Monster - Walter Dean Myers

“Think about all the tomorrows of your life” (205). This line stayed with me long after finishing Walter Dean Myers’s highly acclaimed Monster. This unique novel told through a combination screenplay/journal format grants the reader access into the mind of a young man on trial for murder, fighting against the stereotypes regarding what it means to be an African American boy growing up in Harlem.

Walter Dean Myers, author of other books such as Game and Dope Sick has penned an extensive collection of adolescent literature (which you can peruse HERE). Meyers grew up in Harlem with foster parents and thanks his mother, a German and Native-American woman, for teaching him to read when she was barely literate. An interesting fact, Meyers was born in Virginia but given to a man named Herbert Dean who lived in Harlem. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to join the army and began writing years later while working a construction job during the day because he remembered a HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER telling him that he wrote well and "it's what you do."

The majority of Myers works are inspired by his formative years growing up in Harlem. He continuously returns to his adolescence because that time "was an extremely difficult journey as I tried to figure out who I was in a world that often seemed hostile." Myers says he writes "to give hope to those kids who are like the ones I knew- poor, troubled, treated indifferently by society, sometimes bolstered by family and many times lacking support," and his work inspires conversations about issues and themes such as violence, poverty, racism, and young love among other relevant topics to our young adult students. For more information on Walter Dean Myers visit his WEBSITE.

Myers joined forces with Adlit.org to create The Second Chances Initiative: "the initiative is an effort to motivate teens to overcome life's challenge, move beyond mistakes of the past, take advantage of the second chances they are given, and make better choices in the future." Click HERE for access to 6 podcasts of Myers discussing inspiration and his writing process as well as video interviews as part of this initiative.

Incorporating Monster into the classroom:

There are tons of ways to incorporate this book into the classroom! The subject matter is compelling and appropriate for the classroom. Therefore, I might use Monster in literature circles or as a whole class text. Maybe talk cross-curricularly with the Social Studies teacher and match the reading of this book with his/her lessons about the American judicial system or an important court case in history.

Of course I got very excited about the screenplay format and think that it is an excellent vehicle for lessons around visualization and point of view. In terms of visualization, you might invite students to storyboard specific scenes using this template and thus simultaneously model the process of actual filmmaking through literacy strategy instruction. Similarly, you could do a whole lesson on camera angles/point of view. Who is holding the camera? At what do they point it? What is the implication of the shot angle or movement? This is a concrete and familiar way to connect a medium with which students feel familiar and competent with stylistic literary points of view. Ask students: Can we trust Steve to show us the truth? You might want to build prior knowledge around camera angel abbreviations with a glossary like this one.

This book also begs to model screenwriting as students experiment with that particular creative genre of writing. A culminating project might be to write and possibly produce a short film in groups on self selected stories or possibly a trailer for the book/movie like this English student:
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It might be interesting to ask students to pick out and recreate the most significant scenes for a trailer.

I also see screenwriting as a pre-writing strategy. To ask learners to write a script- carefully selecting the shots, the significant details and dialogue etc sets them up for vivid and precise writing.

Myers also incorporates journal entries into the screenplay. It becomes quite clear that the movie and the journal are literally saving Steve during this ordeal. I found an interesting journal activity regarding Monster online. Students keep a journal throughout while reading the text as if they were a juror on this particular trial. View the full prompt and rubric here.

Also, Click on the link and scroll down to Monster Anticipation Guide for a very creative pre and post reading activity that warms students up for the heavy issue sin this book. Students agree or disagree with the following statements both before and after reading the book. These statements could spark GREAT classroom discussion:

AGREE OR DISAGREE: (1) Life is ten percent of how you make it and ninety percent of how you take it. (2) The vast majority of people charged with a crime really are guilty. (3) In order to be a healthy individual, we must openly confront our fears instead of hiding from them. (4) The friends we choose and the people we hang out with are an accurate reflection of us. (5) There is a difference between being acquitted of a crime and being innocent of a crime. (6)Lying to save yourself from being convicted of a crime is the right thing to do. (7) If a teenager is charged with a serious crime, she or he should be tried as an adult. (8) No matter what happens, you should take responsibility for your actions. (9) The notion of right and wrong are always clearly defined. (10) Peer pressure has a greater influence on us than our parents do.

Essential Questions:

1. Monster is written in a screenplay format with Steve's journal entries and images incorporated throughout. Is this an effective format? What conventions of this genre do you feel added to or detracted from the overall effect of the story? How does Steve use camera angles and camera movements to express his feelings?

2. Do you think that Steve is guilty? Though the jury finds him innocent, do you agree and why do you think O'Brien turns away from Steve at the very end?

3. Let's assume that Steve was part of this drugstore "getover" and gave a signal when the coast was clear. Do you agree with Petrocelli that all three men are equally responsible for the death of Alguinaldo Nesbitt and should be convicted of the same crime with a sentence of 25 years to life in jail? What lessons can young people take away from this book about making choices?

4. Steve writes in his journal: "He said when he gets out, he will have the word Monster tattooed on his forehead. I feel like I already have it tattooed on mine" (61). Why do you think Steve feels this way? Does he see himself as a Monster? Why would he title his movie Monster?

5. Choose three of the agree or disagree statements above and talk about how this book challenged your thinking around those issues/ confirmed, or denied your initial opinions.