Monster Friday, July 10th Summary & Analysis

Summary: Friday, July 10th

In his notebook, Steve writes that O’Brien is angry because the judge called for a half-day session and Petrocelli took the opportunity to have the jury look again at the photographs of the victim, Mr. Nesbitt. O’Brien thinks Petrocelli has shown the photos so that the jury will have disturbing images to take home with them over the weekend. Steve does not want to think about the photos, and he does not look at the jurors while they are looking at them. Steve decides not to write about what happened in the drugstore so that he won’t have it in his mind. He thinks about himself walking down the street while Mr. Nesbitt is dying.

When Steve gets back to his cell, he has to work with four other inmates to mop the corridors. They are all dressed in their orange jumpsuits. Steve realizes they all look alike. He suddenly feels as if he can’t breathe. The smell of the disinfectant makes him want to vomit. The guard warns Steve that if he vomits, he will have to clean up. Steve keeps mopping. He notices the swirls of gray water and brown bubbles all over the floor. Steve desperately wants to get away from this place. He thinks about how O’Brien wants to show the jury that Steve is different from Bobo, Osvaldo, and King, but he recalls how he once wanted to be tough like them.

Steve’s screenplay calls for a four-way split-screen montage. Three of the screens show Allen Forbes, a city clerk; Detective Williams; and Dr. James Moody, a medical examiner. The fourth screen shows either Steve or King. As each witness speaks, the fourth screen shows the defendant’s reactions. Allen Forbes testifies that Mr. Nesbitt was the legal owner of the gun that was used in the crime. Williams testifies that when he arrived at the crime scene at 5:15, the victim was dead, and an emergency medical crew was finishing its work. The cash register was open, and cartons of cigarettes were scattered on the floor. Williams concluded the crime was a stickup and homicide. Williams outlined the body’s position with chalk. He allowed the medical crew to remove the body because it was close to quitting time. Williams also testifies that a tip from Sal Zinzi led to the arrest of Richard Evans, known on the street as Bobo. Evans has admitted being involved in the stickup.

Dr. Moody testifies that Nesbitt’s death was due to a gunshot wound. The bullet entered the body from the left side and traveled through one lung and the esophagus. Moody was able to recover the bullet. Nesbitt died from shock and internal bleeding. Petrocelli remarks that blood filled his lungs and drowned him. Steve catches his breath sharply as he hears this news. King acts as if he has nothing to worry about.

Analysis: Friday, July 10th

Steve’s notes reveal his emotional responses to the grisly facts of the robbery and murder. He does not want to look at the crime scene photographs because they look so disturbing. Neither does Steve want to think about what happened in the store. He recalls walking away, trying to make his mind a blank screen, and realizes that at that same time Mr. Nesbitt was dying. Steve’s words strongly suggest that he was at the store before the shooting. He seems to be deliberately suppressing the details of his memory because the memories make him feel guilty.

When Steve changes from his courtroom suit back into a prison uniform, he becomes a prisoner, not just a defendant, in his own mind. The act of mopping the floor focuses Steve’s mind on the harsh reality of his life. As he mops, he is still reacting to the crime scene photos and to the jurors’ reactions as they looked at them. He is thinking about O’Brien’s anger at Petrocelli’s tactics. Steve details the sights, sounds, and smells of his prison work. He describes the heat and how heavy the mop feels. However, it is the sight of his fellow prisoners, who all look alike in their orange jumpsuits, that takes Steve’s breath away and makes him want to vomit. Steve is facing the real possibility that this is his future, and it literally makes him sick.

The screenplay uses a split-screen montage to speed up the action of the trial and to pile up evidence against Steve. It includes only the key points made by each speaker. Readers should recall that Steve himself is the author of the screenplay. The evidence hurts Steve’s case because it is factual and scientific, produced by experts. The facts about the gun, the crime scene, and the time of death are reminders of the horror of the crime. Petrocelli questions Detective Williams about Sal Zinzi. Briggs and O’Brien have discredited Zinzi’s testimony in court. Now Petrocelli proves that Zinzi had led them to Bobo Evans, who admitted to taking part in the crime. By helping discredit Zinzi, O’Brien had scored some points in Steve’s favor; now, that advantage is gone.

The notebook entry and court proceedings of Friday, July 10, evoke the themes of the story. Details of Steve’s trauma reinforce his sense of alienation from normal life. When Steve realizes that he looks like the other prisoners, he identifies himself as belonging to their group. O’Brien’s plan to differentiate her client from Bobo, King, and Osvaldo is a reminder that at least some of the jurors have already labeled Steve as Black and prejudged his guilt.

The events of July 10 build suspense on both the structural and emotional levels of the story. Now that Bobo Evans has admitted to the crime, it looks more likely that the jury will find Steve guilty. Emotionally, Steve is showing signs of guilt, including his attempts to suppress his guilty feelings. When Steve admits to himself that he once wanted to be tough like Bobo, Osvaldo, and King, he is beginning to accept responsibility for his own actions and their consequences.

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