"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers: Identifying & Resolving Conflicts
Headed home late one night, I came across a spray can near the end of the sidewalk, and as I turned the opposite direction there were a few graffiti tags. I touched the wall of the house onto which the tags were embedded upon, to find out it was recently done, due to the fact that it was still not completely dry. Before I realized anything else I was stopped by two police officers nearby, who quickly handcuffed me and took me down the station, ignoring every word I said. Similarly, in a book that I have recently read, the main character is blamed for an action which he did not commit - the murder of a drugstore owner at a holdup. In Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Steve is faced with an internal conflict of desire that causes him to question his morality. In life at one point or another, we all begin to question ourselves, and we let others influence our decisions. Although Steve's conflict puts him in a bad position, I will suggest a resolution that will help him resolve it.
Steve experiences an internal conflict regarding the way in which he wishes to be acknowledged. In chapter five, within Steve's journal, we see Steve experiencing this desire to be seen as a good person. "...What did I do? Anybody can walk into a drugstore and look around. Is that what I am on trial for? I didn't do nothing!..." (P. 115) Here he proclaims is innocence in his jorunal. In chapter three, Steve has to deal with some strong prejudicial stereotypes that may affect jurors. For example, O' Brien's words to him are "...You're young, you're black, and you're on trial. What else do they need to know?..." (P. 78-9). Here she is saying that the jury is pre-judging him before the case is over and nothing so far is evidence as to him being innocent. Steve's sense of his self-identity is further strained when he realizes that his father is no longer sure of who he is. When Steve asks his father if he believes that Steve did nothing wrong, the father is unable to give him the reassurance he
Steve experiences an internal conflict regarding the way in which he wishes to be acknowledged. In chapter five, within Steve's journal, we see Steve experiencing this desire to be seen as a good person. "...What did I do? Anybody can walk into a drugstore and look around. Is that what I am on trial for? I didn't do nothing!..." (P. 115) Here he proclaims is innocence in his jorunal. In chapter three, Steve has to deal with some strong prejudicial stereotypes that may affect jurors. For example, O' Brien's words to him are "...You're young, you're black, and you're on trial. What else do they need to know?..." (P. 78-9). Here she is saying that the jury is pre-judging him before the case is over and nothing so far is evidence as to him being innocent. Steve's sense of his self-identity is further strained when he realizes that his father is no longer sure of who he is. When Steve asks his father if he believes that Steve did nothing wrong, the father is unable to give him the reassurance he