第三名
姓  名 潘易 學  校 文藻外語大學 年  級 三 年 法文A 班

 

 

Monster

For most people, books are just words written on paper. The book “Monster” however, took me by surprise from the moment I began flipping through its pages. Instead of reading through a book, I found that I was in fact, watching the events of one unfold. This book is truly unique in the delivery of its narrative. It uses multi-media extracts to revamp the traditional storytelling style and encourages the reader to reflect on deeper societal issues that are conveyed throughout.

“Monster” is a book which recounts the experience of both the criminal and the incarcerated. The protagonist (and vector of this) is Steve Harmon, an aspiring black filmmaker who aims to document the fear and loneliness he encountered during his sentence in prison. The main purpose of the book, in my opinion, is the exploration of identity and the fragile nature of certainty when faced with the scrutiny of others. This is communicated in the book through Steve frequently postulating his innocence and questioning his implication in the crime committed.

The book represents Steve as an individual caught between his own rationality and the denial of his guilt which in turn, comes at the cost of the faith of the characters surrounding him. This prejudice would be enough to allow even the reader to view Steve as a “monster” if not for Steve’s defense attorney who encourages us to reflect on our own preconceptions. In the judicial system, he is truly a lost lamb; such that he eventually starts to forget both who he is and what he had done. This plays out in the form of his memories playing tricks on him, something that we have all experienced when faced with our own guilt.

As mentioned earlier, this book uses multi-media (stage direction and Steve’s journal entries) innovatively, which offers the reader two juxtaposed versions of events. In one, Steve is desperately trying to plead his innocence to the court; and in the other, we are able to see a more objective series of events leading to the crime; the robbery, the setup, and the mise-en-scene.

Arguably a microcosm of our present-day society, “Monster” was published in the U.S. at a time where the judicial system fell victim to the influence of societal prejudice. This was particularly evident in trials of (young) defendants of color. Consistent with Steve’s circumstances, I strongly believe the author’s intention is to humanize “ghettoized” youths coming from troubled backgrounds, and our protagonist is a shining example of this.

From my perspective, an important theme in “Monster” is self-certainty. For much of the book, Steve appears adamant of his own innocence, but as he spends time in laborious trials, he learns for the first time, the impact of people’s capacity to make racial prejudgments. This is revelatory for the reader as well as for Steve because these preconceptions remain, even in light of contradictory evidence.

After reading “Monster”, I believe that I have become more aware of the ramifications of the miscarriage of justice. Even today, in news articles, the same age-old concept rears its ugly head. I believe that whilst the consequences of racial discrimination are vast, mass media is also at fault for distorting the general public’s crime perception by over-representing certain races as criminals. Ultimately, the way that the media showcases crime-related issues not only impacts societal fear, but also beliefs surrounding the causes of criminal activity and the desirability of approaches to crime regulation.

“Monster” illustrates the nuance which exists between innocence and guilt whilst posing the question: How can we claim that our humanity has evolved when historical downfalls repeat themselves so often? The book also encourages the reader to reflect on societal abuses of authority and the dangers of group mentality by asking us if the real monsters are simply those who hold the power. The book does an incredible job of opening up this Pandora’s box and encouraging the reader to reflect on it. All things considered, it is logical to argue that we are all monsters in our own way; those who are victims of their circumstance, those with power, criminals and the rest of us, too.