Monster

Steve continually thinks back to the opening statement of the prosecutor in which she referred to him as a “monster.” Sandra essentially refers to Steve as someone who is not human or who has acted in a grossly inhumane manner. Why does this description haunt him?

Kathy, Steve’s attorney, acknowledges to him that his race predisposes many on the jury to assume Steve is guilty. What role does the race play in the trial of the two defendants? Consider whether Sandra’s description of Steve as a monster have any intentional or implicit racial implications and what Kathy does or doesn’t do to fight against racial stereotypes on Steve’s behalf?

Steve himself as the producer, director, and star of his autobiographical motion picture. This portrayal, however, clashes with his frequent protestations that his prosecution is something that simply happened to him and is beyond his control. Is Steve the master of his own story who is responsible for all that is happening to him or a naïve teenager who accidentally falls into a situation beyond his control? Or is he both? Explain your response using examples from the text.