Characters: Monster

The main character of the novel Monsters by: Walter Dean Meyers is a teenage boy named Steve Harmon. During the course of the book we see Steve develop from a quiet, shy teenager, into a well-rounded, dynamic character who influences the plot greatly. Steve influences the plot by giving smaller details that contribute to the setting and also add to what happened besides the basic information that we are given such as, the fact that a drugstore was robbed, and the owner was killed. His interactions with other characters are subtle, but allow you to see inside of his mind, so we can understand who he is or is not associated with. By knowing this information, this allows us to see what kind of person Steve is and clearly understand the reasons why he acts the way he does and also why he does certain things. Steve helps to develop the theme by consistently talking about himself in a negative manner that makes him sound like what the State Attorney calls him, a "Monster". This develops the theme that Steve is fearful of himself, prison, his trial, and his future because it shows that he is beginning to believe what the State Attorney is saying about him, and actually causes him to be fearful of himself and what he has waiting for him, either prison, or his regular life if he isn't convicted of murder.