- Summary: Steve Harmon is just a teenager when he is charged with the murder of a drugstore clerk in Harlem. It is alleged that he was the person who was sent into the drugstore to determine if any police were present, and if not, to give the all clear. Daily, he writes in his journal thinking about what he is being accused of and how his life will turn out if he is sentenced to prison, all while listening to the horrors of prison from his cell. His lawyer is afraid he will be guilty by association and urges him to take the stand and prove he doesn’t associate with the others charged. Between his testimony and the testimony of Mr. Sawicki, his film teacher in high school, Steve’s character is saved and he is found not guilty of murder. This novel is told through the lense of a film script because he was out and about scouting places for his next film for class when he became a suspect for this crime. Also, his own journal entries from his cell provide insight into his emotions, his internal feelings, and his slow downfall into feeling like he will be found guilty despite his known innocence.
- Textbook: This award-winning novel encapsulates current events and situations, despite being published in 1999: crime in traditionally black neighborhoods and the demise of the black male being surrounded by the gang culture. This novel brings to light the issues of guilty by association. Just because Steve is a black male who was seen around the drugstore where a murder was committed, he is grouped into the circle of criminals. The reader believes that Steve is innocent even when he begins to believe the lies he hears in prison that someone will be found guilty, even if they aren’t. His mother brings the underlying theme of racism to light with the statement that people thought she should have hired a black lawyer instead of the white, female lawyer, addressing the fear that Steven would not be properly defended because of his race. But, the themes in this novel don’t smack the reader in the face or overtly point out racism and bigotry; instead, those themes are carefully revealed and wrapped up when Steven is found not guilty and is able to return to his teenage life and bright future.
Myers, W. D., & Myers, C. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
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