What happens in the end of the book, Monster?
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At the end of the novel Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, many different things happen. A guard tells both King and Steve that a verdict is awaiting them. They enter into the courtroom. O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, asks him if he is okay and he says, "NO". The judge calls to see if the defense and prosecution are ready and both state they are. The jury is then called in.
It is here, in the text, where it returns to the scrolling words repeating the opening of the novel:
This is the true story of Steve Harmon. This is the story of his life and his trial.
The judge reads the verdicts. The verdicts are not stated outright in the text.
Two guards begin to put handcuffs on James King as color changes to black and white. It is clear that the jury has found him guilty.
The text then describes a "Cut to" to Steve's mother. His mother is lifting her hands high and closing her eyes. It is here where readers can assume that Steve has been found innocent.
After the verdict has been read, Steve moves closer to his attorney (O'Brien) to hug her. She moves away from him.
The novel ends with Steve's thoughts five months after the trial. King has been sentenced to 25 years to life, Bobo is still in jail, and Osvaldo has recently been arrested for stealing a car. Steve admits that his mother does not understand him and that his father has moved away. Steve gives the reasoning behind still filming:
I want to know who I am. I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for the one true image.
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