Richard Wright's The Man Who Was Almost A Man
Darian Mosley
Engl 2
Montgomery
10/29/14
“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” Analysis
“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright revolves around a young African-American man mentioned as Dave Saunders who is trapped in a place that strips him of his personal dignity and economic power. Dave is forced to obey his parents, work as a field hand which he’s never paid for, and endures constant agonizing hardship from other field workers. As the story progresses Dave’s feeling of degradation from continuous social and economic forces, which keep him from reaching his full potential gives Dave the idea of buying a gun, thus becoming Dave’s escape to quickly become powerful and manly. The misuse of power can provide one to have a false realization that the power …show more content…
to kill brings the power to control.
Being powerless the main protagonist Dave is stuck in a life where his family barely makes ends meet, he lacks needed education and receives no opportunities to make his life better due to social challenges he faces with racism.
Dave’s search for adulthood leads him to express his frustrations through the purchase of a gun which he believes will give him the power and manhood he desires “the pistol gives Dave the sense of power and masculinity he desperately wants yet can’t seem to muster on his own”. By owning this gun Dave falsely believes that power will automatically win him the respect he wishes he had.
Jenny, Mr. Hawkins’s mule is a direct symbol as Dave himself. Dave sees the similarities between himself and Jenny, saying to himself before he ran away that everyone “treats me like a mule, n they beat me,” The mule also represents commitment and responsibility, which can be closely viewed as traits of adulthood which Dave is still unwilling to face. Dave only wants the freedom that he visualizes adults have without any of their responsibilities. When Dave shoots and kills Jenny her death represents the death of Dave’s childhood, which he wishes he could erase to escape from a life full of
drudgery.
The external conflict of “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” derives from the main protagonist Dave Saunders who wanted the freedom of adulthood without the obligations that come with it. Dave never accepted the obligations of becoming an adult as the conflict was never resolved within the story. Dave’s mindset provided him with a false realization of adulthood which he wrongly perceived it to be.
Works Cited
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Man Who Was Almost a Man.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Engl 2
Montgomery
10/29/14
“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” Analysis
“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright revolves around a young African-American man mentioned as Dave Saunders who is trapped in a place that strips him of his personal dignity and economic power. Dave is forced to obey his parents, work as a field hand which he’s never paid for, and endures constant agonizing hardship from other field workers. As the story progresses Dave’s feeling of degradation from continuous social and economic forces, which keep him from reaching his full potential gives Dave the idea of buying a gun, thus becoming Dave’s escape to quickly become powerful and manly. The misuse of power can provide one to have a false realization that the power …show more content…
to kill brings the power to control.
Being powerless the main protagonist Dave is stuck in a life where his family barely makes ends meet, he lacks needed education and receives no opportunities to make his life better due to social challenges he faces with racism.
Dave’s search for adulthood leads him to express his frustrations through the purchase of a gun which he believes will give him the power and manhood he desires “the pistol gives Dave the sense of power and masculinity he desperately wants yet can’t seem to muster on his own”. By owning this gun Dave falsely believes that power will automatically win him the respect he wishes he had.
Jenny, Mr. Hawkins’s mule is a direct symbol as Dave himself. Dave sees the similarities between himself and Jenny, saying to himself before he ran away that everyone “treats me like a mule, n they beat me,” The mule also represents commitment and responsibility, which can be closely viewed as traits of adulthood which Dave is still unwilling to face. Dave only wants the freedom that he visualizes adults have without any of their responsibilities. When Dave shoots and kills Jenny her death represents the death of Dave’s childhood, which he wishes he could erase to escape from a life full of
drudgery.
The external conflict of “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” derives from the main protagonist Dave Saunders who wanted the freedom of adulthood without the obligations that come with it. Dave never accepted the obligations of becoming an adult as the conflict was never resolved within the story. Dave’s mindset provided him with a false realization of adulthood which he wrongly perceived it to be.
Works Cited
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Man Who Was Almost a Man.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.