The Theme of Violence in Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Boom! It was a dangerous fight against a gang based in New York with everyone clad in silver chains and heavy jackets and ready to fight each other. However, none of those jackets or chains remained, the only result of this gang battle was blood shed and death. These are the remains of violence. Violence, as clearly observed in Monster by Walter Dean Myers, a novel explaining the story of Steve Harmon, the novel’s protagonist who is expected to rediscover his true self at the mere age of sixteen in a New York State prison. He is on trial for murder (that he may or may have not committed) along with his neighborhood gang, Diablos—James King, Richard Evans and, Osvaldo Cruz. He is on trial and is expected to serve in prison as he is betrayed by his own gang members. He is black. He is only sixteen years old. He is poor. But, by the end of the novel, he manages to rediscover his innocent side through self transformation, surprisingly in prison. He understands that one’s background or ethnicity does not matter as long as one believes in his true side and does the right thing. Based in Harlem, New York, the author of this novel has repeatedly included scenes of violence in the novel in order to explain the theme of ‘violence is not the solution to everything’. Examples of violence include, gang violence as experienced by the gang members of the Diablos gang and, prison violence as experienced by Steve Harmon in particular to further add some meaning and depth to the theme and some characteristics of Harmon. In Monster by Walter Dean Myers, the author repeatedly mentions gang violence and prison violence to emphasize the theme ‘violence is not the solution to everything’.
Firstly, gang violence has been emphasized in this novel in order to explain how violence is not the solution to everything. To illustrate this theory, Osvaldo was being question by Harmon’s lawyer, O’Brien where he confesses how gang violence affects him, O’Brien makes Osvaldo disclose that “... to be a member of this gang, the Diablos, you have to fight a gang member and then cut someone. Usually that’s done to a stranger, and the cut is made in the face… ” (Myers 108). As mentioned in the novel, Osvaldo Cruz is a gang member of the Diablos and is subject to frequent violent instances taking place in and around the gang. Osvaldo Cruz denies being associated with any act of violence and any violent action performed by the gang; however, the lawyer cleverly forces the truth out of him. Cruz did have to express this violence in order to be a part of this gang. The author shows how gang violence affects the life of Cruz and Steve Harmon for both of them are a part of this gang and were involved in violent acts and both ended up in jail for being a part of gang violence. To illustrate further, Osvaldo explains gang violence and threats when presenting himself to the court, “OSVALDO (softly, timidly): ‘So Bobo said to me if I didn't help him, he'd cut me up. […] He said he would cut me up and get my moms, too. I was, like, really scared of him’” (Myers 82). Osvaldo’s tone in this instance makes it clear that gang violence clearly affected him and he was then in a lot of trouble by being associated with this type of a violent gang. In both cases it is clear that gang violence never benefited anyone, but only results in terrible consequences for those who are a part of it.
Additionally, prison violence in Monster contributes to explaining this theme. Prison and Court are the two main settings of this novel and prison violence is also clearly evident in this story as Steve narrates what he sees and imagines over the walls, “...The sounds are in his cell, but he is not the one being beaten. We see the whites of his eyes, then we see him close his eyes as the sounds of the beating stop and the sounds become those of a sexual attack against the inmate who was beaten” ( Myers 57). Here, Steve Harmon repeatedly complains of having to suffer in prison for always being scared of being beaten up or being raped. Violence that he may have not experienced but observed in prison also affected his thinking in prison. He began thinking like a prisoner. It is important to keep in mind that all of these scenes are first handedly recorded by Steve Harmon and he has actually seen this instance take place. This prison violence forces him into hating himself and his life even more for he is constantly drowning in depression due to his violent surroundings for he, himself is not extremely violent. This is convincing because Steve also mentions how he is disgusted by this violent behaviour, “All they talk about in here is hurting people. If you look at somebody, they say, ‘What you looking at me for? I’ll mess you up!’ If you make a noise they don’t like, they say they’ll mess you up” (Myers 45). Here, Steve Harmon is writing a journal entry and is frustrated for he is constantly worried for his own safety. He dislikes the situation that he is in and the violence around him will keep him in constant depression, because he will end up feeling guilty about himself and his circumstances even though he may have not committed any wrongdoings. Hence, it can be seen that prison violence has also made Harmon realize by the end of the novel that violence is not the solution to anything.
In Monster by Walter Dean Myers, the author repeatedly mentions gang violence and prison violence to emphasize the theme ‘violence is not the solution to everything’. The novel constantly mentions instances of violence for Steve is constantly confused and frustrated. In the end of the novel, he does understand that violence is never a solution to anything, but prison violence and gang violence does throw him in an odd spot at all times. No matter how innocent a person might be, under dire circumstances a person especially belonging to all sorts of minority will always refer to violent actions as a solution to all his battles even though he understands that violence is never a solution and is just an option. He will be labelled just like Harmon in the novel. Monster.
Works Cited
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York, HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.
