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Book Summary

In the novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers, the author shows that poverty is a major reason for crime and violence. Steve Harmon is a young, black teenager. He is on trial for felony murder and could be given the punishment of twenty-five years to life. He was accused of being involved in a robbery of a drugstore that led to the death of the owner, Mr. Nesbitt. There were three others involved in the robbery also: Richard “Bobo” Evans, Osvaldo Cruz, and James King. Steve’s role was to check out the store and to give the all clear. Bobo was the planner of the robbery and also got the money. Osvaldo was to stop pursuers if anyone chased them. James King wrestled with Mr. Nesbitt and eventually shot him with Mr. Nesbitt’s own gun. Steve realized too late that he didn’t want to be involved; he did not give a signal when he walked out, and in his journal he says he was just looking for some gum. Myers emphasizes poverty in the scene that King, Steve, and Osvaldo were all talking before the robbery saying that they needed money, because nobody had any. King said he didn’t have anything between his butt and the ground but rags. Peaches, a lady from the neighborhood, said, “You can’t even hardly make it these days. They talking about cutting welfare, cutting Social Security, and anything else that makes life a little easy. They might as well bring back slavery times if you ask me.” Bobo told King that a drugstore always had money and not very much security, so they planned the robbery and who would do what in it. They planned on splitting the money. After the robbery Bobo and King went to a diner and had chicken fingers and potato wedges because they had not had anything to eat that day. The robbery probably never would have taken place if the men involved would have had money or jobs. Myers shows that poverty is a major factor in crime by telling the conversations of King, Steve, Bobo, and Peaches before the robbery took place.