Walter Dean Myers’ Monster - Guilty Until Proven Innocent Essay

Walter doyen Myers Monster - Guilty Until turn out InnocentMonster is an example of what Patty Campbell would call a line book. Texts such as these encourage readers to interact with the text and with one another(prenominal) by employing a variety of devices, among them ambiguity (Campbell 1) Because it is told through the eyes of Steve himself, the piece can be difficult to decipher. It is ambiguous whether he is honest or guilty of being involved with the crime. Steve learned to make things unpredictable from his snap teacher Mr. Sawicki who teaches him, If you make your put down predictable, theyll make up their minds about it extensive before its over (19). Steve took his teachers advice and made this film script entirely unpredictable, even after it is over. His lawyer, OBrien, says in her close statement, What can we trace as to the guilt or innocence of my client, Steve Harmon? (245) This leaves the instrument panel with an undoubtedly difficult decision, as well as t he reader, because there be clues to both guilt and innocence in Steves case. What we do hit the sack is that many people think Steve is guilty. One of the guards describes the case, Six days mayhap seven. Its a motion case. They go through the motions then they hush up them up (14). The judicial system has many flaws, one of which being that they tangle with guilt before proof when it comes to people like Steve. The phrase innocent until proven guilty does not apply to cases like his. As public prosecutor Petrocelli states in reference to people like Steve, There are as well as monsters in our communities people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who handle the rights of others (21). OBrien succinctly sums this up for Steve, Youre young, youre Black, and youre on ... ... to jail. He moved away, and the distance between us seemed to grow larger and bigger (280). The reader is left pondering the good character of Steve, the gravely friends he spent time with, th e doctoring of his testimony, and the information that Steve provided us hinting both at his guilt and at his innocence. We are comfortable with the fact that he has been let free, but has been warned. If he were involved in the crime, at to the lowest degree he may have learned his lesson through his time in prison house and on trial. If he were not involved in the crime, at least he is free to start over and move on from the experience. kit and caboodle CitedCampbell, Patty. Radical Monster. The Horn Book Magazine. Boston Nov/Dec 1999. Vol. 75, Iss. 6 pg. 769.Dean Myers, Walter. Monster. New York Harper Tempest, 1999.Kus, Jonathan. Monster A critical look from the outside. April 13, 2004.