Symbolism In The Man Who Was Almost A Man

In the story, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” the gun and the mule are two apparent symbols that contribute to the meaning of the story. They both relate through the character Dave, a teenager who desires power, respect, and independence. The gun represents Dave’s idea of manhood, specifically Dave’s desire to be a man. The mule, most importantly, the death of the mule, symbolizes Dave, his growth into a man, and the passing of childish ways.
Impulsively, Dave buys a gun thinking that it will make him a man because he believes that the qualities of a man come with the ability to posses a gun. Buying the gun despite his mother’s response shows his apathy towards her opinion and her wishes. Dave manipulates her into giving him the money …show more content…
The fact that he is still treated like a child when he is almost an adult makes him upset and causes him to crave his independence even more. For some reason, he feels that the only way that independence will come, is through a gun; he believes that “a man oughta have a gun”. Thus signifying how important the gun is to him, and how he believes he is ready for the power and responsibility that comes with a gun. When Dave held the gun, he felt a “sense of power” and that people “would have to respect him”. Immediately, Dave feels different as a result of holding the gun; he feels like a man with power, and he likes that feeling. Also, the reluctance of Dave to give up the gun to his mother symbolizes Dave’s unwillingness to give up the power he just acquired. Joe, the man who sells Dave the gun, jokes with Dave by saying, “Your ma lettin you have your own money now?”. Joe is referring to the fact that Dave’s mother is the one who controls Dave’s money regardless of the fact that Dave is almost considered an adult by age. Once he fired the gun for the first time, he had an “itch” to fire it again, symbolizing how once Dave has a taste of the power and independence, he continues to want it more and more. After he fires the remaining bullets in the gun, he points the gun at Jim Hawkins’ house to let him know he is a “man”. Thus signifying that …show more content…
Dave realizes the similarity between him and the mule by saying, “They treat me like a mule, n they beat me”. He compares himself to the mule because the mule was stuck on the farm and died there, and similar could have happened to him if he hadn’t run away. For example, Dave would’ve been stuck working on Mr. Hawkins’ farm until the day he dies. Another comparison is the way they are treated; Dave believes that both himself and the mule are treated poorly. The reader can infer that the mule was treated as inadequate because when the mule died, no one really cared. For example, Jim laughed it off and didn’t seem to be hurt by the loss. Dave feels he is treated the same way because he is not given the respect and independence he feels he deserves. The death of Jenny is, in essence, the transition of Dave going from childhood to adulthood. It leads him to make the decision to run away from the life he is destined to live. Since the mule is a symbol for Dave, the death of the mule is signifying that the child in Dave is dying, and he is turning into a