Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Steve Harmon, the main character of Monster, has been accused of being an accessory to murder.  His story is told through two mediums: his diary, which talks about his time in prison and his life before the robbery, and a screenplay which he writes in prison about his trial.  Steve apparently became involved with the wrong crowd- we know that he at least had knowledge of the robbery, and had been asked to serve as a lookout.  Whether he did this or not is never entirely clear- but we know that Steve himself feels a large amount of guilt for his involvement.Whether Steve was involved or not, the robbery ended in the (probably) unintentional murder of the store clerk by James King, one of the two robbers.  The plan, according to the uncertain testimony of Oswaldo (one of the lesser conspirators of the robbery), was for Steve to go in ahead and signal King and another robber if there were any police or customers.  The conclusion shows us that Steve has grown as a person from his experience in the trial and in jail, and that his guilt in the eyes of the law is insignificant when compared to his own ability to live with his choices and mistakes.

Analysis:  The style of this book is very postmodern, blending multiple mediums to unfold its narrative.  Postmodern ideas have been shown to appeal most directly to the current generation of teenagers.  This is not surprising, when you think about it.  They have grown up in postmodernity, and it is postmodernity to which they can most closely relate.  This book is also potent in its discussion of African-American social issues.  This book would work well in a unit dedicated to African-American literature, along with Zora and Me, Invisible Man, and African-American poets such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen.

Class Ideas:  The blending of genres of literature in this book is striking.  Ask students to write a short fictional piece, and then attempt to translate it into another medium. (The teacher could first ask the students for a short fictional piece and then later introduce the idea of changing the medium.)  This process is intended to open students minds to possibilities they may not have considered in their writing.  The way you tell a story is just as important as the story itself.