Kaczur 1 Sarah Kaczur L408 Dr. Carter Book Rationale ... - Oncourse

Kaczur 31URL: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v28n2/dimmitt.htmlMonsterAbout the Book“The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up andscreaming for help.” With this dramatic sentence Steve begins the story of his jail experience andhis trial for felony murder. The charge has resulted from his alleged involvement with a grocerystore holdup in which the owner was shot and killed. Because Steve increasingly feels like anoutside observer of his own life, and because he studies film at a prestigious New York City highschool, he writes most of his story in the form of a screenplay. In his mind he calls the movieMonster, after what the prosecutor has called him. The word torments him—along with fearsabout what will happen to him, concerns about how his family is responding to his arrest andtrial, and questions about the nature of truth.Reading StrategiesSince most of the book is in screenplay format, before reading you may wish to assign roles andhave the class read Monster aloud together. Students can pick roles out of a hat so that no onefeels he or she is being stereotyped.Analyze Point of ViewWe hear Steve’s story through his own point of view. How does this affect the way the story istold? As students read, ask them to think about when Steve’s point of view might be differentfrom an “objective” one.Evaluate Fact and NonfactPoint out to students that the job of a reader is in one respect similar to that of a juror: both mustsift through stories and determine what they do and do not believe. As students read, ask them torecord examples of statements they think, within the context of the novel, are Fact and Nonfact.Afterward present students with these questions: Are fact and nonfact the same as truth andnontruth? How might characters in Monster answer this question?Questions for Group Discussion• Is justice served in Steve’s case? Do you think Steve served as lookout man for therobbery? If he did, do you think he should have been charged with, or convicted of,felony murder? Ask students to role-play lawyers in the case and present arguments forboth sides. Follow up by asking how they would vote if they were on the jury.• Steve imagines the defense attorney is looking at him wondering “who the real SteveHarmon was” (p. 92). How would you answer this question? Steve himself says he filmshis life to try to “look for one true image” (p. 281). Why do you think the question ofwho he is remains so important to Steve?