Monday, August 20, 2012

What are some important quotes from the book Monster in reference to social issues?

Walter Dean Myers's book Monster is a great read that brings up a variety of social issues to readers. One such social issue is the issue of racism. There are a few quotes in the book that speak to this particular social issue. For example, the following quote works well:

You're young, you're Black, and you're on trial. What else do they need to know?

The character O'Brien she says this to Steve. The quote sounds harsh because deep down readers want to believe that justice is blind. Steve wants to believe this too, and he responds that way:

I thought you're supposed to be innocent until you're proven guilty?

Unfortunately, racism exists. O'Brien knows this, and she knows that her case is made a lot harder because of Steve's race and how that will play out in front of a judge and jury. Even Mayor Giuliani brings up the fact that racism exists and that he and law enforcement officials try to be completely neutral to race:

The idea that we're just trying to stop crime in white or middle-class areas is nonsense. Everyone living in the city deserves the same protection.

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