Coming of Age in The Man Who was Almost a Man by Richard...

The Man Who Was Almost a Man What does it mean for someone to become a man? How does one get the key or password to becoming a man? Some believe that becoming a man is just referring to a coming of age, and it somewhat is, however there is more. In the short story â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† by Richard white, Dave, the main character is a young boy trying to become a man and is searching for the key. However, there are certain ways to do things in society, and there are ways to not, and both of these ways have their benefits and consequences. In this short story Dave sees the gun as a symbol of manhood, and it will set him free of his childhood. Throughout the short story the reader can tell that Dave is eager to leave his childhood†¦show more content†¦Dave still shows thoughts pertaining to the attainable manliness of having a gun by thoughts of shooting at Mr. Hawkins’s house. It seems as if Dave’s thoughts are blurred and all he sees is the key to becoming a man is having a gun and using it so he is doing this as much as he can along with his crave for power, even though it is just causing others to have even less respect for a reckless irresponsible child with a gun. However, Dave’s wishes were still granted when he is forced to start maturing into being a man more rapidly than others and having to take responsibility for his actions. Every choice has its benefits and its consequences, unluckily, with Dave’s choices the consequences greatly outweighed the benefits that were being received. Dave had the wrong idea and believed that a gun could symbolize becoming a man whenever all it actually did is rush him into something that he is not ready for, and cause him to do wrong in the eyes of his family and the society. Back to the question, â€Å"What does it mean for someone to become a man?† One could say that Dave eventually learned his lesson by the end of the short story that you cannot push respect upon yourself by others with force. Becoming a man is by definition when â€Å"a person with the qualities often associated with males such as bravery, spirit, or toughness† grows out of their childhood and matures into adulthood. WhenShow MoreRelatedComing Of Age By Richard Wright1103 Words   |  5 PagesComing of Age Richard Wright is the author of numerous short stories and books, two of which include The Man Who was Almost a Man and Big Boy Leaves Home. The first story, The Man Who was Almost a Man, follows seventeen year old David, who one days becomes angered by the way he is treated by older men. The second story, Big Boy Leaves Home, follows four young African Americans who one day skip school. Richard Wright has a very unique writing style, which helps him develop his characters very fastRead MoreClassic Coming of Age Stories in A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett and The Man Who Was Almost A Man by Richard Wright935 Words   |  4 PagesReading coming of age stories are always interesting and at times nastolgic. Coming of age stories typically include a young protagonist forced to make a grown decision which is a transition to their first move into adulthood. In a sense, these stories show the protagonist shifting from innocence to gaining experiences. The two coming of age stories that we read in class were â€Å"A White Heron† by Sarah Orne Jewett and â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost A Man† by Richard Wright. Both being coming of age storiesRead MoreRichard Wright s Short Stories1129 Words   |  5 Pages11203-71 6 February 2016 Richard Wright’s Short Stories Richard was born, raised, and grew up in a difficult period of life. 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