The Man Who Was Almost A Man English Literature Essay

The Man Who Was Almost A Man incline Literature EssayThe Man Who was Almost a Man by Richard Wright, is a coming of age business relationship that as well showcases the chief(prenominal) character, Dave Saunders, spit out with p everyplacety and racism as well as his struggle to profits power. This in short story mainly critiques the tender structure of the powerful over the weak. It similarly as a theme of opprobrious vs. white. In the furrow of my essay I pass on give some background culture on realness, as well as how racism and a take care for power affects Dave in the story and the journey this force takes him on. I will also demonstrate what the blast and the mule symbolize in the story.Naturalism writers such as Richard Wright write about characters that face environmental, social, or frugal forces that they stern non control or deluge. In naturalist novels, hu humankinds are damned by their own shortcomings. (Baym) Naturalism portrays humans as animals in the world. In Freudian terms, naturalist literature is written to show how the id has the upper gain over the superego and the ego. Naturalism comes to the conclusion that peoples choices are already determined by natural or scientific forces that deal people be stir in a certain bearing.In The Man Who Was Almost a Man, Wright makes the main character Dave Saunders a servant to racial hardship. He demonstrates how whites al shipway adjudge an upper book over blacks. Dave is bonny give care his parents he is under attack(predicate) to white men in power and money such as his boss Mr. Hawkins and the shop owner Joe. He will never stimulate the power or the money to reach his full potential. Dave lives in a world where he has no power, whether it be personal or stinting. In his eyes, he lives a life full of humiliation and abuse. He kit and boodle a lowly job for money that is given directly to his mom, who with his dad, he is forced to obey. He is also subjected to constant belittling from the hands of his fellow field hands. He has a growing sense of shame that comes from the economical and social forces that livelihood him from going after his dreams and reaching his full potential.In turn, Dave perk ups that having a gun is his only option to gain respect and to reach himself in the community. In the short story the gun symbolizes all sorts of things. It stands for things he doesnt have such as power, respect, and independence. All of these things he is desperately seeking. This makes him see the gun as his only solution to overcome all of his struggles and to counteract for all of his shortcomings. He feels like the gun would make him a man even though he has no idea how to fire one. Dave also thinks that the gun would give him independence that he doesnt have. He somehow believes that the gun would get him out of the fields and give him bigger and better opportunities.The story follows along with history. Daves struggle with racism reflects the struggle of African Americans to get much rights and freedoms ever since the end of the civil war. Yes they were free alone they were still deficient opportunities. Even though African Americans had tried to get equality and economic leverage in the 19th century, it did not become a nominal head until the 20th century. Many African Americans where stuck plowing lands for white owners with little earnings just like Dave in the story. Segregation also had a hand in making sure that blacks were kept in their rightful place. Eventually, except slowly, social patterns started to change because blacks began to move north for better opportunities. In the story, Dave suddenly leaves in the end which could pay homage to this movement or supposed Great Migration. This could also be shown to portray a refusal to accept the ways that his family and ancestors had been pushed into poverty and had hope and promise taken away from them.In the short story Dave says, Could kill a man wit h a gun like this. Kill anybody, black or white. And if he were holding his gun in his hand, nobody could run over him they would have to respect him. (Wright) The gun serves as an equalizer. It blurs the color line making Dave think the gun will make others respect him. He thinks that if he has a gun, he will have power and respect over everyone whether they are black or white. It also is supposed to give him independence but it in turn does the opposer by making him even more committed and obligated to Mr. Hawkins since it will take him two years to pay off his debt after hit Jenny the mule. In actuality, Dave associates having a gun with power which brings change but makes him take on a journey to adulthood that he was not quite ready for.The mule can symbolize Dave himself. The mule is a servant to the land and Mr. Hawkins. Dave feels like he is stuck just like Jenny. He is bonded to a plow with no rewards or hope of escape or becoming anything better than what he is. Dave fee ls that he is destined to be just like Jenny even stating, They treat me like a mule, n then they beat me. (Wright) Even though the death of Jenny is accidental, it can showcase Daves unconscious desire to get Mr. Hawkins. By getting justify of one of Mr. Hawkins symbols of power and money, Dave is lashing out at a social order and economic system that he will always be left out of because he is black.A common theme in the story is lying. Daves lies showcase that he is disconnected from the world and shows that he isnt prompt for adulthood. He is constantly trying to twist the truth to his favor. He does this to send-off buy the gun and then to avoid the punishment of killing Jenny. He lies to his mom to get the money to buy the gun by weighty her that he plans to give the gun to his father after he buys it. He then lies about where the gun is saying he threw it in the brook so as not to give up the gun.This comes back to what Richard Wright is critiquing in his short story. He i s showing that in the social order in the time that his story takes place, whites are superior to blacks. Dave is a buckle down to history. He feels he is destined to be just like the rest of his family. He feels like he will always be a slave to the whites. He craves respect and sees getting a gun as his way out when in turn it just makes him seem like a child, which is the opposite of what he was trying to do. By playing near with the gun instead of giving it to his mom like he was supposed to do, he shows that he is immature and not ready for manhood. It also leads to him killing an free animal. The story also shows that Mr. Hawkins was actually a kind man. Instead of outpouring Dave or demanding instant repayment, he offers him a repayment solution and lets him keep his job. However, Dave still resents him because of the power and privilege that he possesses.In conclusion, Dave is trying to overcome the social structure that is forced on him by buying a gun to make others se e him as a man and not just some little boy and to give him power. His plan at last backfires causing him humiliation and showing his immaturity. Also it ruins any chance of the adults around him showing him respect. The force that Richard Wright critiques in this story is the social structure of black vs. white and power vs. weakness. This impacts the main character Dave, who is an African American, to buy a gun to make him feel powerful over his peers including his white boss. Dave finally tries to combat his failed plan by running away to better opportunities.