Follow the link to read all information about our author, Walter Dean Myers.
Walter Dean Myers History and Video
Then, read the first FIVE summaries of his book Monster that chronicles the experiences of a youngster who made a few decisions that placed him in a situation that has the potential to end his life.
The summaries are at this link: Summary of Chapters 1-5
Having done both, you are expected to respond to the following post using an extended paragraph (8-10 sentences). In your post, you must address the question:
Steve situation is a product (a result) of his current environment. In responding, consider the research you have done on Walter Dean Myers' life and works and consider the family, and social backgrounds for Steve Harmon.
To complete your post for assessment, you MUST also respond, build on, or reject the arguments made by another student through his/her original post.
As usual, please write your FIRST Name and Beginning letter of your last name for identification and assessment.
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Steve is in jail due to a crime that he has taken part of. Jail is a place where he does not know where he's at, and he cannot express his feelings. There was three parties during the death and robbery of the store owner. James King and Bobo Evans was to rob and kill the store owner. While Steve job was to go in the store, and check to make sure the owner was dead. Wendell Bolden another suspect, who got off because he took cigarettes and sold them to get money. Steve must have rob the store in order to get money. So he would be able to use the money to support himself. Similar as Walter Dean childhood, he was a dropout of high school. At the age if seventeen he was put into the army. As a child he suffer a lot, due to not having a mother, and the type of race he was. Steve must had have a similar problem to Myer, which cause him to steal from the store. Maybe Steve was not able to complete school, and that's why he's not able to get a job. His family member must have left him all alone with no support. Another problem could have been Steve social background. If Steve is a color person, it would be hard for him to survive. Because there is many decimation against color people, it could make it harder for Steve to survive by getting a job or a home. -Teresa S.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points you made Teresa. For Example, The statement you inferred about Steve dropping out of school makes sense and ties into Walter Dean Myer's Life since he also dropped out of school. I also agree with you about him stealing because he can't find a job since most people who can't find a job usally turn to Stealing. -Anil R.
DeleteI would like to add onto what Anil says. Even if it wasn't stated in the summaries,I still came to the conclusion that Steve was a school dropout. And also, I came to the conclusion that the only reason he was stealing to begin with was that his family couldn't support him,and he needed a way to do it himself.
Delete-Brandon B.
The main character of Walter Dean Myers' book,"Monster",is attending his trial for a crime he took part in.Before the trial,Steve was in prison after being arrested for robbery and supposedly murder.Steve was in the robbery,and his job was to make sure the owner of the store was dead.There were 3 other accomplices in this crime:James King,Bobo Evans,and Wendell Bolden.Wendell was the only one to get off because he was "smarter" than the others and began selling cigarettes and making money.Steve was only in this crime to get money to support himself.Now,Walter Dean Myers had a similar past.Both he and Steve needed a way to support themselves. Walter grew up without his mother,and Steves' relative left him.And both young men were African American,so I believe they would both be facing racial discrimination.
ReplyDelete-Brandon B.
I strongly agree with you Brandon because ,since both man was African American it had it difficult for them to make a living .
DeleteBryan k
I agree with Brandon and I would like to add on. As teenagers, both Walter Dean and Steve struggled in their life. Walter Dean grew up without a mother and needs money to support himself. The same thing applies to Steve. Since he is a teenager, he is also struggling and in need of money to support himself just like Walter Dean. Both Walter and Steve struggled as teenagers. I also agree with you that Walter and Steve could have been discriminated since they are African American. Levi.G
DeleteI agree with Brandon and would like to add on. Both Meyer and Steve are both African Americans, which led to many challenges. Do to their color of skin it led them to take certain steps. Such as being a dropout in school, or not gaining an education.Both men grew up without love from their family. When a person do not receive love or support from their family, they tend to suffer with life. And I strongly agree that Steve committed the crime to support himself. - Teresa S.
ReplyDeleteAfter analysising the book "monster" it has come to my attention that Steve and Walter had similar background.Base off my understanding dean walter was a dropout and so was Steve.Steve is in jail for robbery and also for a crime he was apart of.Steve seems to can't find him self due to the environment (jail) he is in. Steve started to steal so he can be able to support himself and his family. I am assuming that Dean Walter and Steve has similar childhood because dean dropout of highschool,he had no mother, and he suffer because of his skin color,this must had been the same situation Steve had gone through for him to perform these behaviors.I strongly believe that because of Steve lack of learning caused him not having a job. And because he is not capeable of getting a job, he steals. And because both young men was african american it made it even harder for them to make a living
ReplyDeleteBryan k
I agree with you Bryan about Steve not liking the jail environment. I also agree with with the point you made about Steve and Walter sharing a similar childhood. I would like to add on I don't believe it was his skin tone that made him not get a job i think it was that he was not educated. - Narinedra T.
DeleteI also agree with Bryan I like how he summarized the stories strongly using the connections but I disagree with the part when he said Steve suffered because of color because I think that Steve suffered because of his lack of education, and guidance.
DeleteJamill M
Well The story Monster and Walter dean's personal life
DeleteJamill M
In the book "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers the character Steve is on trial for murder. Him and three accomplices were involve in a robbery where his role was to make sure the store owner was dead. The reason Steve was involve in this crime was because he desperately needed the money to support himself. This can be connected to Walter Dean Myers life as he had no one to really support him. When Walter was young his mother died and most of his family was either in jail or using drugs. In both cases , the two young men had to learn to support themselves at an young age. Also both of these young men did not have a good childhood. As Walter mother died at a young age and he went into the army at the age of seventeen. Also similar it can be inferred that Steve grew up in a similar conditions. He may have grew up in a household where he did not either have his mother or father which led to him getting involve in this crime. Lastly, both these young men were African Americans. - Narinedra T.
ReplyDeleteIn The story the Monster a man named Steve went to Jail for robbery. Steve dropped out of high school so he was not able to receive a job due to the lack of education His situation is similar to Walter Dean Myers a well known author who had a rough childhood, dropped out of school , and was also imprisoned ,he also joined the army at the age of seventeen being that both men were of color and dropouts it was hard for them to survive . Steve and Walter also didn't have the guidance from there parents which may have also caused emotional problems.
ReplyDeleteJamill M
I believe that even now in 2015 that you need great education to have a good job and the great percentage of African Amercicans don't have a good education so they must do other things such as stealing to get funds to satisfy themselves.
DeleteMarc Antoine E.
In the novel "Monster" written by Walter Dean Myers, the story is about a teenage boy named Steve who is put in trial for robbery and supposedly murder of drugstore owner Mr. Nesbitt. Steve was not alone during the crime scene. Steve had three other accomplices with him. They were James King, Bobo Evans, and Wendell Bolden. King and Evens job was to rob the money and kill Mr. Nesbitt. Steve's job was to make sure that Mr. Nesbitt was dead. Bolden was drop off of the charges because all he did was took some cigarettes from the drugstore and sold them so that he can get money. Steve in this book remind the reader about the author Walter Dean Myers. As a teenager. Walter struggled a lot both in school and outside of school. just like how Steve is struggling right now with the trial. another thing that is common about Myers and Steve is that they are both African Americans. this probably means that as they were teenagers, they probably were discriminated. Levi.G
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Levi because the courtroom is a black man's worst nightmare because we as african americans are always getting discriminated. Dakuan R.
DeleteI strongly agree with Levi G. because African American were treated unjust. Marcantoine E.
DeleteSteve,the main character of the book "Monster" is on a trial for murder and robbery. He didnt commit the crime himself but was an accomplice,for his job was to make sure the store owner was dead. From this situation that Steve is facing different comnections can be made to the author,Walter Dean Myers. One example, is that since Steve is in need of money it can be inferred that he dropped out of school and it also explains why he cant find a job. This can be connected to Walter Dean Myers because he also dropped out of school. Another connection that can be made is since Steve was need of money it shows that he wasnt being supported which can be connected to Walter because he also wasnt supported when he was younger. My final connection to the author is that they both were colored. Being colored back then provided its own problems and made life hard due to racism. - Anil R.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Anil because I believe that although it was not his fault he was in compliance and he should have known better.
DeleteMarc Antoine E.
In the novel"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers the main character Steve Harmon and author Walter Dean Myers have similar backgrounds. Steve was a high school dropout and so was Myers. The difference is that steve followed a life a crime. Walter could have gone the same route if he hadn't listened to his teacher's advice. Also when Walter was young he realized that being black wasn't very cool. This shows in his novel because in the courtroom the jury had already decided the death penalty. This could be a result of him being black because if Steve was white he would have gotten a few years. Also Walter grew up loving reading and that lead him to writing. Steve used writing as a way to escape the mental and psychological horror of jail. Walter also did something similar because he struggled with his behavior in school and his life outside of school so he used reading and writing as an outlet. He kept in a journal and named it Monster because in the courtroom they all saw him as a "monster". This is a immediate result of him being an african american teen and they discriminated and looked down upon him and gave him the death penalty. Dakuan R.
ReplyDeleteI share the same view as you.nice work and i like the connection that you pulled would of liked to see more.
DeleteNoah H.
Noah H. I still believe now in this year 2015 that you need an excellent education to have a good job and the huge percentage of blacks do not. So they think its okay to do thing like stealing to get money to enjoy themselves.
DeleteIsmail M.
In the novel"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers the main character Steve Harmon and author Walter Dean Myers have similar backgrounds. The thing that sets them apart is that Walter followed his teachers advice and Steve diverted in a life of crime. I do believe that steve's situation is a product of his enviroment. Steve is being discriminated because he is African American. One connection that can be made to Walter is that like himself Steve was a dropout in high school. My final connection is that they both weren't supported. That can cause loneliness and situation like the one Steve accompanies. Walter grew up loving reading and that lead him to writing. Steve used writing as a way to escape the mental and psychological horror of jail. Walter also did something similar because he struggled with his behavior in school and his life outside of school so he used reading and writing as an outlet. He kept in a journal and named it Monster because in the courtroom they all saw him as a "monster". This was an obvious sign of discriminaton just because he was African American.(Walter Dean Myers said that there were no books like these when he was young. Walter makes his stories to adhere to people.Walter he believes a brighter future depends upon reading proficiency and widespread literacy.)
ReplyDeleteNoah H.
I agree with your statement about discrimination and the connection between Walter and Steve but i would like to add on. Steve and Walter used baseball as an outlet along side writing. Also both of them grew up in Harlem
DeleteI agree with your statement about discrimination and the connection between Walter and Steve but i would like to add on. Steve and Walter used baseball as an outlet along side writing. Also both of them grew up in Harlem
DeleteCarnell P.
In the Novel 'Monster' by Walter Dean Myers ,Steve Harmon a sixteen-year-old African American teen from Harlem, is awaiting trial for his role as an accomplice in a drugstore robbery that ended in murder. During that time African American were treated unjust. The main character Steve have a similar background with The author Walter Dean they were both high school dropouts but Steve decided to choose the wrong path of crime and the author chose to pursue writing. Steve got into this situation because he had no job due to the lack of his school work. This shows a comparison to Walter's life based on his documentary he had a very hard as a ten and he had trouble finding his true identity and his environment was not good. Many bad things affected Walters life hiss family members were being sentenced some died but he had the courage after reading one book written by a author that live near him and decided to choose the right path.
ReplyDeleteMarc Antoine E.
In the novel "Monster" Steve Harmon is the main character in the story who is currently on trial. The author of the book Walter Dean Myers uses his experiences in life to help better his books and make them more relatable. In the novel " Monster" Steve's home is harlem. This relates to Walter Dean Myers because he said " Harlem is the first place called 'home' i can remember." Another way Steve relates to Walter is because they are both high school dropouts. In addition they both like baseball. Walter spent much of his childhood playing basketball on the courts of Harlem and checking books out of the George Bruce Branch of the New York Public Library.Lastly they both struggle with identity. In the novel "Monster" Steve feels like he is branded a monster.
ReplyDeleteCarnell P.
In the book "Monster" written by Walter Dean Myers, the story is about a teenager named Steve who is on trial for robbery and allegedly murder of drugstore owner Mr. Nesbitt. Steve was not the only one during the crime scene. Steve had 3 other assistants with him. Their names were James King, Bobo Evans, and Wendell Bolden. James and Bobo job was to rob the money and kill Mr. Nesbitt. Steve's job was to ensure that Mr. Nesbitt was dead. Steve in this book reminds the reader about the author Walter Dean Myers as a teenager. Walter had a lot of problems in school and outside of school, exactly how Steve is struggling right now with the trial. Another thing that they both have in common is that they are both African Americans that most likely mean they probably were racially discriminated.
ReplyDeleteIsmail M.
Ismail, I like your post. You are correct when you said that Steve was on trial for robbery and that he had three assistants with him. However, you were incorrect when you said that Steve's job was to ensure that Mr. Nesbitt was dead. This is incorrect since Steve's job was really to be the look out. I also agree with the connection you made with Steve and Walterr Dean Myers. The fact that they are both African Americans who were racially discriminated and had a rough time might really be one of the reasons why they were in positions where they had to be in trouble.
DeleteDarron Panchoo (original post is dated Jan 8th, 2015 at 3:19)
In the story "Monster" Steve Harmond a 16 year old African American from Harlem is currently on trial for being accused for a drug store robbery that ended with the death of the store owner Mr. Nesbitt. Steve is from a stable family with a mother, father and a brother. The family seems to be a loving family and a family that is very concerned for him. Steve, on the other, did not necessarily reflect what his family thought he would become. His father thought that he would have become a football player and follow in his footsteps by going to More house college. T he author of this book Walter Dean Myers and the main character Steve Harmond share similar backgrounds. Both were high school dropouts and both went on the wrong path. Dean Myers on the other hand picked himself back up and became a writer, while Steve is being discriminated just because he is black and might not have a chance to redeem himself.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Monster" by Walter D. Myers, the main character Steve Harmon, who's from Harlem same as Walter D, is on trial for taking part in a crime involving a robbery and murder. The others involved in the crime were James King, Bobo Evans, and Wendell Bolden. Each person had a job to do King and Evans were to rob and kill the store owner, while Steve was the lookout. As we further read we can make connections about Steve's and Walter D. Myers' lives. First is that both where ain't very supported in life and didn't have much of an education so this most likely led to them having a hard time finding a job in life. - Jomi F
ReplyDelete