy of monster book by walter dean myers. The character of steve harmon in monster from litcharts the. After we have read the book, rate it on a scale of 110, with 10 being the highest. Monster study guide contains a biography of walter dean myers, literature essays. In numerous cases, doodnaught told his patients that they were responsible for being assaulted, and many of them believed him, only adding to their pain. He fights his worst battles in his head, as he tries to figure out if hes truly a monster. 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. Exp ain a time in your life when you resented life as usual when pu were. 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. Examines how steve harmon from walter dean myers book, monster, is guilty of felony murder. His body was unable to coexist peacefully with the virus, and he became a monster. This fatherson dynamic reveals the detrimental effects that prison has on an entire family.
Steve harmon and james king are both charged with the felony murder of alguinaldo nesbitt. 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. 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. Monster is a young adult drama novel by american author walter dean myers and was. Why is steve innocent in the book monster by walter dean. How the hbo series is different from the stephen king novel.
Monster by walter dean myers monster is the story about a 16 year old black boy named steve harmon from harlem. Explain what happens to each of the characters who are involved in the. The white gaze and postmodern triple consciousness in walter. The ending also showed his mom being nervous, the guards moving away when steve was proven not guilty and his lawyer obrien not wanting to embrace him.
Monster by walter dean myers book summary minute book. Monster is what the prosecutor called 16yearold steve harmon for his supposed role in the fatal. It also shows the amount of misery and dispare he must be feeling as hes in there. This is a quick book summary of monster by walter dean myers. Debra has seven children and all of them were removed from her custody due to allegations of abuse. He refers to the other robbery participants as acquaintances whom he hardly talked with at all. Felony murder is a murder committed during the course of another felony crime, in their case, the. 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The climax of the story occours when steve is found not guilty for murder. Steve is not directly responsible for the death of the murder victim, mr. Steve was caught in the drugstore and all 3 king, osvaldo and bobo reconized steve as the lookout. The story is written in screenplay format, due to steves passion for filmmaking, along with steves. Although steve is adamant about defending his own innocence. Young, black 16yearold steve harmon, an amateur filmmaker, is on trial for the murder of a harlem drugstore owner and could face the death penalty. In the book monster by walter dean myers, was it clearly stated if. Myers tells the story of steve harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Steve harmon is a sixteenyearold boy on trial with his neighborhood. The prosecutor has him admit that he is imprisoned for breaking and. As kids read the book, they note particular passages that they believe indicate whether or not steve committed the crime. He reaches to hug his lawyer, the woman who showed the world that he is not a monster.
James king is found guilty, while steve is found not guilty. The book is about steve s trial and whether he will be found guilty of felony murder. Steve ruminates on this, still uncertain whether he is guilty or not, despite the jurys decision. Steves greatest conflict is not really the trial itself, though its certainly stressful and difficult. In the book, the main character steve harmon is a sixteen year old, who is also black. Steves trial, the reader learns that a persons guilt or innocence is often determined by their status in life, even by coincidence. If a suspenseful courtroom is what you are craving, or murder is what youre into, this is the book for you.
Though miss obrien seems doubtful of steves innocence, she wisely has him. When the trial first begins, steve flashes back to a movie he saw in his. Once steve is accused of being an accomplice, his father loses his confidence and trust in his son. Even though a small chapter, this journal entry really shows how life in the prison can turn a man into the monster that steve is beginning to believe he is. Explain why you think steves movie script shows george washingtons portrait, the new york state and american flags, the motto over the judges desk, and the wall mural in the courtroom. Steve harmon, the novels protagonistand, at times, its narratoris a sixteenyearold africanamerican student from harlem.
Finally, 21 victims came forward against the seemingly innocent doctor. However, i suppose it could be argued that this is not an accurate ruling. Steve jacksons research for his book monster must have been exhausting. According to the book monster, by myers, steve harmon is found innocent. It is a story of a young man who wants to act tough and ends up in trouble for this. Due to the viruss effects on his brain, he has lost all sense or reason of self. Is obriens coaching intended to hide steves guilty feelings from the jury. And teens will appreciate debating whether steves guilty or not, and related issues, such as the fairness of our judicial system.
The trial continues with wendell bolden on the stand. Shes saying that merely sitting as a defendant makes him look guilty. Examine the evidence with a worksheet based on monster by walter dean myers. Steve imagines himself writing about the crime, but he doesnt want to have it in his mind anymore than the jurors might want to have the pictures in theirs. Thats what prosecutor petrocelli calls him, and he cant help but dwell on it. Obrien gives him the cold shoulder after the trial, which only makes him doubt himself more. It is called monster, written by walter dean myers. At the beginning of the novel, the reader learns that steve is in prison awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in a murder. Get an answer for in the book monster by walter dean myers, was it clearly stated if steven is guilty or innocent, or do they not say.
The book falls into the true crime genre and is a long, detailed look at the life and. Walter dean myers acclaimed 1999 young adult novel is the source of. Walter dean myers monster guilty until proven innocent monster is an example of what patty campbell would call a landmark book. As a means of coping with jail life, steve draws upon his. In the end, steve is found innocent but the reader is left to wonder if steve is guilty or not. Harmon does not go into any details about the verdicts, but at. Steve is on trial for allegedly being the lookout in a serious crime that involved robbery and murder. Steve is guilty of accessory to murder of agluinado nesbitt. Is 16yearold steve harmon guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. He writes in his diary to pass the time, chronicling his observations and anxieties while imprisoned. Although steves actual guilt or innocence is never explicitly revealed, his inner narrative and framing of events suggests that he did participate. Monster reading pages 201end as you finish the book, collect four to six more pieces of evidence that suggest steve is innocent and guilty. Steve can sense his fathers disappointment due to his involvement in the crime, despite steve s assertion that he is innocent.
Monster guilt and innocence presentation by steve harmon. 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. I was greatly intrigued by the ambiguity over steves actual guilt or innocence. Using the screenplay format, the reader gains great insight into not only steves reaction to the prosecutors portrayal of him as a monster but also to what it is like to be held in jail. Get everything you need to know about steve harmon in monster. He describes events spanning from 1982 to 1998 in convincing detail. The show has made some big changes from kings novel, including changing some. Author walter dean myers is the 2019 childrens literature legacy award winner. Steve didnt think he was a monster, but now hes not so sure. Osvaldo waits outside in case anyone tries to follow king and bobo out of the. This changed steves life forever, because he would not spend his life in jail. The novel is actually a screenplay that steve is writing to work out some of the stress.
Potent monster explores guilt, innocence, workings of a trial. Five months later, he scribbles again in his journal, still haunted by the aftermath of the trial. Monster by steve jackson was originally published in 1988 and reissued in 20. Sometimes i feel like i have walked into the middle of a movie.
Steve was caught in the drugstore and all 3 king, osvaldo and bobo reconized steve as. Evans testifies that steve was part of the robbery team, acting as a lookout man. Innocent monster ex gains critical stars every turn for 3 turns. Is steve an accomplice to murder or an innocent kid. Thats the end of monster the film, folks, but not the end for steve. Though walter dean myers young adult novel monster certainly does raise questions about choices, meyers also creates a great deal sympathy in the readers for the protagonist steve harmon. I think that this book is trying to tell to that you 1 should not partake in committing a. Are these feelings of being a monster based on the truth that he did passively signal the allclear to the robbers, and. Now he exists only to attack, with no concept of friend or foe. Steves mother brings him a bible and asks him to read psalm 28. It also shows how innocent steve is being again only 16 years old. The conversations were all short and pointless, just polite acknowledgments or talk about ball games. Our mom is a monster the steve wilkos show youtube.
Essay about walter dean myers monster guilty until. Note the commonality of events in the midst of steves lifedeath trial pp. In the book, he tried to mollify himself by denying in his mind and to the jury his part in the murder. Although steves actual guilt or innocence is never explicitly revealed, his inner. Steve harmon guilty or innocent monster by walter dean myers.
In the opening pages, we learn that steve is currently in prison awaiting trial for murder. And the verdict is you will be placed in a jury room to discuss and ultimately reach a decision about steve harmons guilt or innocence. Monster is so titled because during his trial, that is what the. Note his reference to walking in a drugstore and looking around 115, his reaction when he overhears the women talking about the crime 117120, his shock when he hears the report on tv 120121, and his stupor after hearing of bobos arrest 123. Steve, sixteen and in prison awaiting a murder trial, is an african american teen and. Steve burnside after being injected with the tveronica virus by alexia ashford. The book monster by walter dean myers, is about teenager steve harmon who has a gift for screen play writing. In the end james is found guilty, and steve not guilty.
Monster by walter dean myers book report sample pdf. I think the ending was effective because it left you wondering whether or not steve is a monster even though he was set free. Jennifer kendall is an english teacher, librarian, and writer specializing in young adult and childrens literature. Hes got to overcome this as well as prove his innocence in the crime. In the novel monster, the jury finds james king guilty of felony murder, but the narrator and protagonist, steve harmon, not guilty. In 1999, in his young adult book monster, walter dean myers introduced readers to a young man named steve harmon. 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. The book begins with him in jail waiting for his trial to start. Guilty or not guilty graphic organizer is suitable for 4th 8th grade. Was steve guilty or innocent in the book monster answers. Steve is on trial for a being a possible accomplice to a murder. She says that nothing is happening that speaks to steves being innocent. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. The reader is left as uncertain as steve is as to whether or not he is a monster.
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