He begs his mother to give him the money to buy a gun so
he will feel powerful and in charge of his own life
. In Dave’s mind, the gun will demand respect because he will be able to kill anyone “black or white.” Dave is like other young black men during the time of this story.
How does Dave finally get a gun?
How does Dave finally get a gun? Joe, the white store owner,
sells Dave a used pistol cheaper than he can buy one anywhere else
.
Why Does Dave really want a gun?
The gun represents power, masculinity, respect, and independence
—in short, everything that Dave desperately wants. He sees the gun as the solution to all his problems and compensation for all his weaknesses.
How is Dave in the man who was almost a man not a man?
Not quite a child but not yet a man, seventeen-year-old Dave
struggles to win respect from the other fieldworkers
even though he lacks the requisite maturity. 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.
Is Dave in the man who was almost a man black?
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.
Why does Dave runaway?
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.
Why does Dave shoot Jenny the mule?
The gun
represents power, masculinity, respect, and independence
—in short, everything that Dave desperately wants. … Hawkins’s house, which suggests that Jenny’s death has taught him nothing and has only made him crave power, independence, and masculinity even more.
Why Does Dave want to be 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 want to desperately be a man?
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…
What is the setting for the man who was almost a man?
Richard Wright’s short story, ”The Man Who Was Almost a Man” , is set
in the rural South in the first half of the 20th century
. The setting, or where the story unfolds, shows a contrast between the Saunders’ home and Mr. Hawkins’ plantation.
What is the irony in the man who was almost a man?
There is some situational irony in the fact that when
Dave attains his long-desired gun
, it doesn’t bring about the expected result but rather a blow to his already fragile self-image. Shooting the mule reveals not only Dave’s inexperience but his immaturity.
What does Dave think will make him a man?
Restless, impatient, and taunted by the older men he works with, Dave believes that
acquiring a gun will end his adolescence
and transform him into a real man.
Where does Dave put the gun after he shoots Jenny?
Dave panics and desperately tries to stop the bleeding by plugging the wound with dirt, but Jenny soon dies. Sickened and frightened, he buries the gun
at the base of tree
and heads across the field, trying to concoct a believable story to explain Jenny’s death to Mr. Hawkins.
What does Jenny the mule symbolize?
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.
What did Mike Delfino do to Dave?
Dave arranges to meet Mike at the intersection where the accident in which his family was killed, so that Mike can
hit Dave’s car
with M.J. and Dave himself inside.
What happens to David Dash?
Dave finally makes a decision: The season-long plot involving Dave Dash/Dave Williams seeking revenge against Susan and Mike for
the car accident
that killed his family finally came to an end. … The crash still happened, but M.J. and Mike were fine.
