The Man Who Was Almost a Man

Out of the stories that we have read this unit, the one that stood out to me most was, The Man Who was Almost a Man. This is the story of Dave Saunders and his quest for manhood. Dave works on a plantation and is assigned to plow the fields with his coworker Jenny, a mule. Dave lives with his mother and father in a small house and feels that he is always being held down and treated like a boy. All of his wages are given to his mother. The other farmhands talk down to him. One day Dave decides that buying a gun will assist him in his quest to manhood. He insists that the mere ownership of a firearm will lead to his becoming of a man. He heads down to the local Sears store to inquire with the owner about buying a gun. The shop owner, Joe, originally declines on the basis that he believes Dave is only a boy but later gives in. After he brings up the notion of gun ownership to his mother, she too says that he is only a boy and will not let him buy a gun. He insists and they finally agree that he can buy the gun and it will belong to his father. Dave goes back to the Sears store and buys the gun. After buying the gun, Dave does not come home until the house is sleeping and he hides the gun under his pillow. The next morning Dave leaves for work before anyone else is awake. He brings the pistol with him to work and flaunts the pistol to Jenny, the mule, on their way to the field. After plowing a few rows, Dave can't help but fire his pistol. Upon firing his pistol he accidentally shoots Jenny. He comes back to Mr. Hawkins, his employer, and lies about what transpired. He is drilled by his parents and Mr. Hawkins and his lies eventually unravel. He is forced to pay Mr. Hawkins back for the mule at 2 dollars a month for the next two years. The next day, in the middle of the night, Dave sneaks out to shoot the gun again and the story ends with Dave hopping onto a train to leave his current existence.

Throughout the short story, The Man Who Was Almost a Man, the primary character is Dave Saunders. He is obsessed with coming of age and earning the respect that comes along with maturity. Throughout the story he attempts to rise above his socioeconomic situation, be treated with respect, and become a man by owning a firearm. The secondary characters in the story consistently lend to the idea that Dave is still a boy regardless of what he thinks. Throughout the story, the author Richard Wright shows that Dave is misguided in his idea that owning a gun will actually make him a man. The gun acts as a symbol of Dave's struggle and eventual failure of attaining respect from the people around him. The gun and mule act as symbols in the story to describe deeper ideas.

Dave's hopes of being a man and leaving his childhood aren't necessarily unwarranted. The story takes place in the 1920's in the south where life was hard enough for a young white man. Throw in the fact that Dave is