Monster

Article written by Chioma Julie

Degree in M.C.M. Awarded Best Graduating Student in Literature-in-English at UNISEC.

Illustrated by Christopher Myers and dedicated to John Brendel “for his long friendship”, ‘Monster’ is fictitious but focuses on very real themes, so much so that one is almost convinced that the story is a true-life story. But, it is not.

‘Monster‘ is as real as fiction is allowed to get. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who finds himself roped into a crime. With many accusing fingers pointing at him and his co-defendant, his life comes crashing down. The case has him reflecting, contemplating, and trying to remember, to know just where and when he went off track, when exactly he took that step in the wrong direction.

Steve Harmon is on trial with James King and has so many testimonies indicting the latter, including ones from self-admitted criminals like Osvaldo, Bobo, Cruz, and so on. He thinks he is nothing like these people and is determined to prove that. Is he, though? Is he not like them? Well, I guess ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are both equally correct answers to give in this instance. This experience redirects Steve’s life and makes him question himself to know or get to know who he truly is because even he at some point stopped being able to tell.

Key Facts about Monster

• Title: Monster
• Author’s Name: Walter Dean Myers
• Date of Publication: April 21st, 1999
• Literary Period: Contemporary Times
• Genre: Crime Drama
• Climax: The day of the verdict.
• Protagonist: Steve Harmon
• Antagonist: Procelli, the prosecutor representing the state.
• Point of View: First-person
• Style of Writing/Diction/Structure: For ‘Monster‘, each date is like a chapter. In total, 11 dates are mentioned. Each date is kicked off with a narration and/or note from the protagonist. Apart from parts like this, the rest are dialogues. The vocabulary and the sentence structure are simple.
• Setting: Manhattan and Harlem, New York.

Walter Dean Myers and Monster

Walter Dean Myers was an American writer. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, however, he was raised in Harlem, New York City. His unpleasant experiences as a child made him pick up writing, a talent of his. Encouraged by his teachers, he stood firm and continued to write. He went on to write great books that won him various awards. He won the Coretta Scott King Award five times. That is a record. In 1969, he also won the Council on Interracial Books for Children. That resulted in the publication of his first book, ‘Where Does the Day Go?’, that same year.

Myers was born on August 12, 1937, and passed on July 1, 2014. He lived for 76 years. He had a career in writing spanning 45 years. This renowned author like many other renowned authors crafted his experiences and put them in book form. Harlem in ‘Monster’, for instance. He got married two times. First to Joyce Elen Myers (1960-1970) and then to Constance Brendel (1973-2014). ‘Monster’ is mostly set in Harlem, New York City, the same place Walter Dean Myers grew up alongside his brother Mickey.

Myers dropped out of high school and joined the Army on his 17th birthday. After the Army, things stopped looking up for him, somewhat. He became depressed. Again, he ran back to writing. That was his solace. Discovering James Baldwin’s book ‘Sonny Blues’- a story about the black urban experience, turned things around for him, for he then started writing about his own experiences.

Walter Dean Myers’ Other Books

Walter Dean Myers has over a hundred books to his name, ‘Monster‘ is just one of them. Let’s take a look at some of his books.

‘Fallen Angels’ (1988) is a young-adult book about the Vietnam War; ‘Bad Boy’ (2001) is a funny and memorable memoir; ‘The Glory Field’ (1994) tells the story of an African-American family transitioning from slavery to equality; ‘Street Love‘ (2006) focuses on two African-American star-crossed lovers in Harlem City, ‘Dope Sick’ (2009) is a novel about drugs, violence, and another shot to do what is right; ‘Shooter’ (2004) focuses on a school shooting; ‘The Greatest Muhammad Ali’ (2001) is a biography of Muhammad Ali; ‘We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France’ (1994) tells the story of one of the most popular invasions in history; ‘Muhammed Ali: The People’s Champion‘ (2009) is a picture book biography of Muhammad Ali; ‘We are America: A Tribute from the Heart‘ (2011) focuses on how diverse America is, and ‘What They Found’ (2007) is a collection of short stories about how love can be found in the strangest of places and times.

To have written two books about Muhammad Ali, he must have held the man in high esteem.

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