Steve Harmon Character Analysis

Steve, a great student and young man with integrity, is a thinker as we see through this novel. At times, he feels helpless, as his lawyer has to do most of the work to “get him out” of trouble. He hates prison and the situation he is in. Writing his screenplay seems to help him on his determined journey to innocence. He is artistic, and shows this when he compiles all of his writing and creates a film based on his experience.

Being just 16, Steve Harmon is scared in jail and “hates” living there. He is actually fairly strong in my opinion, he keeps it together fairly well, “Its not good to be weak in here” (64). Through Steve’s story of finding innocence, I also feel he is finding himself—battling racial stereotypes and allowing who he really is, to come to the surface.

The reader also learns a lot about Steve through the different testimonials. I think a significant testimonial was his brother Jerry’s. Is Steve the guy that runs away from a situation (rock throwing), or is the instigator? Steve struggles at times figuring out who he is and his identity. Even his own father has trouble telling Steve who he thinks he is. Like many of the plot points in this story, it is up each reader individually to read, analyze, and interpret Steve to make a decision on who he truly is at the end of this novel. Is Steve a Monster?

Ashley's Personal Thoughts

     Monster was definitely an interesting read but I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. The entire book seemed to be preaching  how unfair the system is, but in the end, the system worked so the message remains unclear for me. 

     Steve is a good kid - that much we know. Seeing the story through his creative lens gave us an immediate bias because we feel for him and don’t want him to be in the situation he’s in. Of course it’s a travesty that he’s there in the first place and for that I think we’re justified in our feelings toward the system the story evokes; however, the fact he is found not guilty confuses some of what I think Walter Dean Myers is trying to say. Perhaps we have to look past the obvious and explore other avenues. Maybe what he wants us to understand isn’t really about the system specifically but the affects that racism is having on our youth. Is society setting them up for failure?

     I think the title “Monster” embodies the heartbreaking theme surrounding the book. I found one of the last scenes, the attempted hug between Steve and his attorney, Ms. O’Brien, particularly disturbing. This scene paints a picture that represented the main point of the book and that is not whether the system works or not, but the fluid impressionable young man we see and affects that the system and society as a whole has on him and others like him. When he’s told he’s a “monster” throughout the whole trial, and then his own attorney, the one who is supposed to be defending him, won’t hug him, what is he supposed to think of himself? To me, this is the real point Myers was trying to drive home. Even if Steve is not spending his remaining youth in the detention center, our racism problem is far from over and I think this illustrates how sad it is that a young boy would think of himself as anything but great because our society makes him feel that way. 

Bryce's Personal Thoughts

I found how racial stereotyping was portrayed in this novel very realistic. Going through Steve's mind in a movie script narration was an interesting way of reading and I liked it because I could understand his thoughts and feelings better than had it been written in another style or point of view. It was much more descriptive which made me feel like I was in the situation The main question is if Steve is a criminal or not. Walter Dean Myers made me think a lot in this book. Not only with his unique writing style, but also his way of constructing the plot was truly impressive. I also was thinking the whole time how young Steve was. Just crazy to think how a kid his age had gotten into such a serious situation.

Something was brought up in our discussion about the role of the jury within the novel. I think it is tough for me to say something different was what was already written because it isn't my writing to change, but I felt he was innocent from what I read and analyzed. Loyalty and honesty are a theme in this novel. Is Steve an honest young man? It is up to the reader to decide.

Taylor May's Personal Thoughts

If it seems like I always relate my posts back to Urban Education and teaching diverse youth, that's because I almost always do that while I'm reading and thinking about my future classroom. I intend to teach High School English when I finish my teaching degree at UWM, and I personally never anticipated wanting to teach in an urban setting this much.

So, obviously, when I read this book that hinges so much on themes of race, difference in class/socioeconomic status, and self-image of a young adult main character, I was constantly thinking of my future classroom. I would love to see how a room  of ethnically diverse students would look at this book and how they would process the events within it.

Personally, I feel that this book is worth a read at any age, especially in a Young Adult classroom. This is because of the conversations that could be sparked by this novel, not only about race and self image, but the American justice system as a whole. It could start a debate on who was innocent in the crime and who wasn't, how the students felt about the ending and if they thought things should have went differently, the relationship between Steve and his lawyer, etc.

My overall personal thoughts on this story is that it is gripping, real, and worth the time to read it. I also would love to teach this book some day, because it could be helpful for students to see something like this that is based on a true story and try to understand the repercussions of it.

Monster in Relation to Currins 650

In Currins 650, we have spent a lot of time thinking critically about how we could potentially teach the books we've read in our own future classrooms. In particular, Walter Dean Myer's Monster would be a tough one to teach, but a rewarding one for similar reasons.

The biggest thing that makes this book one that would raise eyebrows is obviously the content. Showing a young boy in this light it something that is shocking and could be seen as inappropriate. It is graphic and raw, and a real life depiction of  this trial.

However, as we talked about when we did our module on censorship, it is worth it to read "banned books" or books that have been challenged for their content for multiple reasons; one argument against the censorship of this book would be the overarching themes that are portrayed throughout the story, which have been explained and delved into in previous posts on this blog. Furthermore, the way the book is written could be a teaching moment for YA students. Since it's written like a script, it has been called an "experimental" book. Bringing up this fact could challenge students to think about why this choice was made by the author, or what type of "experimental" writing they could do on their own. This critical thinking and reflective strategy would be beneficial to students. Obviously the rewards far outweigh the risks of teaching this book.

Secondly, there have been some common themes that show up in a lot of the novels we've read that have been considered Young Adult literature. One of these is self image, which is a huge part of the book Monster. The main character Steve has been called a monster for so long that he believes it, and it's hard for him to shake this image of himself, going as far as to say he even thought he was guilty. It seems that Steve is still greatly impacted by this self-image--even when the story is over.

--Taylor May Hagenbucher

Themes - Image/Self-Image

We felt that the book put the largest emphasis on the idea of image and more importantly, self-image. When the trial begins, the prosecutor refers to Steve as a “monster” and promises to prove it to the jury. Since we were hearing the story from Steve’s point of view, we had a direct window into how he saw himself. 

The title “Monster” seemed to represent how Steve saw himself after being put through this ordeal and the juvenile justice system-as something other than human. He tells us that his experience thus far has changed him already and he begins to wonder if he’s becoming more like the other inmates. he even contemplates suicide at one point. Even after being found not guilty, Steve never really seemed to shake the idea that he may in fact be a monster and that the prosecutor was right. Perhaps it was poor decisions, perhaps it was choosing to acquaint himself with actual criminals, or perhaps it’s out of his control and he was destined to become a monster. 

     While it’s unlikely he will be able to erase the mark his time in prison has left, we do hear about an interaction between Steve and his lawyer that leaves us with hope that he’ll be able to recover. When they are talking in his cell, Steve opens his shirt and asks Ms. O’Brien to examine his heart as he knows in his heart he is not a bad person. 

Themes - Life in the Prison System

     Overlapping with the other themes, we get a glimpse into the prison system and how it can affect young individuals like Steve. He’s certain he would lose himself if he was found guilty and was left to waste the rest of his youth in prison. He’s aware that it would change him and surely turn him into the “monster” he’s being painted as.

Steve has only spent a short time in prison awaiting his trial but that seems to be long enough to do serious psychological damage - he even contemplates suicide at one point. We hear him explaining his new understanding of the rules and why they take inmates belts and shoe laces. Steve also describes a fight that broke out which prompted the church service to be cancelled. He tells us how little the guards care and the petty things the fights in prison are over. With this insight we understand even more what this detention center is really like. 

Themes - Race's Role in the Criminal Justice System

     Monster showcases how many people feel about how minorities are unfairly viewed in the criminal justice system. With Steve as the narrator, we felt as if we were able to really know him as a person and always trusted his innocence throughout the story; however, during the numerous talks with his attorney, Ms. O’Brien, it was made clear that the jury did not know him as we did and they would most likely not feel the same. 

Steve’s attorney leads us to believe that the jury will be blinded by his skin color and not be capable of seeing past it. Until the ending is revealed, this way of thinking gives us a feeling of hopelessness surrounding young African Americans when their fate is in the hands of the criminal justice system. 

     Perhaps it's noteworthy that the story takes place in Harlem. While only 27% of New York's population is made up of African Americans, they represent over 57% of the prison populations. Even more, that prison population is YOUNG with over 58% of the inmates being between the ages of 16 and 34. 

**This data was taken from an interesting article which young can find below: 

http://theblinker.com/mainpage/2013/08/27/nycs-jails-are-full-of-young-men-of-color/

Kayla's Personal Thoughts

This book was super neat. I love how it was written like a movie script; it definitely added to the suspense of wondering whether or not Steve was guilty. I loved the little flashbacks throughout the story that panned to semi-important conversations in Steve's life. It was neat to see that normal side of him since the entire story takes place during his jail time. Speaking of that, I like that we don't learn a whole lot about Steve--or any of the other characters for that matter--because there is less room for influence on the readers' judgments on the guiltiness of each character.

I honestly didn't think much of the hug scene while reading. I saw it as a mere act of professionalism by the attorney. It would be neat if there was some indication of affection like this after they were out of the court room, or perhaps a while after the day of the verdict. The fact that the story ends on the cliff-hanger of "What did she see?" makes the reader know that five months after the trial, that idea is still bothering Steve. After further character analysis, I still don't really know what O'Brien was thinking in that moment. The two characters' relationship ended so abruptly, as did the novel. I think there is some parallelism in that; however, questions like "Why did O'Brien shy away from Steve after the verdict was called?" and "Does Steve still see himself as a monster?" still linger. Steve's personal anxiety about being a monster and wondering who he is followed him throughout the novel and beyond. Perhaps the two unanswered questions are supposed to be what follows readers' after they finish the novel.

-Kayla Loos

Character Analysis: Kathy O'Brien

Kathy O'Brien is Steve's lawyer. In theory, it is her job to prove Steve innocent, but O'Brien shows little faith in Steve winning the trial. Throughout the novel, it appears that O'Brien isn't too thrilled about having to work for Steve, let alone holding a job as a lawyer. She has presumptions about Steve on account of his association with the "thugs" of Manhattan. One could say that she's in the wrong for having such presumptions since it's her job to prove Steve innocent; however, one could also argue that perhaps O'Brien's track record in court the reason why she doubts Steve's innocence. She has no emotional drive to prove Steve's innocence, seeing his case as just another trial.

Another topic of discussion is O'Brien's refusal of a hug from Steve after the trail.  This refusal could simply be because O'Brien wishes to maintain professional standards. She works for Steve, she isn't his friend, and the trial results happened simply because she did her job. O'Brien's "stiffness" is a reason why professionalism isn't enough of an explanation for the awkwardness of this scene. It's possible that O'Brien wanted Steve to be proven guilty, but that would require her to be careless of her stature as a reliable lawyer. Does she care? Though she works immensely hard to prove Steve's innocence, she shows little passion for the job. A lot of her hard work comes from her coaching Steve on what to say in court and criticizing his improvised responses. The interaction between Steve and O'Brien in this final scene, or lack thereof, is a hot topic of discussion for the classroom. With these two characters driving a majority of the story, readers have a load of conversations and information to use when analyzing the characters' relationship and why it ended so abruptly.

-Kayla Loos

Character Analysis: Steve Harmon

Steve Harmon is the sixteen-year-old boy whose trial is the entire premise of the story. The book begins with him writing a journal entry about the trial and how he feels about being in prison. He decides he is going to record his experiences like a film script, thus initiating the formatting style in which the book is published. In choosing to write his story like this, Steve has put himself in full control of what the readers know. He does a fair job at capturing the emotion of other characters in the story like that of the lawyers and the other inmates involved in the crime, yet he is the only character who keeps a personal journal that the readers get to see.

Reading the story through Steve's lens is a juggling task because not only does one see his frustration with trying to prove his innocence, but one also sees his anxiety regarding his reference as a "monster." Petrocelli, the prosecutor, calls Steve a monster early in the trial process. In addition to this, Steve receives early criticism by his own lawyer, O'Brien, who is skeptical about winning because Steve is "young...[and] black" (Myers 79). She converses with Steve multiple times and makes her doubts known. She reminds him that she has worked hard in a lot of trials, but this one will be hard for her to win (not only due to the racial circumstances, but due to her lack of faith in Steve's innocence). Knowing that his lawyer doesn't even fully believe in him, Steve is brought to ponder if he really is a monster. Even if he does win the trial, the tag sticks with him and he is uneasy about it.

When the verdict is called, Steve attempts to hug O'Brien, but she "stiffens and turns to pick up her papers," looking "pensive" (276). The last bit of the novel is a journal entry months after the trial, and Steve records that he still wonders what O'Brien saw that day, why she was so tense. These thoughts bring Steve back to seeing himself as a monster. It becomes clear that though the story appears to be about the crime, the real mystery to be solved is whether or not Steve is a monster. It's as if that claim never got proven true or false; it's up to readers to analyse Steve's actions, the actions of others, the crime, and the verdict in order to come to a decision.

-Kayla Loos

A Quick Summary of "Monster" Without Giving Too Much Away

Monster by Walter Dean Myers is about a young, African-American guy named Steve who is on trial for murder. It is evident that Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is not fond of Steve and has little faith in him winning the case. The whole book has an interesting format; most of it is written like a film script while pieces of it are written as a journal that Steve keeps in his cell. The prosecutor, Sandra Petrocelli, regards Steve as a monster due to his supposed affiliation with the crime. Her dislike and distrust of him is evident throughout the book. At first, it feels like Steve may only be a monster in Petrocelli's eyes; as the prosecutor, it is her job to prove him guilty. Despite this, as the novel progresses, readers regard the emotions and opinions of other prisoners on trial, of the other lawyers involved, of the judge, and of Steve's parents. The different points of view noted throughout the book make not only the reader ponder whether Steve is a monster, but also Steve himself.

-Kayla Loos