Monster
By Walter Dean Myers
"A riveting courtroom drama that will leave a powerful, haunting impression on young minds."
~Publishers Weekly
Is Steve innocent or guilty? You will have to read MONSTER to find out!
SETTING
The story takes place in Manhattan and Harlem, New York City, in three important locations: a courtroom, a prison, and sometimes in the neighborhood where Steve Harmon, the main character, lives. The novel is written in the present day.
Monster Video Trailer
SUMMARY
A sixteen-year-old boy named Steve Harmon finds himself on trial for murder after he is accused as acting as a lookout for the young men who actually commit a robbery at a Harlem drugstore and kill the store owner. The story is presented predominantly from his own viewpoint in the form of a screenplay and journal entries he writes, while he faces the trial and possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
The Characters as Actors:
Jaden Smith as Steve Harmon
Steve is a sixteen year old, young Black man who has been arrested for acting as the look-out in robbery that goes bad and ends in a murder. He is the narrator for the story, writing it in the form of a screenplay interspersed with his journal entries.
Picture source: http://www.stylebistro.com/Jaden+Smith/Hair
Picture source: http://www.stylebistro.com/Jaden+Smith/Hair
Jessica Chastain as Kathy O'Brien
Ms. O'Brien is Steve’s defense attorney who uses his character traits before the crime and makes sure she distances him from the other defendants as way of getting a not guilty verdict.
Picture source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1567113/?ref_=tt_cl_t3
Picture source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1567113/?ref_=tt_cl_t3
Sandra Bullock as Sandra Petrocelli
Ms. Petrocelli is the Assistant District Attorney who prosecutes the case against Steve and James King. She labels them “monsters.”
Picture source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/celebrity/You-Know-Its-Over-When-Sandra-Bullock-is-Nice-to-Jesse-100976229.html
Drake as James King
A black man who is also young, but older than Steve, King encourages Steve to be a part of his “crew” which will rob the drugstore. He is accused of being in the drugstore, wrestling Mr. Nesbitt for the gun, and ultimately shooting the older man to death.
Picture source: http://hypebeast.com/2014/1/watch-drakes-snl-takeover
Donald Glover as Richard "Bobo" Evans
"Bobo" is the other young man accused of being in the store at the time of the murder. He is stealing the money from the register and grabbing the cartons of cigarettes when the gun goes off. He makes a deal with the prosecution to testify against King and Steve to get a lighter sentence.
Picture source: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/childish-gambinos-because-the-internet-review-donald-glover
Jake Austin as Osvaldo Cruz
Osvaldo is another participant in the crime. It was his job to stand outside and trip up anyone who tries to catch them after they rob the store. He claims he did it, because he was afraid of Bobo, but he is a member of a street gang and slashed someone’s face to be accepted into the gang.
Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_T._Austin
OR
LIST OF CHARACTERS
Jose Delgado
Jose worked in the drugstore and found Mr. Nesbitt’s body. He also determined that several cartons of cigarettes had been stolen along with money from the cash register. He was known in the neighborhood for having a black belt karate.
Picture source: http://www.inlandempire.com/martial-arts-studios/
Picture source: http://www.inlandempire.com/martial-arts-studios/
Steve's Parents
They are depicted as hard-working people who have tried to raise their sons right. Steve’s mother continues to believe in him no matter what, but his father looks at him like he doesn’t really know him.
Picture source: http://footage.shutterstock.com/clip-3109264-stock-footage-african-american-family-spending-together-time-on-beach-all-dressed-in-white.html
Picture source: http://footage.shutterstock.com/clip-3109264-stock-footage-african-american-family-spending-together-time-on-beach-all-dressed-in-white.html
Alguinaldo Nesbitt
As the victim of the crime, Mr. Nesbitt is depicted as a decent, hard-working citizen who lost his life in defense of his property. However, his character isn’t well presented, because the focus of the story is Steve and other young men on trial.
Picture source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/man-shot-to-death-in-bayview-car/Content?oid=2320942
Picture source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/man-shot-to-death-in-bayview-car/Content?oid=2320942
SYMBOLS using VOCABULARY
Steve is accused as being an ACCOMPLICE to the robbery and murder.
Steve writes the movie script and journals while he is in prison. Steve is one of the DEFENDANTS in this case.
If the VERDICT is guilty, Steve could go to jail for the rest of his life.
About the Author
Walter Dean Myers was born in August, 1937 in West Virginia. He was adopted and grew up in Harlem. Myers dropped out of high school and enlisted in the US Army on his 17th birthday. Although he didn't do well in school, he always had a passion for writing. His second passion growing up was basketball. Myers has written over fifty books, including picture books and nonfiction, but he is best known for his young adult novels.
Flyer Created by Mrs. Raebel
She teaches at Park View Middle School in Mukwonago, WI. Monster is one the novels her eighth grade students read during the school year.
...and she thinks of her dog Mowgli as a "Monster"!
...and she thinks of her dog Mowgli as a "Monster"!