Prison, From Top to Bottom

Prison holds to a hierarchal system as well. In prison, the guards are in the highest class, but they are submissive to the judge in the court hierarchy (Myers 14).


Gangs are the subsequent power group below the guards.


The individual is once again in the lowest class in the hierarchal system, having absolutely no power or rights in that given system.

The Neighborhood From Top to Bottom

The Marxist lens also allows for an interpretation of the neighborhood domain of Steven Harmon’s life. The highest class here once again is the government. The government is in control of the police who are in the second position of power in Steven’s neighborhood.

The police are responsible for capturing and preventing the crime that poverty stricken people are forced into by the government in this hierarchal system.

The next level of social hierarchy in the neighborhood belongs to the gangs. The gang can survive by sticking together and belonging to a dangerous gang gives the individual power in the neighborhood.

The individual is once again in the lowest social class.

The Courtroom From Top to Bottom

There is a hierarchy in the courtroom that represents the power of the judicial system. At the top of this chain is the Judge. He is described as tall and thin, about sixty years of age and has a full head of white hair. The Judge presides over the courtroom and is in charge of maintaining order. Beneath the Judge are the lawyers. They are all white and all hold power over the defendants.

The lawyers are the second highest class in the court room because they can the sway the jury. The attorneys are in key positions of power because their arguments will help the jury decide whether Steven is actually guilty. O’Brien is Steven’s Attorney. Her position in the court room hierarchy prevents her from dealing with her client and forces her to play to the jury.

The jury falls beneath the attorneys in the court room hierarchy though they are still removed from Steven.

Steven Harmon is in the lowest class level inside the courtroom.

The Social Classes of "Monster"

If we take a look at Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, we can decipher several different hierarchical classes within the novel. Discovering evidence of a class system in a text in part utilizes the Marxist Critical Lens.

There are three different settings within the text, all of which have their own class system. The three settings are the courtroom, the neighborhood, and the prison.