The Man Who Was Almost a Man Questions and Answers
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Discuss Dave's character in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright.
Dave Saunders wants a gun in “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright. This teenager finds himself struggling to be a man; however, his immaturity in thinking and no understanding of...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is the basic conflict of "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" Is it internal or external?
The main conflict in the story occurs within the main character, Dave, as he struggles to prove that he is an adult worth respecting and admiring. That conflict is definitely internal, and is the...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In Richard Wright's story "Almos' a Man," does the ending prove that he is still immature because he is running away...
In Richard Wright's short story "The Man Who was Almost a Man" or "Almos' a Man," the main character Dave longs to overcome his poverty stricken life as a sharecropper's son in the rural south...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In the story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," how does Dave's relationship with his parents, neighbors, and nature...
The short story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright tells of a 16-year-old black boy who is desperate to assert his manhood. He comes to the conclusion that owning a gun will give him...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" how does the mule, Jenny symobolize manhood?
The mule represents manhood because manhood often symbolizes a crossroads in life, and making the right decision "makes you a man". Jenny, who Dave has shot, represents that crossroads for Dave....
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In the story The Man Who was Almost a Man, does Dave demonstrate that he has reached maturity in the story's closing?...
In the story Dave demonstrates that he is just a 17 year old "boy" and not ready to make the rite of passage into manhood. He felt that a gun was a status symbol to be a man and if he...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is the setting in the story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man"?
The short story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright tells of a 16-year-old African American boy named Dave who wants to buy a gun. He thinks that if he owns a gun he will somehow be...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Why is Dave eager to buy a gun?
Dave is a young, powerless black man who wants to be treated like an adult. He is not taken seriously as a man because he hasn't proven himself to his family and employer. He works on a...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How is Wright’s story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" indicative of modernism?
For the most part, Wright's narrative technique and general style are relatively traditional. He does not depict events in a surreal fashion, nor does he employ stream-of-consciousness or...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
The story "The Man who was Almost a Man" is written in 3rd omniscient, but why? Couldn't it been written in 1st...
The third person omniscient point of view (POV) uses an all-knowing narrator. This POV gives the reader an honest and objective look at the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story....
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Richard Wright's story, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" ends when Dave hops on a train to go "somewhere he could be a...
The main character in Richard Wright’s story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” struggles to know who he actually is. Dave Saunders’ identity crisis comes from living in a small southern town where he...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What does the gun mean for Dave in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man"?
"The Man Who Was Almost a Man" explores the intersection of race and masculinity. It is the story of an adolescent who struggles to find his place in a world full of limitations. Dave desperately...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is the most important element of fiction in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man"?
Setting is most important in this story because the story could not take place in a different kind of setting. The setting itself is indicative of the themes and symbolism in the story. It takes...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is the moral courage in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright?
I wasn't aware that there was any moral courage displayed in the story. The main character, Dave, is at heart a petulant and cowardly boy that shows no moral courage whatsoever. Take for example...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What does Dave do with the gun when he brings it home, and what does he tell his mother when she asks for it?
Dave's mother allows him to buy the gun on the condition that he takes it straight home to her. However, Dave doesn't go straight home but stays out late, returning only when he thinks his mother...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How are the stories the same and opposite in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
Finding what's opposite is much easier than finding what is the same between these two titles. For one thing, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" is a short story (the projected novel version was never...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Is it all right for Old Joe to sell the gun to Dave?
The answer is more than likely no. Young Dave Saunders is seventeen years old; his whole family lives and works on Jim Hawkin's plantation. When Dave asks to borrow Old Joe's gun catalog, Joe is...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Why does the laughter bother Dave so much? Detail the author's use of sexual imagery in this story. How do the...
Dave wants to be seen and treated as a man; when others laugh at him, the laughter serves as a harsh reminder of Dave's place as a "boy" in his family, in the fields he works, and in his society....
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How is the central conflict in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" resolved?
This all depends on what you think the central conflict is. I'll run through a couple different options for you. If you feel that central conflict is Dave's accidental shooting of the mule, that...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," how do the gun and Dave's actions demonstrate childishness, unreliability, and...
An adult takes responsibility for his actions; he has the maturity, responsibility, wisdom, and respect necessary to own a gun, which is a weighty responsibility. Dave does not demonstrate any of...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In The Man Who Was Almost a Man, what are the implications of Dave's remark "They treat me like a mule, and then they...
Dave's remark indicates the context of this novel and the widespread problems of racism that African-Americans faced during the first few decades of teh twentieth century. Let us remember that...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," does Dave really become a man at the end?
In a word, no. The clue can be found in the title, "almost." There is much evidence that Dave has not reached maturity. For example, he is not allowed to manage his earnings, he cannot...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
At what point would you say was the climax and denouement in the story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man?”
The climax occurs at the point in the story when Dave inadvertently shoots Jenny, the mule; the denouement of the story occurs as Dave jumps onto the train car. Richard Wright's story "The Man Who...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Could the train also be a symbol in the the short story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man?"
The train can symbolize many different things, depending on what you are taking away from the story. The story is essentially about a kid who wants respect from others, and goes about it in all of...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How does the shift from standard English to dialect enhance the reader's understanding of Dave's point of view in...
Wright's use of dialect helps the reader to put himself there; this literary tool, in addition to sensory and setting description, makes the entire scenario more believable. Any way the writer can...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man", why does Dave feel disrespected? How would he earn respect from others?
Dave feels that others don't respect him and look down on him because he is young, poor, and has not yet made his place in the world. He has a job, but his parents keep his wages. He feels put down...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," is Dave to blame for what he did?
Wright's consistent thesis throughout his writing is that society is responsible for the monsters they piece together. Dave is emasculated and disempowered by everyone he encounters: his...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What specific details in this passage from Richard Wright's short story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" stand out? Are...
One literary element that invites attention is the setting. It’s morning, and Dave is in bed. The morning time tends to carry some symbolic power. Typically, morning represents a peaceful time or a...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In Richard Wright's "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," what does Wright's conjunction of respect, power, and the threat...
Seventeen-year-old Dave desperately wants respect and power. He wants his parents and coworkers in the field to see him as a man, and in his eyes, owning a gun will allow him to get their respect...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Examine the story's ending.
The ending of the story “The Man Who was Almost a Man” is very empowering. After living his life being pushed around and bullied because of his race, Dave has decided to flee from the southern farm...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost A Man", what ways does Dave's gun serve to define the problems with his...
The gun is the catalyst that reveals the true nature of his relationship with these characters. His acquisition of the gun reveals that:1. He is willing to lie to his mother and father in order...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Based on the story "The Man Who Was Almost A Man", what is the meaning of a "man" according to Dave and the adults?
One of Wright's most interesting premises of the story is how the concept of masculinity is one that is socially driven. Part of the reason that Dave wishes so much to be seen as a "man" is...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In Wright's story, Dave wants desperately to become a man. Do you think this can be applied to young people today?
Yes, the story still seems relevant today. It would probably have seemed relevant thousands of years ago, and I suspect that it will remain relevant as long as human beings (young men in...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What does Bill, the father of Dave, symbolizes in the story The Man Who Was Almost a Man?
Bill, the father of Dave, symbolizes the impotent position of the black male in both the family structure and in society. Although as an adult man, Bill is physically powerful, he has little...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What thesis can I write for an essay on Richard Wright's "A Man Who Was Almost a Man"?
Perhaps a comparison and commentary on how society determines when a young person is "mature" would suffice. The idea of a 17-year-old boy purchasing a gun (legally) is unthinkable today, but...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What was Dave's reaction to his father violently shaking him and demanding that Dave tell the truth?
Dave reacts by crying when his father violently shakes him and demands that he tell the truth. From the text, we can see that Dave is visibly distressed by the murmurs of condemnation from the...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Examine the main characters from Native Son and "The Man Who Was Almost A Man."
There is a permanent sense of loss that is intrinsic to both Dave and Bigger. Wright constructs both protagonists with an understanding that the potential for social change rests with illuminating...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How does Dave's desire to own a gun reveal the essential conflict in the story?
Dave wants to be treated as a man, but lacks most means necessary to be treated as one. He is uneducated and immature. He lives a life subject to his parents’ whims. He views owning a firearm as a...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What are some personality traits of Dave's from The Man Who Was Almost a Man?
Dave is lacking in self-worth. He focuses on the need for a gun to make him feel powerful and in control. Dave believes he needs the gun to feel like a man. He is also impulsive, as well.Dave does...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
How does the switch in narration from third to first person highlight Dave's obsession with the gun at the end of the...
The whole story is told in third person omniscient, meaning that the narrator can see into Dave's thoughts. What you think is first person is actually interior monologue, a narrative device where a...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is a thesis statement for Trifles by Susan Glaspell or The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright?
In The Man Who Was Almost a Man, consider Dave’s original goals for buying the pistol and what ultimately happens. His aspirations to become a man backfire on him terribly, resulting in him...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost A Man", why does Dave stop by the store?
Originally, Dave stops by the store to pick up a catalog that has revolvers in it; he wants to look at them. As he does, he imagines how great it would be to have one, how it would make him more...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In the story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," what does it suggest about manhood as an American experience?
Achieving adulthood or manhood in America is all about working hard to earn a good living and provide for oneself and one's family, no matter what your circumstances were when you started. It is...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Can you give me a few examples of themes for this short story?
One theme in the story is overcoming oppression. Since the Civil War, even with the abolishment of slavery, there was still oppression for the black man and he couldn't own property or sell his...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
The story is told by the 3rd person point of view, but which type: omnicient narrator, limited omnicient narrator, or...
Here are some tips to help you identify Point of View: 1) Omniscient narrators are "all knowing." They can comment on the thoughts, feelings, and actions of ALL of the characters in a work. 2) A...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," what do the field, store, and house suggest about the nature of Dave's...
Everything about Dave's environment speaks to the oppression and poverty in which he, his family, his co-workers and peers must live. Wright engages all of our senses in order to make the reader...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," how would you describe Dave's point of view?
Dave Sanders is a young kid who desperately wants to prove that he is deserving of respect and fear. He is picked on a lot, and wants to be able to stand up for himself and be the one in the...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," what are Dave's parents like? How can I describe them?
They were ordinary people trying to make a living and take care of their children despite poverty and injustice. Dave's parents are sharecroppers. Instead of paying a monthly rent to their...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Why is the story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" a literary work and not commerical?
Commercial works must appeal to large, massive audiences, and so tend to have themes, characters, situations and conflicts that are more general, universal and relatable. "The Man Who Was Almost a...
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
For this short story could an Interpretation of the meaning be the life of the oppressed black man?
It can be seen that way. There are a few factors to take into consideration, though. He uses violence to express his frustration, and the fact that he is a killer loses him sympathy. However,...
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