Lies and deceit riddle Steve's court case in Monster. From the witnesses, to the detectives, to Steve himself—it's hard to tell who to trust. Some folks lie to save their own skin, while others lie to hurt people, and a few more lie to protect those they love. So it goes in real life, too—we may not be testifying on a stand every day, but lies and deceit surround us. In the end, we've all got to figure out which voices to listen to… and hopefully we'll figure out correctly which ones to trust.
Questions About Lies & Deceit
- Which witnesses deserve Pinocchio noses, and which deserve truth halos? How can you tell?
- Why do liars lie? Are their motives in the novel different than motives for real-life liars?
- Was Steve telling the truth on the witness stand? Why do you think so?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Based on Steve's journal entries and flashbacks, his testimony on the stand includes little white lies.
Steve's thoughts and those of Mr. Sawicki prove that Steve is a person of integrity.