Hooper Turner
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Born September 4,1908 in Roxie, Mississippi
Wright joined the Communist Party in 1933
Known for association with Jackson,
Mississippi
His literature mostly was about racial themes
Best known black author of his time
Best known literature: Uncle Tom's Children,
Native Son, Black Boy, The Outsider
Wright died on November 28, 1960 in Paris,
France
Published in 1961 in the compilation “Eight Men” by Richard
Wright.
 A black teenager named Dave, works on a farm and wants
respect so he decides he wants to buy a gun
 After convincing his mother he to lend him the money to buy
a gun he does so on the condition that he gives it to her right
after he buys it
 He does not return the gun to her and takes it to work the
next day
 He is sent on the mule named “Jenny” that he accidently
shoots.
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Dave returns to Mr. Hawkins(his boss) and tries to lie about
the dead mule.
When the mules body is found it is obvious that it was a
bullet. Mr. Hawkins tells Dave that he is in dept to him now
taking money from his pay.
Dave is then asked by his father what he did with the gun
and he lies to him and says he threw it into a creek.
In the middle of the night, Dave goes to retrieve his gun
where he forces himself to shoot like a man.
He then hears a train and runs and jumps on one of the cars
and rides off into the night.
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The struggle of the Individual
Journey from boyhood to manhood
Racism- Black worker for white farm owner
The power and respect that a gun can give
Published in 1961, like The Man Who Was Almost a Man in
Wrights compilation entitled “Eight Men” .
 The Story begins by introducing a black family returning
home after a flood with a cow.
 When the family makes their way home, they see the bad
damage to their home.
 Though the families house is nearly destroyed they stay
optimistic and find everything that did not get destroyed and
are thankful.
 Soon the father of the family (Tom) realizes he has must
start from scratch to pay his employer, Mr. Burgess who is a
white man
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Tom and his wife start to think of a way to run away so Tom
would not have to pay Mr. Burgess but Tom decides he
cannot just run from his problems.
 Soon after Tom sees Mr. Burgess driving down towards his
house.
 When he arrives he tells Tom about two other men who
owed him money tried to run but were caught by the police.
 Mr. Burgess expresses his respect for Tom for not running
 Mr. Burgess reminds Tom that he still owes him money but
Tom stands up to him even though he is a white man to try
to work something out with him
 Mr. Burgess agrees to talk about the situation with Tom
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The power of natural disasters such as the flood.
Perseverance to survive
Black workers under white employers
The struggle of the individual
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Both stories told in 3rd person
Both about black workers under white
employers
Both in Wrights compilation “Eight Men”
Similar themes of Racism
Theme of the struggle of the individual
“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” focuses more on
the struggle of the individual with Dave. Unlike in
“The Man Who Saw the Flood” which focuses on
Tom and his family.
 Dave in “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” is
dishonest and lies a lot to get out of trouble. This is
unlike Tom in the “The Man Who Saw the Flood”
who is honest even though he knows he owes Mr.
Burgess money.
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"Richard Wright (author)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 May 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wright_(author)>.
"The Man Who Was Almost a Man." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 May
2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Was_Almost_a_Man>.
Richard Wright, Writing and Identity”Joseph T. Skerrett, Jr. Callao
No. 7 (Oct., 1979), pp. 84-94 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University
PressStable http://www.jstor.org/stable/2930719
http://www.illinoisauthors.org/images/d/dc/Wright_Richard.jpg
http://www.homegirlfromthehamptons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/blackfarmer.jpg
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCylbGvC
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