The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Fatima Abu Qaida
The Man Who Was Almost a
Man
Richard Wright
Richard Wright
Wright was the first major
African American novelist in the twentieth century
Author
born September 4 th , 1908, near Natchez,
Mississippi and he has one young brother.
During his childhood , Richard suffered a lot because his father left them and his mother was ill.
He married twice and has two daughters :Julia
1942 and Rachel 1949
Wright travels to many cities : o
Memphis : the city’s library o
Chicago : began publishing his stories o
New York : he published his most famous novel, Native Son
(1940), and memoir
Black Boy (1945)
o
Paris : became part of
Paris’s vibrant literary circle.
o
London .
o
Paris: where he died on November 28, 1960.
The Man Who Was Almost a Man
"The Man Who Was
Almost a Man" also known as "Almos' a man“.
It is a short story and was published in 1961 as part of Wright's compilation
Eight Men
Wright was a naturalism in his life &in his work as "The Man Who Was Almost a
Man"
The story is about a young boy's desire to have a gun in order to be a man.
Summary :
Field
• Back to home and thinking about buying a gun
• Asks his mother to agree
Store
• Lack of confidence
• Asks Joe to lend him the catalog
Home
• His mother sees the catalog and tell him to back it tomorrow
Buying a gun
• He isn’t sure about using the gun
• Hide it instead of giving to his mother
Field
• Dave and the mule called jenny in the field.
• Dave shouts and hurts the mule .
End
• Mr. Hawkins will take the money from
Dave's salary each month
• Dave tries the gun for the last time but without closing his eyes .
Mr.
Saunders’s family
Saunders
Mrs.
Saunders
Dave
Saunders
Joe
- owner of the gun stor
- careless and care only about money .
Mr. Hawkins
- the owner of the farm
- Fair with all workers
Themes
The Search for Power
- World care about personal and economic power.
- He works for nothing .
Coming-of-Age Struggles
- He wants to transfer from adolescence into real man .
- Extra responsibility .
The Gun:
- power or control, independence and the desire of masculinity.
- With the gun Dave feels invincible
The Mule :
- Dave’s failure in life
- Dave is not ready to be a man
Lies and Lying
Dave lies on his mother all the time
Wrong idea about how to be a man
Lying indicate lack of responsibility .
