Osvaldo Cruz Character Analysis in Monster

Osvaldo is a 14-year-old kid from Harlem and an admitted accomplice in the robbery that resulted in Mr. Nesbitt’s felony murder. Osvaldo testifies in King and Steve’s trial in exchange for a full acquittal, since Osvaldo is so young and he claims that Bobo coerced him into helping with the robbery by threatening to hurt him. Osvaldo claims that he was afraid of all three of the other participants since they were all older than him, even though Steve can personally recall being afraid of Osvaldo since he is a member of the notorious gang The Diablos. Under Briggs and O’Brien’s cross-examination, Osvaldo is forced to admit his status as a gang member and that he is currently in jail for beating up his girlfriend, and that in the past he slashed a stranger’s face with a knife to earn his place amongst the Diablos. This basically discredits Osvaldo’s whole testimony, since such a person is unlikely to be coerced into committing a crime by fear, and it demonstrates the manner in which criminal witnesses often lie in court cases for their own personal gain.

Osvaldo Cruz Quotes in Monster

The Monster quotes below are all either spoken by Osvaldo Cruz or refer to Osvaldo Cruz. 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:

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 and Citation: 130

Explanation and Analysis:

Osvaldo Cruz Character Timeline in Monster

The timeline below shows where the character Osvaldo Cruz appears in Monster. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

O’Brien mentions that, later in the day, Osvaldo Cruz will testify. The screenplay cuts to a Harlem street corner, where Steve sits with... (full context)

Petrocelli continues questioning Osvaldo, who claims he participated in the robbery (his job was to stop anyone who came... (full context)

...how stupid it was that he once wanted to be tough like King, Bobo, and Osvaldo. In the detention center, while Steve is assigned to mop a hall with four other... (full context)

Bobo says they were eventually supposed to split the money with Osvaldo and Steve. Petrocelli asks what signal Steve gave when he came out of the store,... (full context)

...signal Steve was supposed to give, nor did he ever see any particular signal. Although Osvaldo testified that he participated in the robbery because Bobo threatened him, Bobo reports that Osvaldo... (full context)

...ball. He didn’t see him at any point in December. Steve admits that he knows Osvaldo, but denies that he knows Bobo. (full context)

...that Steve was at the drugstore on the day of the robbery, recalling Bobo and Cruz’s testimonies, but Steve continually denies it, stating that he was scouting locations for a film... (full context)

...witness to the actual murder and relies entirely on testimony from admitted criminals Bobo and Osvaldo, both of whom are obviously trying to minimize their own roles in the murder. Ms.... (full context)

Briggs thus argues that King did not enter the store with Bobo; Osvaldo did. One of them shot Mr. Nesbitt. When he was arrested, Bobo needed someone to... (full context)

...any contact with each other after the murder, again removing Steve from the plot. Both Osvaldo and Bobo’s plea deals are dependent on other people being prosecuted, meaning they have a... (full context)

...Ms. Henry and José Delgado have no ulterior motives in testifying, and although Bobo and Osvaldo obviously do, their testimonies corroborate each other. Three witnesses testify that King entered the drugstore... (full context)