Monster Study Guide
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ELA 7
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Monster
By: Walter Dean Myers
“The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I’ll write
it down in the notebook they let me keep. I’ll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor
called me.
Monster”
(pg 4-5)
Character List:
- Steve Harmon: 16 yrs old, on trial for felony murder
- Kathy O’Brien: Steve’s defense attorney
- Sandra Petrocelli: prosecutor
- James King: also on trial for felony murder
- Asa Briggs: lead defense lawyer for James King
- Mr. Sawicki: film club advisor at Steve’s high school
- Alguinaldo Nesbitt: 55 yr old storeowner, murder victim
- Bobo Evans: prisoner who admits to participating in felony murder to receive a deal
- Jose Delgado: store employee, found Nesbitt’s body
- Salvatore Zinzi: prisoner who told in order to receive a break, heard about case from Bolden
while imprisoned
- Wendell Bolden: told Zinzi what he knew about case, found out when he bought cigarettes
- Detectives Karyl & Williams: investigating the case
- Osvaldo Cruz: 14 yrs old, member of the gang Diablos, admits to being involved in the crime,
his job was to slow down anyone who pursued King and Evans
- Allen Forbes: city clerk
- Dr. James Moody: medical examiner
- Loretta Henry: 58 yr old, retired school librarian, was in drugstore on Dec 22nd
- Dorothy Moore: King’s cousin, says that King spent the afternoon of Dec 22nd with her
- George Nipping: 50 yrs old, testifies that he has known King for years and that King is left
handed
- Freddy Alow: hangs out with Osvaldo Cruz
- Mr. Harmon: Steve’s dad
- Mrs. Harmon: Steve’s mom
- Jerry Harmon: Steve’s little brother
“This is not a movie about bars and locked doors. It is about being alone when you are
not really alone and about being scared all the time.” (pg 3-4)
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Monster Study Guide
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ELA 7
Movie Terminology
- fade in – a smooth move in to an image from black
- fade out – a smooth move out of an image into black
- cut to – a move from one shot to the next
- voice over (vo) – the voice of an unseen narrator or character
- medium shot (ms) – a shot in which the subject does not appear to be too close or too far from the
viewer
- close up (cu) – a shot in which the subject fills the screen and details are noticeable
- long shot (ls) – shot in which the subject is shown at a relatively small scale
- flashback – cinematic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological
order of a narrative
- point of view (pov) – the image onscreen is what one of the characters sees
Questions to Guide Your Reading
“Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own
interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also
monsters in our communities – people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who
disregard the rights of others.” (21)
July 6th
1. Why is the book called Monster? (Pg 5)
2. Who is Steve Harmon? Why do you think he’d wear a suit and tie to his trial instead of his
orange jumper? (7)
3. Who is Kathy O’Brien? (Describe her) (12)
4. - What crime is Steve being tried for committing? (12)
5. Who else is on trial with Steve? (12)
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ELA 7
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July 6
6. When asked if they’ll win, O’Brien says, “it probably depends on what you mean by
‘win’”(13). What do you think she means by this?
7. Describe James King. (13)
8. The guard explains, “It’s a motion case. They go through the motions; they lock them up”
(14). What do you think he means by this?
9. According to O’Brien, what’s the purpose of her job? (16) Specifically, what’s her legal title?
10. Describe the judge (17)
11. Who is Sandra Petrocelli? (What is her legal title?) Describe her. (17)
12. Who is Asa Briggs? Describe him. (17)
13. Who is Sawicki? (19)
14. What’s the purpose of this cut-in scene? What does it introduce? What do we learn? (19)
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July 6th
15.
Jose
Zinzi
Who is this
person?
(Connection to
crime)
Testimony
16. Whose testimony does King’s lawyer make a motion to suppress?
17. Who owned the murder weapon?
18. What merchandise was stolen from the drugstore during the robbery?
July 6 Vocabulary Words:
Sentence from text
Prejudged (27)
“If you have not prejudged him, then
I don’t think we will have a problem
convincing you…”
Articulate (28)
“He is young, very well built, and
articulate”
Definition
4
Drawing the setting…
Must include:
The judge
The Jury
Stenographer
Witness stand
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3 tables
Steve Harmon
James King
Kathy O’Brien
Asa Briggs
Sandra Petroccelli
“Labels” (defense, plaintif, judge, etc.)
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July 7th
Page 45-59
1. Steve describes how much he hates this place saying, “I can’t write it enough tims ot make it look the
way I feel”(46). Have you ever felt this way? About what? Explain.
2. How did Bolden and Zinzi find out about the robbery?
3. Why do you think Steve choose to include the flashback about throwing the rock with Tony?
July 7 Vocabulary Words:
Sentence from text
Pertinent (55)
Definition
“Overruled, it’s pertinent”
July 8th
page 59-88
1. Steve believes that “making you live is part of the punishment” (59). Do you agree with this? Why?
2. Why do YOU think everyone fights in prison?
3. Why does Steve think the prosecution is parading witnesses with terrible character in front of the jury?
4. How did Detective Karyl get his leads on potential suspects?
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Monster Study Guide
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July 8th
5. Why did Williams and Karyl say that Steve pulled the trigger when they questioned him about the death
of Mr. Nesbitt?
6. What reason does Osvaldo give for his participation in the crime? (86)
Sentence from text
Stooped-67
“The detective is heavy, stooped”
Slain-68
“We see the leges of the slain
drugstore owner, Nesbitt.
Pessimist-73
“What are you, a pessimist? Hope for
the best.”
Proposition-85
Did Mr. Evans, or Bobo, make a
proposition to you?
Juvenile-86
“Your honor, Mr. Cruz is a juvenile!”
Hostile-86
“He’s hostile”
Established-86
Definition
“You haven’t established Mr. Cruz as
a hostile witness.”
“I wanted to open my shirt and tell her to look into my heart to see who I really was, who the real
Steve Harmon was. That was what I was thinking, about what was in my heart and what that made
me. I’m just not a bad person. I know that in my heart I am not a bad person.” (92-93)
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ELA 7
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July 9th
1. Why is the fact that Osvaldo a member of the Diablos gang important? (108)
2. What happens when Steve’s father visits him in prison?
3. Why do you think that Steve chose to include interviews and news clips in his story?
4. How does Steve represent his innocence in his notes? (115)
5. What does the prevailing neighborhood attitude seem to be regarding Mr. Nesbitt’s murder? (121)
6. Why do you think that Steve chose to include the flashback about watching the cartoon?
7. Why do Detectives Karyl and Williams come to the Harmon Household?
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July 9th
Vocabulary
Sentence from text
proceeds-100
Apprehended105
“And how were the proceeds of this
robbery?”
“Do you know how you were
apprehended?”
Reassurance -112
“Steve searches his father’s face,
looking for the reassurance he has
always seen there.”
Cacophony-117
“… We pick up a cacophony of
sounds.”
Distinguish-119
Definition
“We can no longer distinguish Steve.”
Dismay-121
“Residents of the neighborhoods are in
absolute dismay.”
Glowers-123
“…A sullen Bobo handcuffed… he
glowers at camera”
Engaged-125
“Block engaged in normal activity”
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Monster Study Guide
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ELA 7
July 10th
(127-137)
1. What does O’Brien cite as Petrocelli’s reason for showing the pictures of Nesbitt’s body to the jury on
Friday afternoon?
2. What contradiction does Steve offer in his journal? (130)
3. What does the testimony of Forbes establish? (131)
4. How does Petrocelli attempt to sensationalize Dr. Moody’s account of Nesbitt’s death? (136)
Sentence from text
Premises-131
Presumably-132
Traversed-135
Definition
“Mr. Nesbitt applied for a license to
have a gun on the premises in August
of 1989.”
“Presumably he wanted it for the
store.”
“The bullet entered the body on the
left side and traversed upward
through the lung”
“She writes down what is being said, and what is being said about me, and she adds it all up to
guilty. “I’m not guilty,” I said to her. “You should have said, ‘I didn’t do it,’” she said. “I
didn’t do it,” I said.” (138)
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Monster Study Guide
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July 11th
(137-152)
1. How does Steve represent his guilt? (138)
2. Do you think there is a difference between saying he isn’t guilty and that he didn’t do it? If so, what is
the difference? (138)
3. What three things does Steve say prisoners focus on while they are imprisoned? (140)
4. What was different about Mr. & Mrs. Harmon’s visits?
5. How does Steve represent his guilt after his mom leaves? (148)
6. Who asks Steve to be the lookout for the robbery? (150)
Sentence from text
Wrenched-147
Definition
“The smile that came to her lips was
one she wrenched from someplace
deep inside of her.”
“The movie is more real in so many ways than the life I am leading. No, that’s not true. I just
desperately wish this was only a movie.” (159)
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July 12th
(153-160)
- Why does Steve think that the prisoners fight so much? (155)
- Why does Steve say that he needs to write the movie? (159)
July 13th
(161-200)
1. Why does the prosecution call Mrs. Henry to the stand?
2. Who does Mrs. Henry identify as one of the men that she saw threaten Mr. Nesbitt? (164)
3. During the cross examination of Mrs. Henry, why does Briggs seem interested in the process and order
of photographs and the lineup? (167-170)
4. Why does Briggs want to object to the way that Bobo is dressed during his testimony? (172)
5. How does Bobo’s testimony attempt to establish Steve’s role in the crime? (177-178)
6. Did Steve give King and Bobo a sign?
7. Had Bobo ever talked to Steve about the robbery? (197)
Sentence from text
Diminutive-161
Definition
“The diminutive 58-year old retired
school librarian is neatly dressed”
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July 14th
201-269
1. Why did the defense have Ms. Moore testify?
2. Why is King’s right vs. left handedness an issue? (212)
3. Why does “O’Brien want Steve to testify?
4. Why can’t King testify at the trial? (216)
5. What activity does Steve say that he was engaged in at the time of the felony?
6. What does Mr. Sawicki’s testimony accomplish? (234-235)
7. What were some main points in Brigg’s closing arguments? (239-243)
8. What are the main points of O’Brien’s closing arguments? (244-253)
9. What are Petrocelli’s main points during closing arguments? (254-262)
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Monster Study Guide
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ELA 7
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July 14
Sentence from text
Infer-215
“The Judge will tell the jury not to
infer anything”
Surly-215
“He’s sitting there looking surly.
Maybe he thinks he’s tough”
Soliciting-231
“The prosecution is soliciting an
argument”
Depicting-235
“He’s very much involved with
depicting his neighborhood and
environment in a positive manner”
“I would like to beg your indulgence
while I review that testimony”
Indulgence-244
Vicinity-248
“We might expect someone in the
vicinity to have noticed it”
Alleged-249
Where was Steve Harmon? The
alleged lookout man?
Implicated- 249
“… The deal they get depends on
their convincing you that other people
are implicated”
“The killing here is the key to what
these proceedings are about”
Proceedings-250
Gullible-250
Submit-252
Reinforce-253
Intently-253
“Is this a shallow, gullible man who
doesn’t think about very much of
anything?”
“I submit to you, the jurors in this
case, that you… would [be] nervous”
“It was reinforced with every witness
the State brought to the stand”
“We see the two defense lawyers
watching intently”
Discount-254
“You say you should discount his
testimony”
Contention-255
“It is the contention of the state that
no one has the right to deprive us
of…life”
“What does work is the State’s theory
of what happened, verified by all of
the witnesses”
“This was a botched robbery”
Verified-259
Botched-259
Restores-262
“None of us can restore him to his
family”
Menacingly-266
“Steve looks up and sees the taker
looking at him menacingly”
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Definition
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Monster Study Guide
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ELA 7
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“I think about December of last year. What was the decision I made? To walk down tht e streets? To get up in
the morning? To talk to King? What decisions did I make? But I don’t want to think about decisions, just my
case” (270).
July 17th
1. Why do Steve and Kahty O’Brien talk about appeals even before the verdict is delivered?
2. What verdict does the jury deliver
a. for King:
b. for Steve:
3. How does O’Brien react to Steve after the verdict is delivered?
4. Why do you think that Steve chooses to end the movie in the way that she does?
Sentence from text
Desperation-270
“There was a look of desperation on
her face”
Transcribed-275
“He has transcribed the images and
conversations as he remembers them”
Distorted-276
“…Her face distorted with the
tension of the moment”
Pensive-276
“Her lips tense; she is pensive”
Definition
December 5th
1. How has the trial and experience continued to affect Steve?
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