We're not talking haunted-house-at-Halloween scary, or things that go bump in the night. In Monster, Steve's fear ripples through his entire body. Steve's fear manifests in two different ways—physically and mentally. His physical fear is a response to his surroundings: he's a kid in grown-up jail, after all. His mental fear, though, is his fear of the truth. This is the kind of fear that causes people to lie to others and themselves, the kind that forces people to refuse forgiveness and destroy themselves with regret. Forget haunted houses—this is the fear of a haunted soul.
Questions About Fear
- What scares Steve more: losing his freedom or losing others's trust?
- What is your greatest fear? (Shmoop fears rampaging hedgehogs and the Delete Forever button.)
- Do you think Steve's fear causes him to do things he regrets? If not, why? If so, do share. Is James King really unafraid or just trying to make himself feel better? How can you tell?
Chew on This
Steve's fear of rejection causes him to both act as a lookout and lie about it on the witness stand.
James King's thug-like exterior is merely the mask he wears to hide his fear of failure.