Monster Literary Analysis Essay

The justice system, a system founded on the hopes of a justifying punishment for one’s crime. The novel “Monster”, by Walter Dean Myers, is about a young black male, Steve Harmon. In this novel Steve talks about his experiences in prison from what he sees to what he feels. Steve talks about his experiences through his journal. To keep up with what was going on in court during his trial he writes down parts of his journal in screenplay form. In his journal he talks about the struggles he faces,may it be about his trial, his past, or with himself. Myers uses mood to show how Steve Harmon’s surroundings affect his state of mind. The author also uses syntax to help the readers …show more content…
The mood in Monster by Walter Dean Myers is very dark and serious. Throughout the novel Steve is struggles with questions of “what if ” or “what is going to happen”. Since Steve is never sure of what is going to happen he is constantly worrying. Worrying about where he stands with himself, what others think about him, his surroundings, and his trial. Myers writes, “ What was going on between us, me being his son and him being my dad, is pushed down and something else is moving up in its place. It’s like a man looking down to see his son and seeing a monster instead.” (116) This quote shows just how serious and despairing his situation is. Throughout the novel Steve is struggles with questions of “what if” or “what is going to happen”. Steve wants so deeply to prove that he is innocent but even his father was convinced that he was a criminal, a …show more content…
Steve Harmon a young black male himself is a symbol for all others like him that suffer from social ills. Stories of young males ,kids really, who grow up watching people like him go to jail and get murdered. African Amercians are more commonly victimized to crime because they are deprived of their education, housing, employment,etc. Standards are set so low for young black males, so low that most times all that is expected from them is gang violence and death. Steve exceeds all expectations and proves himself innocent. It was a shock to the jury and his persecutor that he was not in fact guilty. Were they shocked because he was black, because of where he came from, or because they actually thought he was guilty? That we don't know. What we do know is that young black males like Harmon are not given the opportunity to better themselves because of where they grow up and who they look up to. When you change a person’s surroundings you change their world, you change who they are. Given the right opportunity anyone can be a good person.
The novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers is about a man named Steve Harmon and his struggles as he faces time for a crime he did not commit. The use of syntax in the novel connects the reader and the writer on more personal level. The mood of the novel brings a more realistic sense of how serious facing jail time really is and how difficult it