In the short story, The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright, a young, black sharecropper struggles to gain respect in the deep south during the early 20th century. Dave Saunders is a seventeen year old boy who desperately wants to be treated as a man by the adults in his life. In his immaturity, Dave believes owning a gun will earn him the respect that he feels he deserves, never considering the responsibility that comes with owning a gun. Moreover, Dave’s immature behavior has a significant impact on those around him.
Dave feels particularly disrespected by his co-workers at Mr. Hawkins plantation and is anxious to prove to them that he’s a man. “ One of these days he was going to get a gun and practice shooting, then they couldn’t talk to him as though he were a little boy”(113/5). This indicates that Dave, in his immaturity, believes once he owns a gun his co-workers will begin to treat him as a man. It seems Dave is under the impression that the gun makes the man instead of vice versa. …show more content…
Hawkins’ mule, Jenny, to the fields with him to avoid suspicion. After plowing two rows, Dave stops the plow and prepares to test the gun. When Dave fires the gun he closes his eyes, pulls the trigger, accidentally shoots Jenny and Jenny dies. A mature, responsible man would own up to the mistake and deal with the consequences of his actions. However, Dave does quite the opposite. He buries the gun and concocts a tale of how Jenny stuck herself with the point of the plow. It doesn’t take long for Mr. Hawkins and company to figure out what Dave had done, especially after Mrs. Saunders asks what Dave did with the gun. The ridicule begins immediately. “ Well, boy, looks like yuh done bought a dead mule!