The Verdict Says Not Guilty, But is Steve Really Fooling Himself?

Monster. ISBN978-0-06-440731-1 Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers, 1999. National Book Award Finalist. Age 12-16. Multicultural-all classes.


Steve is a 16 year old boy on trial for murder. During his time awaiting trial he has lost himself. He has become a monster. He claims being in jail is like a movie with no clear beginning and no plot, thus the basis of his story.

Steve is different from the other boys in his neighborhood and it is unclear how he got mixed up with them. Through a series of film directions and journal entries Steve takes the reader through the depths of his struggle to decide whether or not he is guilty. He is not only on trial vs. the State, he is on trial with himself. Only Steve knows the answer, but the reader is invited to decide for themselves...is Steve guilty?

The purpose of the trial is not only to prove or disprove Steve's innocence or guilt, it is to help him find himself after being lost to the overwhelming powers of the street life.

Discussion Topics
1. The Judicial System and how it works (could be taught in correspondence with an American Civics course). Students could perform a mock trial.
2. Film making (could be taught in correspondence with a film or media class). Students can write their own screen play.
3. Keeping a journal. Students would be required to keep a journal while reading this book.
4. Peer pressure
5. Gang affiliation
6. Ethics - what constitutes right and wrong? Was it wrong for Steve to case the drug store, even if he didn't directly cause Mr. Nesbit's death?


"Anybody can walk into a drugstore and look around. Is that what I'm on trial for? I didn't do nothing! I didn't do nothing!" (115). Who is Steve trying to convince here - himself or the reader? By creating Steve as a character that does not know who he is, Myers invites the reader to try and figure it out for themselves. This is what makes this book so intriguing! Steve could be anyone. He could be a gang banger ready and willing to commit this crime without a second thought like Bobo and King, or he could be the "outstanding, talented, bright and compassionate young man" that Sawicki paints a picture of.

The plot of this book takes us through Steve's mind and his most personal thoughts to help us make a decision for ourselves. How could such a compassionate person be guilty of this crime? How could such a liar be innocent? These are the questions Myers forces the reader to ask themselves. When the verdict is read some feel a rush of relief, while others feel that a "monster" has been delivered back out onto the streets. Even in the end O'Brien isn't sure that Steve is innocent. Steve doesn't know either. His last line of the book "What did she see?" (281) proves that he cannot be innocent unless others see him that way.

The setting of this story is terrifying. The reader can almost feel it. From the dark descriptions of the cold and lonely jail cell - the beatings and sexual advances committed by the soulless inmates, to the bleak and unforgiving courtroom, this book takes the reader with Steve through all his feelings of panic and anxiety.

Lastly, the unique format of this book makes it a real page turner. In fact that is an understatement. Myers writes the book as if it is a screen play, so it was more like watching a movie than reading a book. The reader can actually visualize the screen directions in their head. This format offers a great tool to introduce screen writing to students.