The Man Who Was Almost a Man

by Richard Wright

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The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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...

1 educator answer

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

The setting of the story is farmland in the rural South around the turn of the century. Setting is the time and place of the action of the story.  Specifically, the story takes place on the...

3 educator answers

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

Dave's character in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" is marked by his struggle for respect and autonomy, representing his quest for manhood. He believes owning a gun will earn him the respect he...

2 educator answers

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

By the end of "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," Dave shows limited maturity. Although he takes a decisive step by leaving his oppressive environment, his decision to flee instead of facing the...

2 educator answers

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 black boy who is desperate to assert his manhood. He comes to the conclusion that owning a gun will give him...

2 educator answers

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

Wright's story is indicative of Modernism because it shows a fundamental "shift" in human relations.  One of the premises of Modernism is that it helps to show how human relations have...

4 educator answers

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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....

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The Man Who Was Almost a Man

In Richard Wright's story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” the narrator, Dave, conflates gun ownership with adulthood, manliness, and maturity. Dave wants more than anything to own his own gun so...

1 educator answer

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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...

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The 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...

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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...

1 educator answer

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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...

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The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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...

1 educator answer

The Man Who Was Almost a Man

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...

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The Man Who Was Almost a Man

Themes in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright include the struggle for identity, the desire for respect, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The main idea revolves around...

1 educator answer