Walter Dean Myers titles the novel Monster after the name that prosecuting attorney, Sandra Petrocelli, calls Steve Harmon at the beginning of the story. In the Prologue, Steve Harmon explains the terrible situation he is in and expresses his wish to make a movie about his experience being on trial for his life. He says he'll write his screenplay down in a notebook and "call it what the lady who is prosecutor called me. Monster" (8). Throughout the novel, Steve struggles with his identity and the fact that he is accused of being involved in the robbery and murder of Aguinaldo Nesbitt. Steve notices that he looks similar to the other inmates and questions his values and morals. Myers explores how the judicial system impersonally judges minorities and portrays them as "monsters," rather than human beings. At the end of the novel, Steve is found not guilty and turns to hug his attorney, Kathy O'Brien. Instead of hugging Steve, O'Brien distances herself and turns away of from him. Steve Harmon questions what made her turn from him because she looked at him like he was a "monster."
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