The way a person sees themselves is generally formed by factors such as opinions from family, friends, and the consistent environment that the person is in. As a result of poor opinion, a person’s mental health may be destroyed. Consequently, they may make false conclusions about themselves, or question who they truly are. Many different forms of self-negativity are shown in the crime-fiction book Monster, where author Walter Dean Myers elucidates the main protagonist, Steve Harmon, attempting to find himself while undergoing a tragic event where lots of outside opinions are being created about him. Steve strives to preach his version of ethics and make the people around him see him as a “good person”, while his environment continues to negatively
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Myers shows Steve continuously striving to be the best version of himself, which in his eyes, is proving himself entirely not guilty of the crime he is currently being tried for. Although he is surrounded by jail mates who pessimistically influence him and an entire side of a court room dedicated to proving him guilty, Myers proves Steve’s commitment to wanting to be seen and treated as a normal human being. Constantly having to attend court and potentially having a prison sentencing can change someone not only physically, but also mentally. Unable to see his true self, Steve often refers to himself as a “Monster”, hence the prosecutor referring to him as one during her opening statement. This caused a mental altercation for Steve, leading to what feels like facial distortion when looking at himself in the mirror. In one of the first sentences of the novel, Steve remarks, “When I look into the small rectangle, I see a face looking back at me, but I don’t recognize it. It doesn’t look like me” (Myers 1). Steve’s inability to recognize his own self while staring at his own reflection is a deep result of the process of being accused of murder, whilst consistently having rude remarks and potential false accusations made against
Myers shows Steve continuously striving to be the best version of himself, which in his eyes, is proving himself entirely not guilty of the crime he is currently being tried for. Although he is surrounded by jail mates who pessimistically influence him and an entire side of a court room dedicated to proving him guilty, Myers proves Steve’s commitment to wanting to be seen and treated as a normal human being. Constantly having to attend court and potentially having a prison sentencing can change someone not only physically, but also mentally. Unable to see his true self, Steve often refers to himself as a “Monster”, hence the prosecutor referring to him as one during her opening statement. This caused a mental altercation for Steve, leading to what feels like facial distortion when looking at himself in the mirror. In one of the first sentences of the novel, Steve remarks, “When I look into the small rectangle, I see a face looking back at me, but I don’t recognize it. It doesn’t look like me” (Myers 1). Steve’s inability to recognize his own self while staring at his own reflection is a deep result of the process of being accused of murder, whilst consistently having rude remarks and potential false accusations made against