Monster By Walter Dean Myers: Character Analysis

“Being a hero doesn’t mean you're invincible, it just means that you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed, “says a sagacious man named Rick Riordan . Often times you see heroes on television who have super strength of flying powers, but heroes come in many different forms of people. Irena Sendler for example, was a great hero. Not many people know the name of Irena Sendler, she had done something big that impacted and saved the lives of many jews. Some heroes may be fictional as well.

In the novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the main character is Richie Perry. At seventeen he graduated high school in Harlem, and he wanted to go to college, but his mother couldn’t afford to send him to college since she was an alcoholic. So he joined the army to escape his unfortunate future, but joining the army meant he had to leave his little brother Kenny, who saw him as a father figure since their father left when they were younger. Perry was sent to Vietnam and through his journey, he made lifelong bonds with many different people such as PeeWee, Monaco, and etc. Also in his journey, he suffers from mental and physical wounds.

Murderers are evil, and it is imperative that the criminal justice system works against them, but it is just as important for them to work honestly and fair. Walter Dean Myers titled his book Monster. The book is about a sixteen-year-old boy, Steve Harmon, who is on trial for felony murder. A monster is what they called him, evil and malignant.

Addison Lucas Mrs.A/Mr.G English 10 23 February 2023 Monster Monster is a novel written by Walter Myers,this story is based on Steve Harmon, a teenager who finds himself in a difficult situation as he is on trial for murder. While some people believe that Steve Harmon was not guilty, in reality, he was guilty because he had to be trained by O’Brien, he was at the drugstore during the crime, and he changed his story. The first reason why Steve is guilty is becasue he had to be trained by his defense attorney, Kathy O’brien. ”We’re going to play a little game.

Then Mary tells the court that the girls are lying, but when the officers brought in the girls they tell Judge Danforth that Mary is bewitching them. Proctor became furious and tells the court that he had an affair with Abigail and that she was jealous of his wife. Then the Judge bring in his wife to see what she has to say about this and she ends up protecting Proctor’s honor and tells the judge that he didn’t have an affair with Abigail and Proctor is arrested for being a liar in

If you were blamed for a crime you didn’t do, would you let that accusation go and let it tarnish your reputation? Would you let it fly by and have others judge from every angle? No, right? Normally people who get accused of crimes demand justice as they know they did not commit the crime and only justice can give them the freedom they deserve. But let’s look at Steve Harmon, the main character from the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers who was on trial for murder.

Rhetorical Analysis of “Monsters and the Moral Imagination” Many people believe monsters are imaginary creatures that are seen in movies or even for others, it could be a serial killer that was heard about on the news. Stephen T. Asma wrote “Monsters and the Moral Imagination” which “first appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education in October 2009” (Hoffman 61). Asma, who is a professor of philosophy, examines how different individual’s perceptions of a monster can be different depending on the era or even events happening around them. In “Monsters and the Moral Imagination,” Stephen T. Asma wrote a nonfiction, persuasive article for an educated and possibly specialized audience to examine how the idea of monsters have changed over time, what could be the motivation to create them, or even how life experiences could change an individual’s perceptions.

Steve believes that he is a monster, he dislikes his life, at the moment, and being on trial does not help with the fact that his self esteem is low. Steve Harmon does not want to be in jail anymore, he wants to be

“When I don’t like the answers, I’ll turn it upside down. You figure out what’s wrong with the answer you gave me” (218). Steve and O’Brien had went over what he was going to say prior to the court session, but if he was innocent there would be nothing to worry about. Steve also had flashbacks that the jury doesn’t know about, including where he talks to King about needing money and wanting to rob a bank (50). The jury has no idea that the conversation had happened so they did not have enough information to deliver a verdict of guilty.

Steve’s judgment of his actions is similar to a pendulum swinging. Although Steve believes within himself that he is innocent, of the important people around him, make him insecure as to the degree of his innocence and turn to others for confirmation. Steve Harmon, the defendant, is faced with an internal conflict that questions his self-identity and his character in relation to the crime.

After Steve’s father visits him in prison, Steve writes this in his notebook about what his dad’s reaction was, “It’s like the man looking down to see his son and seeing a monster instead”(Myers 116). After seeing his dad act this way as Steve describes it, we can see that he feels like he has disappointed and let down his own father. In both examples, we can see that during the trial, Steve has felt disappointed in his chances and

“Goody Proctor, your husband is marked to hang this morning.” (Hale 201). Her husband would rather be hanged than to confess and keep his life. The people’s reputation in the village is the most important thing to

(Myers 140). This shows how Steve is a monster and is lying because at first he said he was never there. He is thinking how he went in the store and just looked for mints, nothing else but that was not true. He is on edge about what is going to happen to him in court. In his mind he

Kyle Lyon Professor Ed Steck AWR 201 F3 14 April 2015 Annotated Bibliography Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Hunter, Paul J. Norton Critical Edition.

The novel displays Steve’s father’s perception regarding his son’s presence in jail. Steve Harmon ends up in jail for suspected murder, leaving his innocence to be questioned by those closest to him. Steve’s father finds it difficult to believe that Steve is innocent. Steve’s father experiences “tears in his eyes” and “struggles with his emotions” just after Steve asks if his father believes that Steve is truly innocent (Myers 111).