The book is Monster written by Walter Dean Myers. i need to argue that he was guilty or not guilty since he was acquitted. any suggestions?
Answer:
A good website is wikipedia to use for even arguments. Or, better yet, choose a good message board in which the help can be listed. I've never read monster, but in my opinion, it seems like it can also be looked into with law. Try researching the essay itself through google and you'll get a result like this "Steven Harmon was only a lookout in the four-person holdup of a drugstore, but during the robbery attempt the store owner was killed. Steven wasn't even IN the store at the time of the murder. How guilty does that make Steven? Does his participation make him a MONSTER? That is the question left up to the jury in this courtroom trial. While the book in made up entirely of the trial, Myers uses mixed modes to depict the case. Steven, an aspiring filmmaker, records the trial's events as a screenplay, complete with close ups, reaction shots, and voice overs. Between scenes, we read Steven's handwritten journal about the case and see his fears of prison life and apprehensions about the proceedings in court. Mixed in are photographs of "Steven" in anguish. I found the telling of the story to be riveting and I feel it would provide terrific discussion in a classroom, perhaps 9th grade. Not only must we judge Steven's guilt, we also judge others involved and learn about the justice system in all its glory. By the time the novel ends, we feel as if we've been with Steven the whole time, and know we would never want to experience these events. It makes us consider peer pressure, the choices we make, the integrity of people, and different degrees of guilt. I enjoyed MONSTER very much and highly recommend it for personal use or with a class. " Hope that jogs something! :)
Answer:
I would take a piece of paper and fold it in half lengthwise. At the top of one column write: innocent. At the top of the other: guilty. Then start listing all of the facts of the case: his relationship with the "gang," his reasons for being in the store, things he writes that seem to "betray his guilt," things he writes that make him seem completely innocent. List them on two sides of the paper, giving the page numbers so you can come back to those pages when you write. When you are done making the list, then say to yourself: if I were on a jury, what would I vote? innocent or guilty? Then you can build your case for your paper, using your lists to form paragraphs. Explain why the reasons on noe side are not convincing enough, and then offer the evidence you feel is the most convincing.