First Impressions In Walter Dean Myers's 'Monster'

627 Words2 Pages

The statement, never judge a book by its cover, is known by almost everyone, however, in a world of first impressions, people are always going to treat and judge someone by the way they look and act. The novel, Monster, written by Walter Dean Myers is about a 16-year-old boy, Steve Harmon, who is on trial with James King for felony murder. In the jail and court, it is shown that when the jury or prisoner looks at another, they can instantly tell whether they are strong, or they are timid. The jury in the court can reach their decision just based on first impressions. Being portrayed as cowardly can put one at a major disadvantage. To commence, if one shows weakness in the prison, the prisoners there will oppress them. In the book, Harmon

Show More
Related

  • Steve Harmon's Theme In The Story 'Monster' By Walter Dean Myers

    272 Words  | 1 Pages

    The story Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, provides a theme for the readers. In the story, Monster, Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old boy, creates a script and writes notes about his character’s time in jail. Harmon is in jail for felony murder of Mr. Nesbitt, a drugstore owner. Along with Harmon, James King is also accused of being involved in the robbery and murder. Throughout the story, Harmon writes a script explaining what would be going on throughout his time in jail and the courtroom, along with the character’s personal notes. In this plot, an evident theme is present. Without a doubt, the lesson taken away from Monster is: Trust one’s self and issues will be solved with less harm.

    Read More

  • Walter Dean Myers’ Monster - Guilty Until Proven Innocent

    1247 Words  | 3 Pages

    Monster is an example of what Patty Campbell would call a “landmark book.” Texts such as these “encourage readers to interact with the text and with one another by employing a variety of devices, among them ambiguity” (Campbell 1) Because it is told through the eyes of Steve himself, the plot can be difficult to decipher. It is ambiguous whether he is innocent or guilty of being involved with the crime. Steve learned to make things unpredictable from his film teacher Mr. Sawicki who teaches him, “If you make your film predictable, they’ll make up their minds about it long before it’s over” (19). Steve took his teacher’s advice and made this film script entirely unpredictable, even after it is over. His lawyer, O’Brien, says in her closing statement, “What can we trace as to the guilt or innocence of my client, Steve Harmon?” (245) This leaves the jury with an undoubtedly difficult decision, as well as the reader, because there are clues to both guilt and innocence in Steve’s case.

    Read More

  • soapstone

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...came impact someone’s life when he says, “Now it is time! Save and protect me!” The monster does not want to be judge on how he looks but how he acts, just like everyone else in society today wants to be treated.

    Read More

  • The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gresham M. Sykes describes the society of captives from the inmates’ point of view. Sykes acknowledges the fact that his observations are generalizations but he feels that most inmates can agree on feelings of deprivation and frustration. As he sketches the development of physical punishment towards psychological punishment, Sykes follows that both have an enormous effect on the inmate and do not differ greatly in their cruelty.

    Read More

  • Carlo Levi’s Memoirs, Christ Stopped At Eboli

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    that he is not the only prisoner and that it is more than a physical

    Read More

  • Walter Dean Myers Monster Research Papers

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monster is the popular book, particularly in school. This classic beloved story was written by Walter Dean Myers and it's about Steve Harmon on trial for his life. But throughout the book, Steve's parents still love him. In this world, parents love is so strong even they don't trust their child or the child has done something bad. Parents have strong emotion for their child.

    Read More

  • In the Company Of

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Children hear the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” a great many times as a warning to exercise caution before rushing to judgment, that is, taking what is on the outside as an indication of what is on the inside. They are taught that this is especially true when it comes to people. The concept that looks can be deceiving helps prepare children early for the different masks that people wear. Additionally, the message many times appears to be a one way street. When someone says looks can be deceiving, the message is often interpreted and applied to those who look malicious and evil or perhaps ugly but may have a heart of gold. This ignores that one appearing weak and innocent can be a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing. This difference in concept of deceitful looks is what sets Angels Carter’s “In the Company of Wolves” apart from the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” by Charles Perrault. The main theme and moral of both stories is the same - that looks can be deceiving. However, each presents the reader with a dichotomy that leads to an interesting juxtaposition in presentation.

    Read More

  • Prisoners And Prisons In Varlam Shalamov's Kolyma Tales

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    A common theme in many of the stories is that of self-preservation, because for most of the prisoners, focusing one oneself

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Twelve Angry Men

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, in Twelve Angry Men, Juror Eight defies prejudices in his own beliefs, and eventually in the final verdict. When the eleven jurors are asking the Eighth Juror why he voted “not guilty”, he responds with “It’s just that we’re talking about somebody’s life here. I mean, we can’t decide in five minutes. Suppose we’re wrong?” (12). Even if the Eighth Juror may think that the boy might have actually killed his father, doesn’t mean he did just because the boy grew up in the slums and is a tough kid. No matter where the boy is from or what he looks like, his life is on the line. Thus, don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Later on, when the jurors are talking about the knife that the boy had, Juror Eight was “saying it’s possible that the boy lost the knife and that someone else stabbed his father with a similar knife.” (22). Just because a violent boy who grew up in a violent family had a knife, doesn’t necessarily mean he is guilty of murder. Thus, things may not always be the way they seem, so don’t judge a book by its

    Read More

  • The Mind of a Criminal in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s "Crime and Punishment" and Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein"

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    The human mind is a complex labyrinth barely explored. What drives humans to make decisions, behave in certain manors, and react in certain ways are defined by many theories of psychology. What actually goes on in the mind of a criminal or a sociopath? Can crimes be justified? And where do society’s morals take effect? These questions are ones that might be posed when reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A great mind can easily be corrupted by a narcissistic need for knowledge or the simple drive to prove a point. Both protagonists in these novels are faced against a mirror, fighting with their own minds, reaping consequences of past decisions and underdeveloped ideas these characters, although great men force themselves onto a road of redemption after failed experiments. Both works embody main characters that isolate themselves from society in a search for intellectual enlightenment but to their dismay, a reversal of fortune occurs.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Gris Grimly's Frankenstein

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book Gris Grimly's Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein develops a creature with his bare hands who in my opinion even though has a non-human look is, in fact, a human. The two main reasons why I feel this way is because of the human-like emotions he conveys and show. As well as being able to speak English in a clear manner and the ability to learn like a human being. However, before I explain these two reasons more in depth I would like to give a bit of background information, as to the things the creature has done throughout the book and why he was created. First of all, the reason the creature was created was for Victor to test if it was possible to bring the dead back to life in order to bring his mother back to life after her death.

    Read More

  • The Stranger by Albert Camus

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people often base their opinions on a person by judging his whole life in general and his attitude towards life without caring about who the person really is deep down inside. This unfair reasoning can occur in the courtroom when people are put on trial and the judge and the jury must delve into the life of the accused and determine if he is a hazard to society. Occasionally, the judge and jury are too concerned with the accused’s past that they become too biased and give an unfair conviction and sentencing. In his novel, The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the courtroom as a symbol to represent society that judges the main character, Meursalt, unfairly to illustrate how society forms opinions based on one’s past.

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    A monster can be characterized by an extreme deviation from the normal standards of society including an internal or external wickedness. In the case of Mary Shelley’s Creature, his appearance overwhelms those who lay eyes upon him. A mere glance can send a villager running for the hills. It was not until the Creature caught a glance of his own reflection that he understood why villagers were so afraid of him. The realization of his ghastly appearance began the monster’s journey into hopelessness. In Peter Brooks’ article he writes, “Self recognition as the ‘filthy type’ completes the mirror stage of the Monsters development.” (Brooks 377). Seeing oneself as ugly and slovenly can cast shadows on even the most compassionate of hearts.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein - The Humanity of the Monster

    1402 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sometimes, in novels like Frankenstein, the motives of the author are unclear.  It is clear however, that one of the many themes Mary Shelley presents is the humanity of Victor Frankenstein's creation.  Although she presents evidence in both support and opposition to the creation's humanity, it is apparent that this being is indeed human.  His humanity is not only witnessed in his physical being, but in his intellectual and emotional thoughts as well.  His humanity is argued by the fact that being human does not mean coming from a specific genetic chain and having family to relate to, but to embrace many of the distinct traits that set humans apart from other animals in this world.  In fact, calling Victor's creation a `monster' doesn't support the argument that he is human, so for the sake of this case, his name shall be Phil.

    Read More

  • The Monstrous In Frankenstein

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or; The Modern Prometheus, published in 1818, is a product of its time. Written in a world of social, political, scientific and economic upheaval it highlights human desire to uncover the scientific secrets of our universe, yet also confirms the importance of emotions and individual relationships that define us as human, in contrast to the monstrous. Here we question what is meant by the terms ‘human’ and ‘monstrous’ as defined by the novel. Yet to fully understand how Frankenstein defines these terms we must look to the etymology of them. The novel however, defines the terms through its main characters, through the themes of language, nature versus nurture, forbidden knowledge, and the doppelganger motif. Shelley also shows us, in Frankenstein, that although juxtaposing terms, the monstrous being everything human is not, they are also intertwined, in that you can not have one without the other. There is also an overwhelming desire to know the monstrous, if only temporarily and this calls into question the influence the monstrous has on the human definition.

    Read More

More about First Impressions In Walter Dean Myers's 'Monster'

Open Document