The Courtroom Painting/ Flags

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

While he waits for a final verdict, Steve's brain-cam swivels back and forth between a painting of George Washington and a grouping of the New York State and American flags.

As the old (fictional) story goes, George Washington was the man who could "never tell a lie" (source), which means Old G-Dub stands for truth.

So… does truth reign supreme in Steve's trial? Myers forces us to ask this question as the attorneys pound every witness with questions about their motives and honesty. When all is said and done, we don't even know whether Steve tells the truth on the stand. (Sorry, George.)

What about the flags though? The American flag stands for freedom (at least according to the Boss) and for a justice system that works; plus every person has a right to a fair trial—just ask the Bill of Rights.

So… does justice prevail in Steve's trial? To answer this, we need to ask some more questions. First, why did Steve get dragged into the courtroom in the first place? Williams said, "We don't need him. We got the case locked" (6.50). Did Karyl insist on arresting him because of his unflinching belief in justice for all, or because he's got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to young black kids? And what about the jury? When Steve looked at a pretty juror, she looked away, which is cool if she did so out of a sense of impartial justice, but not cool in the slightest if it's because she'd already judged him a monster.

Truth, freedom, justice—it's a tangled trio in Monster.