The layers of reality portrayed in the novel Monster are practically endless. The screenplay itself claims to be only based on “real” events; the views of each character, particularly the defendant and the prosecutor, seems to vary widely; and even the personal diary entries of Steve hint at a subjective perception of actions and circumstances that are highly influenced by his occasionally naive and understandably limited comprehension of his alienating surroundings. The repeated mention of television and photography, along with Steve’s interest in film (and indeed the layout of the novel as a film script) very deliberately echo this vast array of realities. While Steve’s desire to be a filmmaker is partially driven by opportunity and aesthetic, ultimately, his goal is simply  “to know who I am”.

The prosecutor’s first usage of the word “monster” to refer to Steve has a clear emotional impact on his self-image and self-worth. Even after he is legally declared innocent, it is clear that this woman’s horrific perception of his moral standards– combined with O’Brien’s disgusted rejection of his victory celebration– his epilogue is centered on his obsessive search to find his real self. He film himself, stares into the mirror, films himself in the mirror, and examines himself from all angles; all because he “wanted to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image”. This book was an examination of Steve himself from a thousand different angles, with various perspectives on his thoughts and feelings during the night of the botched robbery. He is forced to behave a certain way, speak a certain way, and in essence, be a certain way to avoid a life in prison. These “ways” are heavily coded with stereotypes of black masculinity and his legal redemption ultimately lies in distancing himself from this image as stridently as possible. The conflict between his various selves- the self he is with his family, the self he is with his friends, the self he is at school, and the self he is at court are all forced to reconcile with one another as soon as the case is finished. Steve will probably never be able to find his “true” self– if such a self really even exists for any of us– but this horrific situation starts him on the path of understanding just how subjective reality can be.