Monster

by

Walter Dean Myers

James King is man in his mid-20s, charged with the same felony murder as Steve over the death of Mr. Nesbitt. King’s attorney Asa Briggs knows that if King is allowed to testify in court, he will immediately incriminate himself, and thus King speaks very little throughout the story. However, through Steve’s recollection and Bobo Evans’ testimony, the narrative suggests that King formulated the plan to rob Mr. Nesbitt’s drugstore, drew Steve into being an accomplice by checking the store for cops, attempted to rob the place with Bobo, and then accidentally shot Mr. Nesbitt with his own handgun when there was a struggle. After King is arrested, he tells the police about Steve’s involvement, leading to Steve’s arrest as well. Although King once seemed tough and untouchable to Steve, and was thus someone he looked up to, Steve realizes that King is actually just a fool, trying to act tough and powerful even when he is in handcuffs and at the mercy of the justice system. King is ultimately deemed guilty of felony murder for Mr. Nesbitt’s death.

James King Quotes in Monster

The Monster quotes below are all either spoken by James King or refer to James King. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dehumanization and Racism Theme Icon
).
Monday, July 6th Quotes

Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities—people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others.

Related Characters: Sandra Petrocelli (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King
Related Symbols: Monster
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Wednesday, July 8 Quotes

Miss O’Brien says that Petrocelli is using Bolden’s testimony as part of a trail that will lead to me and James King. I think she is wrong. I think they are bringing out all of these people and letting them look terrible on the stand and sound terrible and then reminding the the jury that they don’t look any different from me and King.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Kathy O’Brien, Sandra Petrocelli, Wendell Bolden
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Thursday, July 9th Quotes

King curled his lip and narrowed his eyes. What was he going to do, scare me? All of a sudden he looked funny. All the times I had looked at him and wanted to be tough like him, and now I saw him sitting in handcuffs and trying to scare me. How could he scare me? I go to bed every night terrified out of my mind.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Friday, July 10th Quotes

I remembered Miss O’Brien saying that it was her job to make me different in the eyes of the jury, different from Bobo and Osvaldo and King. It was me, I thought as I tried not to throw up, that had wanted to be tough like them.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Richard “Bobo” Evans, Osvaldo Cruz, Kathy O’Brien
Page Number: 130
Explanation and Analysis:
Tuesday, July 14th Quotes

[O’Brien] said that Bobo’s testimony hurt us a lot and that she had to find a way to separate me from King, but King’s lawyer wanted to make sure the jury connected us because I looked like a pretty decent guy.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Richard “Bobo” Evans, Kathy O’Brien, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:

There are a lot of things you can do with film, but you don’t have unlimited access to your audience. In other words, keep it simple. You tell the story; you don’t look for the camera technician to tell the story for you. When you see a filmmaker getting too fancy, you can bet he’s worried either about his story or about his ability to tell it.

Related Characters: Mr. Sawicki (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 214
Explanation and Analysis:

If you don’t testify, you’ll just make the tie between you and King stronger in the mind of the jury. I think you have to testify. And the way you spend the rest of your youth might well depend on how much the jury believes you.

Related Characters: Kathy O’Brien (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
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James King Quotes in Monster

The Monster quotes below are all either spoken by James King or refer to James King. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dehumanization and Racism Theme Icon
).
Monday, July 6th Quotes

Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities—people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others.

Related Characters: Sandra Petrocelli (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King
Related Symbols: Monster
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Wednesday, July 8 Quotes

Miss O’Brien says that Petrocelli is using Bolden’s testimony as part of a trail that will lead to me and James King. I think she is wrong. I think they are bringing out all of these people and letting them look terrible on the stand and sound terrible and then reminding the the jury that they don’t look any different from me and King.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Kathy O’Brien, Sandra Petrocelli, Wendell Bolden
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Thursday, July 9th Quotes

King curled his lip and narrowed his eyes. What was he going to do, scare me? All of a sudden he looked funny. All the times I had looked at him and wanted to be tough like him, and now I saw him sitting in handcuffs and trying to scare me. How could he scare me? I go to bed every night terrified out of my mind.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Friday, July 10th Quotes

I remembered Miss O’Brien saying that it was her job to make me different in the eyes of the jury, different from Bobo and Osvaldo and King. It was me, I thought as I tried not to throw up, that had wanted to be tough like them.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Richard “Bobo” Evans, Osvaldo Cruz, Kathy O’Brien
Page Number: 130
Explanation and Analysis:
Tuesday, July 14th Quotes

[O’Brien] said that Bobo’s testimony hurt us a lot and that she had to find a way to separate me from King, but King’s lawyer wanted to make sure the jury connected us because I looked like a pretty decent guy.

Related Characters: Steve Harmon (speaker), James King, Richard “Bobo” Evans, Kathy O’Brien, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:

There are a lot of things you can do with film, but you don’t have unlimited access to your audience. In other words, keep it simple. You tell the story; you don’t look for the camera technician to tell the story for you. When you see a filmmaker getting too fancy, you can bet he’s worried either about his story or about his ability to tell it.

Related Characters: Mr. Sawicki (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 214
Explanation and Analysis:

If you don’t testify, you’ll just make the tie between you and King stronger in the mind of the jury. I think you have to testify. And the way you spend the rest of your youth might well depend on how much the jury believes you.

Related Characters: Kathy O’Brien (speaker), Steve Harmon, James King, Asa Briggs
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis: