Although Monster focuses on moral issues that transcend social issues, it necessarily touches on significant social problems. Miss O'Brien's comment to Steve that being young and black may already make him seem guilty to the jury brings up a long-standing social issue, that of discrimination against African Americans in law enforcement. Social scientists have done surveys indicating that young black men form a disproportionately large group of prison inmates in the United States. Whether this disparity is due to racial prejudice, a higher number of crimes committed by blacks, or other factors such as poverty is not discussed in Monster. Miss O'Brien's remark is intended to emphasize the difficulty of persuading jurors to acquit Steve, not to explore the thorny issue of racism.

Steve's individual responsibility is more important than his race.

The prison system is another social issue raised by Monster. Steve is perpetually frightened...