There are several other literary devices that pop up at various times in the story. One of the most prevalent ones is foreshadowing, which frequently presents clues of something that will happen later in the novel. Some examples of foreshadowing in this novel include:
1.) When Steve says that prison is being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time at the beginning of the story, it foreshadows the horrible emotional state he will live through both during the trial and even after its over.
2.) Steve says that his screenplay is an incredible story about how one guys life was turned around by a few events and how he might spend the rest of his life behind bars. This foreshadows the unfolding of the plot which leads to changes he can never overcome.
3.) When Steve wonders what his mother thinks of him, he realizes that even though he knows she absolutely believes in him, hes not so sure about how he feels about himself. He wonders if he is just fooling himself. This foreshadows the ending when he still cannot determine what Miss OBrien saw when she looked at him.
4.) The juror who seems to look at Steve in such an accusatory manner is perhaps foreshadowing of worse things to come.
5.) Mr. Sawicki telling his class that because they dont have
unlimited access to their audience, they need to keep it simple foreshadows
how Steve will testify to the jury. He will simply insist he didnt do
it.
Another element that is important to note is irony - when something happens, or is seen, or is heard that we may know, but the characters do not, or that appears opposite of what is expected. Some examples of irony in this novel include:
1.) There is great irony in life in the Manhattan Detention Center: Steve is new to this, so he refuses food, but the other more experienced prisoners eat with gusto, even finishing his food; and other people are outside going about the everyday patterns of their lives while he is handcuffed and finally wearing his suit for court.
2.) It is ironic that the trial only begins after the judge and the lawyers comment on their Fourth of July weekends.
3.) Its ironic that Bolden claims he wanted to be a good citizen and do the right thing when he was willing to lie to reduce his own sentence.
4.) Jerry obviously looks up to his brother as a super hero, but ironically, Steve has decided to hang out with a questionable element in the neighborhood.
5.) Its ironic that Steve contrasts the thought that the prosecutors just parading all these terrible individuals in front of the jury to demonstrate that they are just like him with his memory of Jerry and the super hero, because he thinks it makes him seem like a real person.
6.) It is ironic that Osvaldo finally verbally admits that he participated in the robbery, because he was afraid of all three - King, Evans, and Harmon. The truth was that he tried to intimidate Steve, and he was a member of a gang.
7.) Its ironic that OBrien warns Steve not to write anything in his notebook that he doesnt want the prosecutor to see, especially when he has already admitted in it that he talked to the three others and was in the drugstore that day.
8.) Steve says in the journal that Ernie, another inmate, is trying to convince himself he isnt guilty. Thats exactly what Steve is doing, too.
9.) Steves mother worries that she should have hired a black lawyer, but Steve says its not about race. The truth is: it is about race in a court system where Black men are often guilty until proven innocent.
10.) It is ironic that Steve goes to church services in the jail where a fight breaks out.
11.) Its ironic that Steve wants to see Jerry so he could tell him to think about all the tomorrows of his life, especially since he never thought of them himself.
12.) Steve says truth is truth, what you know to be right, but he lies to himself and then lies in court.
13.) Mr. Sawicki tells Petrocelli that he can testify for Steve, because he can see what kind of kid he is away from school through his films. He says that to make an honest film like Steve has done, you have to be an honest person. The truth is that Steve is a liar.
14.) Steve has this thought: I know what right is, what truth is. I dont do tightropes, moral or otherwise. The irony is that he did walk the tightrope.
15.) Miss OBrien stiffens and pulls away from Steve. Her lips
are tense and she appears thoughtful. She gathers her papers and moves
away further. The camera shot becomes grainier and grainier until Steve,
arms still outstretched, becomes a picture like those used for psychological
testing or some strange beast, a monster. This quote is ironic in that,
at the end of the trial, Steve makes himself in his screenplay exactly
the monster he was accused of being.
Another literary device used by the author is a motif. This device allows the author to run an important idea throughout the story by using images to create the thought for the reader. There is one motif used in Monster:
1.) The motif of this novel is that it is told in the form of a journal and a screenplay. This allows the author to show the thought processes of young Steve and try to understand why the movie format is the best way Steve can find to express his fears and his observations
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Cite this page:
Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on Monster".
TheBestNotes.com.
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