Monster

"And when he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars! And gnashed their terrible teeth! And rolled their terrible eyes! And showed their terrible claws!" In Where the Wild Things Are, Max tames these terrible monsters simply by staring into their yellowed eyes. In Monster, however, it's not quite so simple for Steve. See, he isn't taming monsters—he's navigating the fact that so many people think he's a monster:

• Monster is what the prosecution calls him. (1.8) 
• Monster is how the defense describes the prosecution witnesses. (18.204) 
• Monster is scribbled all over Steve's journal page until O'Brien forces him to stop. (2.70) 
• Monster is Steve's last stance, arms outstretched, staring at the movie camera. (20.26)

Like Max, the land of the wild things tempted Steve and lured him in. Unfortunately for Steve, though, getting back out isn't so easy as sailing "into the night of his very own room." Steve writes, "Sunset said he liked the name of the screenplay. He said when he gets out, he will have the word Monster tattooed on his forehead. I feel like I already have it tattooed on mine" (5.5). Whether or not he is monstrous haunts Steve, gnawing at him long after his trial is over. (For more on this be sure to check out our discussion of Steve in the "Characters" section.)