Chapter 3 Summary: Wednesday, July 8
The third chapter opens with Harmon explaining in his diary that they take away the inmates’ shoelaces and belts so inmates cannot commit suicide. He concludes that “making you live is part of the punishment.” There are many punishments in prison. Harmon explains that before he is able to talk to a preacher, the other inmates start to harass the minister so he will leave. The guards escort the preacher out and then turn off the television and send the inmates back to their cells as punishment.
Harmon says he is starting to feel detached from his trial. He argues:
The lawyers and the judge and everybody are doing a job that involves me, but I don’t have a role.
When the trial starts, one of the court officers is complaining that he and his wife have termites in their house. They wonder what a termite looks like and O’Brien explains that they look like ants with wings. The judge wonders why termites have wings if they spend their life inside of wood. The casual routine of the scene stands in stark contrast to Harmon’s life-or-death thoughts while in prison. He seems to have entered an entirely different world.
After the trial is back in session, Petrocelli continues building a case that will link Harmon and James King to the murder. She interviews the detectives, who walk the jury through the steps of the investigation. Upon cross-examination, Briggs establishes that there is no physical evidence, including fingerprints, linking King and Harmon to the crime. Briggs suggests that the police have failed to find evidence; therefore, their case relies on the testimony of criminals seeking to reduce their sentences.
The second witness is Osvaldo Cruz, a fourteen-year-old boy. There is a flashback in which Osvaldo is teasing Steve because he does not have the heart to be anything but a “lame.” In fact, Steve might be “hanging out with some people, but when the deal goes down, you won’t be around.” In court, he testifies that he was afraid of Bobo Evans, James King, and Steve Harmon and that he only participated in the robbery because he was worried about what they would do to him. However, Briggs begins to object to the prosecution’s questions until the trial is ended for the day.
O’Brien explains to Harmon that the prosecution is trying to tie him to the crime in the minds of the jurors. However, when he looks at them, he has a different interpretation. He thinks Petrocelli is parading all of these disreputable witnesses so they will look terrible. As a result, the jury will start to notice that he and King look very similar to these criminals. Regardless of what is happening, O’Brien does not think things are looking good for her client.
Expert Q&A
Can you explain Steve's dream on pages 63-64 in the book Monster?
Steve's dream on pages 63-64 reflects his feelings of powerlessness in his court trial. In the dream, he is in the courtroom trying to ask questions, but no one hears him, and even when he yells, there is no response. This mirrors his real-life sense of being an outsider in his own trial, unable to influence the proceedings.
Who asks Steve to be the lookout for the robbery in Monster?
During a flashback in Monster, Steve recalls James King, who is on trial alongside him, asking him to act as lookout. He does not reveal his reply.
What events occur in Steve's cell in Monster?
In Steve's cell in Monster, he is alienated from his identity. Steve tells us that he can't cry unless "someone is being beaten up and screaming for help." If others hear you show emotion, you'll get beaten up next. Then he looks in the mirror and doesn't recognize himself. The next morning, there's even more violence outside his cell during breakfast.
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