What is the point of the man who was almost a man?
Plot summary. The story follows Dave Saunders, a seventeen-year-old kid desperate to prove his manhood. After being teased, babied, and downright disrespected, our young hero decides that the only way he can make things right is by buying a gun. (Not the smartest move, as it turns out.)
What does the gun symbolize in the man who was almost a man?
The Gun. The gun represents power, masculinity, respect, and independencein short, everything that Dave desperately wants. He sees the gun as the solution to all his problems and compensation for all his weaknesses.
Why is Dave almost a man?
Dave Saunders The adolescent protagonist of the story. Dave works on a plantation plowing fields during his summer break from school. Experiencing the turmoil and restlessness of adolescence, he grows resentful of his powerlessness and thinks that owning a gun will instantly make him a man.
What type of character is Dave from the man who was almost a man?
Dave is a figure of the times, a field hand’s son who has no choice but to become a field hand himself. Chained to a life of barely making ends meet, he lacks the education and opportunities to make his life better because white society forbids it.
Why does Dave run away in the man who was almost a man?
Dave has realized for the first time that his life at home is a dead end. He can do one of two things with this knowledge: stay and accept his fate, or run away in the hope of finding somewhere better.
What does the mule symbolize in the man who was almost a man?
The Mule. Jenny, Mr. Hawkins’s mule, represents Dave himself, who fears working as a subservient field hand on another man’s land for the rest of his life
Why Does Dave want a gun in the man who was almost a man?
Dave wants dearly to gain the respect and power so closely associated with manhood. In his quest to achieve such respect, Dave sees the men in the fields shooting their guns. Dave decides promptly that he will purchase a gun and impress the men with his skill in handling the weapon.
Why does Dave think having a gun will make him a man?
In Dave’s mind, simply having a gunhaving the power to kill anybody, black or white (114)will instantly earn him the respect of his peers. To him, being a man means being powerful, and there’s nothing more powerful than having control over life and death.
What does the train represent in the man who was almost a man?
The death of Jenny serves as a symbol of the adult consequences of adult actions and the responsibility Dave is reluctant to accept. The train that carries Dave away from home represents his childish flight from adulthood’s responsibility and owning his actions
In what way s or incident S is Dave symbolized as a mule in the story?
In what way s or incident S is Dave symbolized as a mule in the story? The Mule. The mule in the story, Jenny, represents responsibility and work. Dave hates that people treat him with no respect, like a boy, and the mule suggests that he is treated like an animal, worked to the bone, and beaten.
Is Dave White or Black a man who was almost a man?
Characters. Dave Saunders (protagonist): Dave Saunders, a young African American male, works the duration of his summer vacation plowing fields on a plantation. Trapped in the years of adolescence, Dave has a hard time convincing those around him that they should view and treat him as a man instead of a boy.
What does being a man mean to Dave in the man who was almost a man?
Essentially, Dave just wants to be a man. To him, being a man means being powerful, and there’s nothing more powerful than having control over life and death. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the gun is clearly a phallic symbol, further emphasizing the importance of masculinity in young Dave’s mind.
Why does Dave place such emphasis on owning a gun the man who was almost a man?
Dave’s strong desire to own and fire a gun has very little to do with malice or violence. He wants the gun for the status it will bring him in the eyes of others and the feeling of power it will give him.
What must Dave in the man who was almost a man do to make up for shooting the mule?
He hitches the plow to a mule named Jenny and heads to the field farthest away so that he can fire the pistol without anyone noticing. After holding and admiring the gun, Dave finally works up the courage to actually pull the trigger.
What reason does Dave give Mr Joe for wanting a gun?
Essentially, Dave just wants to be a man. To him, being a man means being powerful, and there’s nothing more powerful than having control over life and death. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the gun is clearly a phallic symbol, further emphasizing the importance of masculinity in young Dave’s mind.
Why does Dave leave in the man who was almost a man?
But Dave discovers at the end of the story that he’s really seeking escape, not more commitment. When owning a gun becomes a heavier burden than he’d realized, he chooses to leave, demonstrating even further that he’s really not yet ready to become an adult.
Is Dave Black in the man who was almost a man?
Dave Saunders is the protagonist of the story. He is the man who was almost a man, a seventeen-year-old black farm laborer living in a small rural community in the South.
Where does Dave go at the end of the story?
Dave is unaware of the responsibilities that come with owning a gun and being an adult. He also still acts quite childish. This is seen after he accidentally kills Jenny the mule and is reluctant to face the consequences. At the end of the story, Dave runs away looking for better opportunities somewhere else.
Why does Dave shoot the mule in the man who was almost a man?
A large portion of the story’s symbolism lays with this premise. The gun, to Dave, symbolizes, and even represents, manhood. Dave, of course, procures his desired weapon and finds himself burdened by the restitution he must pay for murdering the mule. Interestingly, the mule symbolizes true manhood; responsibility
What is the symbolic nature of the Catalogue in the man who was almost a man?
In what way s or incident S is Dave symbolized as a mule in the story? The Mule. The mule in the story, Jenny, represents responsibility and work. Dave hates that people treat him with no respect, like a boy, and the mule suggests that he is treated like an animal, worked to the bone, and beaten.
