Monster: Literary Technique and Major Characters Essay

1. Title of the book: The title of the book is Monster. 2. Author’s name: The author of the book is Walter Dean Myers. 3. The year the piece was written: Monster was written in 1999 and published by HarperCollins. 4. Major Characters: The major characters of the story are; Steve Harmon, Kathy O’Brien, and Sandra Petrocelli. 5. Setting(s) of the story: The two settings are: The Detention Center and the Courthouse. Both of these settings are in downtown New York, and events and ideas from one setting transfer to the other. 6.Positive/Negative: In Monster, Sandra Petrocelli is considered or portrayed as negative due to her reasoning and her actions. One example of the negativity of Petrocelli is on page 21 when she refers to both Steve Harmon and James King as â€Å"monsters†. Another way she is portrayed as negative is through the many people she brings to the stand. She attempts to relate the already convicted felons with the innocent-until-proven-guilty James King and Steve Harmon. 7. Literary Techniques: 1. One literary technique used in Monster is foreshadowing. When Steve  says that prison is â€Å"being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time† at the beginning of the story (page 4), it foreshadows the horrible emotional state he will live through both during the trial and even after it’s over. 2. Another literary technique is symbolism, also in the beginning of the book (page 7). Steve uses the blanket to symbolize comfort and safety from the trial and the decision of the jury. His inmate says: â€Å"Ain’t no use putting the blanket over your head, man. You can’t cut this out; this is reality. This is the real deal. † This makes him realize how serious his case is, and as a young man, he does not feel ready to give up his adolescence and his innocence. 3. The last literary technique is a metaphor, and is found right before he jury reaches a verdict (page 269). Myers uses a metaphor in showing Steve’s emotions by writing: â€Å"My case fills me†. In reality, it would mean that he is literally filled by his case, but that isn’t what he means. He means that his case is all that he thinks about: that there are no thoughts or feelings inside of him that do not pertain to his case. 8. Theme Statement: The theme statement of Monster is: Never judge a book by its cover, because it may not fully grasp the message of the content inside. 9. Personal Response: A connection I can make between the text and my own life is that I sometimes befriend someone who is not a perfect role model. I often get judged by who I hang out with and the things that those people do and say. This is how Steve is viewed during the case due to the fact that he knows James King and several other people that Sandra Petrocelli (Assistant District Attorney) calls to the stand. 10. Memorable Quotes: 1.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities-people who are willing to steal and kill, people who disregard the rights of others. † This quote was said by Sandra Petrocelli (Prosecutor) and was directed towards the jury as part of her opening statement. This quote is significant in several ways, the first being the impact it had on Steve Harmon and his â€Å"movie†: Monster. Another way it was significant was through the minds of the jurors. It was significant because she attempted to isolate them from other people as an effect of their alleged prosecutions; despite the fact that they are innocent until proven guilty. 2. â€Å"I wish Jerry were here. Not in jail, but somehow with me. What would I say to him? Think about all the tomorrows of your life. Yes, that’s would I would say. Think about all the tomorrows of your life. † This quote was written down by Steve inside of his journal. He is debating what he would say to his younger brother Jerry if he was there with him. It is immensely significant due to the fact that he is writing down the advice he wished he had taken himself. He is finally starting to realize that his life (or most of it) may be spent in jail, and he is trying to keep that from happening to his brother. 3. â€Å"They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can’t kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment. † This quote was written down in his journal as part of his â€Å"movie†. In this part of the story, he is yet to realize the severity of his case and the effect it could have on his life. It is significant because it shows how oblivious he is to what could actually happen to him.