How does the novel Monster connect to your life?

The concepts of right and wrong are explored throughout the novel Monster. Similar to many of the other inmates in jail, Steve Harmon attempts to justify his actions by "spitting moral hairs." Steve questions his morality and conscience as he tries to cope with an extremely stressful situation. Steve tells himself that he was simply going into the drugstore to pick up some mints and not to serve as the lookout before the crime was committed. Myers purposefully makes Steve's participation in the crime ambiguous and explores the ways in which Steve attempts to justify his decisions. Throughout life, we all have made bad decisions that may or may not have escalated into something as serious as what happened to Nesbitt. Whenever our bad decisions, no matter how minor or significant, have unintended outcomes, we seek to justify ourselves. Similar to the way that Steve downplays his involvement in the crime, I have excused my immoral behavior in order to make myself feel better about a negative consequence.