Please post a response to the following questions concerning Richard Wright's "The Man Who Was Almost a Man." Your responses should be 200-300 words for each question. Please respond to two other students' responses (minimum 200 words).
1. Does Wright's use of early African-American dialect make the story a more authentic read for you?
2. What role does the gun play for Dave? Why does he need/want a gun? What are the sources of Dave's needs?
3. What does the accidental shooting of Jenny reveal about Dave?
4. What evidence is given in the story to support Dave's rebelliousness or hostility? Do you sympathize with Dave?
1.)At first, the use of early African American dialect made the story harder for me to read. I found it hard to really understand what they were saying. There were points where I became confused and had to reread some paragraphs. It took me a page or two before I got used to how it, but once I did I started to realize how the dialect contributed to the authenticity of the story. The use of this dialect clearly illustrates a difference in speaking between the black people and the white people in the story. The dialect helps to establish the setting and the time period of the story. Once the reader gets used to the dialect, it really helps to make the reader fell like they are in that time period. 2.)The role the gun plays for Dave is a source of power and manhood. In the very beginning of the story Dave says that he deserves a gun because he is seventeen years old and almost a man. He thinks that since he works hard all day he should be allowed to own a gun. He also thinks that if he owned a gun the older men working the in the fields would talk to him with respect and not like a little kid. He feels that owning a gun will make him more of a man. In order to prove to himself he was a man he felt he had to fire it. The first time he fired he was scared and closed his eyes and looked away which was probably why he hit Jenny. Later on when snuck out at night he dug up the gun because he felt he had to fire it again. He had to show himself he could fire it. This time he fired four shots, eyes open, not dropping the gun. This gave him a feeling accomplishment. Then it said he wanted to fire at Mr. Hawkins’ house “just enough to let him know Dave Saunders is a man.” 3.)The accidental shooting of jenny showed that Dave was not responsible enough to own a gun. Even though he thought he was a man, he acted like a child and lied to his mother to keep form giving her the gun. He then snuck it out to work with him so he could fire it, in again ignoring what his mom told him. Once he finally fired the gun it showed that he was not physically or mentally ready to fire a gun since it knocked him to his knees and hurt his hand. When he realized he had shot Jenny he began to panic. Instead of going to Mr. Hawkins to get help, he thought about the gun lying on the ground and how he would get in trouble if someone found it. Once Jenny died from the bullet wound he tried to cover it up and lie to everyone even though it was obvious what had happened. Once he began telling the truth he started crying because he was so scared of what had happened. All of these events showed how Dave was not mature enough to own or use a gun yet. 4.)There are many instances that show Dave’s rebelliousness and hostility. The very beginning shows Dave’s hostility toward the other field workers. He gets upset when they talk to him like a little boy instead of a fellow man. Dave’s rebellious attitude starts to show when he brings the catalogue home during dinner. Despite his mom and dad’s orders he continues to hold on to it read look at the guns on the pages. He really starts to disobey his parents when instead of taking the gun he bought straight home to his mom, he plays with it then makes up a story so that he does not have to give it up to her. After this Dave takes the gun with him and actually fires it, all of which he would get in trouble for if his parents found out. Once Jenny dies and things start going bad he shows his hostility toward his parents and everyone who watched him admit to his crime. He blames his mom for telling on him and sneaks out so his dad won’t beat him. He then takes the gun
1.Yes, I think that the dialect that Wright chose to use contributed to the story and the way I read it. I was able to put myself there with Dave and feel like he was a real person with real experiences. Some parts I had to read a twice to understand what Wright was saying, but thats just how it is when you are communicating with someone from a different culture than yourself. I like seeing how the characters pronounced words and communicated with each other. The story was authentic for the cultural value of the dialog.
2.To Dave, the gun is a sign of power, strength, authority, and manhood. Dave obviously thinks he is grown up enough and considers himself a man. His trouble is that nobody else seems to look at him in this light. He is still a boy to both his father and mother, and as well to Mr. Hawkins. Dave wants the gun to prove to himself and to everyone else that he is a man. How a gun makes you a man, I have no idea, but in Dave's mind, owning a gun gives him the power that he lacks. Rather than earning people's respect with time, Dave wants to believe that showing a gun will get him the respect he longs for.
3.When Dave accidentally shoots Jenny, by ricochet I suppose, he reveals his true self. Everyone seemed to be right about him in that he wasn't ready for a gun. His immaturity showed when he one, shot the gun off into a forest and two, shot the gun off only twenty feet from a mule. A more grown and mature person would have been smarter in their shooting of the gun. Also, the accident provided another reason to prove that Dave is still a boy and immature. After his mistake, he was unwilling to own up to it and there fore showed me his immaturity. In trying to prove his manhood and gain respect from his family and friends, Dave actually went the reverse direction and proved everyone right.
4.All Dave does is work and work, then come home and do everything his mom and dad want him to do. At age seventeen you would think he would have a tiny bit more freedom from his parents, even in the time this story took place. I can understand why Dave was feeling inferior and maybe not living up to being the man he thought he should already be. I do not however sympathize greatly with what Dave did because it was ignorant and immature. Dave showed how foolish he was for thinking he was ready and man enough to handle a loaded gun.
1.) When i first began to read this story it was very hard for me to understand what was going on but as i went along and kept reading i really understood. The way they talked help me to picture the setting and time frame in which this story took place. I had to reread and read over before i could understan but all in all the dialect did make the story more suthentic to read.
2.)The gun played a very important role for Dave it not only showed that he had power but it also showed the manhood that he had.The whole reason why he gets the gun in the first place because he says that he was almost seventeen and would be a grownman soon so he figured he should have a gun. Another reason why hewanted a gun is because the men i the field talked to him like he was a kid and he thought that if he had a gun they would treat him like a man and talk to him with more respect. He didnt really consider himself as a man until he had actually fired the gun. The first time he dropped the gun and close his eyes because he was so afraid of what would happen and that is why he probably hit Jenny. the next time he fired four shots without dropping the gun or closing his eyes. He really wanted to prove to one person that he was in fact a man so he wanted to fire the gun at Mr.Hawkins house so he could prove his manhood. 3.)When Dave hit Jenny it proved that he couldn't handle having a gun he was still a child. The reason i say this is because he lied to his mother so that he wouldn't have to give the gun to his mother. He took it without letting his mom know to work so he could fire his gun, only to realize that he was not ready for the gun mentally nor physically. He had fell onto his knees and hurt his hand then he began to panic because he had shot Jenny he didnt want to go to Mr.Hawkins for help he wanted to get the gun off of the ground before someone had seen it. After Jenny died from the bullet shot he continuously lied about what had really happened to Jenny even though many people already knew what happened.he began to cry as he told the truth because he didn't know what would happen to him. This revealed Dave was very much a liar until he was pressured to tell the truth. He was not at all a mna or even close. 4.)There were several times that Dave showed lots of hostility. Very early in the story it showed that he had hostility towards the field workers(one of the reason's why he wanted the gun). Dave's attitude also shows the rebellious side of him when he doesn't listen to what his parents say and continues to look and think about the gun he wanted. He then instead of not taking the gun home he took it straight home to show his mom he also made up a story so that his mom would not take his gun. He shows more hostility to his parents and the people who saw him shoot and kill Jenny.He refused to get beat by his dad so he blamed his mom for telling on him and he snuck out and took the gun along with him.
1.)The early African-American dialect allows you to really get a sense of what it was like to live in those times. It definitley makes the story seem more authentic as if you are really listening to people from that time period tell the story to you. Although it does add to the story, it can make it difficult to read smoothly. When reading this I had to take my time and really think about what I was reading. Some of the conversations were confusing between Dave and his dad. When dave shot the mule and was talking to his dad about it, I had to read that conversation twice because of the dialect. On the other hand without the dialect I wouldn't have been able to have a good mental picture of the story. While reading this story I could picture what each character would look like by the way that they talked. Overall I think that the early African-American dialect makes the story. Even though it made it tougher to read, I personally dont think I would have liked the story if it wasn't written with the dialect. I think it would have been kind of boring even though it would have been easier to read. 2.)Dave thinks that owning a gun will somehow make him become a man. He is tired of being treated like a little kid by everybody. He thinks by owning that gun that the workers will have to respect him and that the people in his family and will treat him like an adult. You see these feelings from him through out the whole story. The story starts with him talkking about him finding a way to get respect even though he's smaller than the other people. The first thought that comes to him is to own a gun. He thinks that the gun is a symbol of power and that nobody can disrespect someone who is holding a gun. Then you begin to see the source of all these feelings. When he tells Joe at the store that he is looking to buy a gun he tells Dave that he doesn't know why he needs a gun because he is only a boy. His mother gets mad at him because he was late to dinner and then during dinner his dad gets mad at him for not eating. When Dave finally asks his mom about the gun she tells him the same thing, that he is only a boy. Then we learn that his mother recieves his paychecks because she doesn't think he is responsible enough to handle the money. All these things together led to Dave wanting a gun. 3.) Through out the story you see Dave trying to act like a man. He thinks that is responsible and that he should be treated that way. When the shooting happens you see all of this change. For one the fact that he tried to sneek out into the woods to shoot a gun reveals his childish side. Then once he shoots the mule he doesn't know what to do and he immediatly starts to think of lies that he can use. Although the shooting was an accident, if Dave was truly a man he would have just owned up to it instead of lying to everybody. Then once people find out what really happened and he finds out that he has to pay fifty dollars for the mule he becomes angry. He doesn't think it's right to have to pay that much for a dead mule even though he was the one who killed it. This also reveals a childish side because he doesn't realize that he has to pay for his actions. Lastly you see him try to run away because he doesn't want to stay and take responsibility for his actions by working off the money that he needs to pay for the mule. All in all this event reveals that Dave is not a man. 4.)Dave trys to be rebellious through out the story because he is tired of how people treat him and he wants to do his own thing. First he goes into town to ask Joe about buying a gun without asking his mom. Then once she agrees to let him get the gun she tells him to bring it straight home so he can give it to his dad. Once he buys the gun he stays out in the field until he knows that his family is asleep and he lies about having it when his mom asks. The next day when he goes to work he takes the mule out into the woods so that he can shoot the gun without anybody knowing even though his mom told him that the gun was for his dad not him. Lastly he decides to run away from home because he doesn't want to stay and be in trouble with the whole town. Through out this whole process he shows hostility to everyone who doesn't treat him how he wants to be treated or give him what he wants. He even shows hostility towards the man who's mule he shot because of how much he was going to have to pay him. I don't think Dave should get any sympathy for his actions because he was warned and he just chose to disobey poeple. 5.)After reading tyler's respponses I saw that he answered all the questions very similar to how I answered them. We both liked the dialect of the story. We both feel that Dave was irresponsible and that even though he wanted to be treated like a man it became obvious that he wasn't. Overall I think we have the same views on each of the subjects brought up in the four questions.
1. I felt that that African American dialect in this short story was very hard to understand and took a lot of attention to try to understand the way that Dave and his parents were speaking. I think that the dialect painted a mental picture of that particular day in time. I think that the dialect added color and character to the short story. The dialect allowed your imagination to go wild. I did notice that there was a difference on how the whites would speak and how the blacks would speak. This would also show that the differences in dialect would set the timing that this particular event took place. Overall I felt that the dialect that was chosen was great for the story. 2.I think that the gun for Dave gives him a sense of control. He wants to be respected. I think that the gun was a bad thing for him to get. The gun showed a lot of power that he was unaware of. Once he noticed how the gun was so powerful he wanted to feel this sense of power as well. He wanted to feel this sense of respect. Dave want the gun to be able to scare other people into respecting him and to show other people that he is a man. Dave was longing for that level of manly hood. Even though that Dave was able to get the gun shoot it and accidently hit the mule, Dave was laughed at and was still not able to get that manly hood acceptance from the crowd of people the night of the accident. 3.The shooting of Jenny revealed that just because he got his gun, it didn’t make him even more of a man. This incident if anything proved to the people and his parents that he was not ready to be a man. I feel that this accident showed that Dave was irresponsible, disrespectful, & deceitful. Dave would go behind his mothers back to fulfill his wants and needs. I see that when Dave was lying to his parents and the workers of the farm it was very disrespectful. I personally feel that he needed something more, maybe attention, maybe even love from his family. 4. Dave was wanting to be seen, to be respected, to be loved, to be a man. Dave was willing to do anything and everything to see these things in his live. I think that back in those days it was even harder for boys, black boys at that and feeling like a man and grown up. I don’t sympathizes with him. I think that his problems lay in the way he was raised by his parents. I think they were lacking in areas in raising him, they could have prevented a lot of his rebellious acts. I will say that as a child he was not able to live the life of a boy and that can be hard on a child but again still is no reason for the way he was acting.
1. In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" the African-American dialect at first is a bit difficult to understand. It took me a while to understand what they were trying to say but after a few paragraphs I quickly caught on and enjoyed reading the story even more. It makes the story one hundred percent more authentic because it allows us to get an insight to their culture. It also gives a more laid back tone which contributes to the setting. I feel the author attempts to connect with the reader and we even feel like if we were transported to those days. Any story where the language is different seems more interesting to me. Sure it may take a few pages to get used to and comprehend, but otherwise the story would not be the same. Language can say a variety of things such as nationality, customs, social class, age, emotions, etc. The early African-American dialect is the extra touch that makes this short story genuine. 2. Throughout the story the gun is a symbolic representation of manhood. For Dave it is his official coming of age to be able to own a gun. The gun also seems to be a representation of power. Dave wants with all his might more than ever to be a man and sadly he is convinced that the gun is his golden ticket to manhood. He simply wants the gun to prove he is a man, but doesn't take in consideration the responsibility that comes along with it. Dave is absolutely fed up with the workers in the field treating him like a kid. He feels he deserves more respect and what better way than to have a gun. In his mind he is probably thinking people, especially the workers, will fear him with a gun in hand and when people feel this way they tend to respect the person with power. I believe that was the main source of Dave's need for a gun. Also the fact that his family did not want him to get the gun might have made him more rebellious to get his way. To me it felt like it was just a moment of adrenaline rush because it all happened so soon and even he himself admits he wasn't thinking. I guess this proves society's perception of a person may lead to serious damage just as it happened to Dave. 3. Without a doubt the accidental shooting of Jenny reveals Dave was not a man. First of all his reasons in getting the gun were not very mature. That is exactly what happens when you give a person too much power, they don't know what to do with it. Dave was given specific instructions by his mother to take the gun staight home after he purchased it, but he just couldn't contend himself and had to shoot it. He was not going to finish his right of passage without firing the gun. Dave is so inexperienced that he did not even know how to shoot the gun. Even the way he handled the situation afterwards proves just how immature he truely is. The accidental shooting of Jenny reveals Dave is a liar, still a boy, and not ready for big responsabilities. 4. His rebelliousness and hostility is proven by his never ceasing plead to be allowed to buy the gun. He will not give up until he at least has his mother's consent. He later lies to his mother and the poeple at work. the way he speaks demonstrates his hostility, "Anyhow, this is a gun, n it kin shoot, by Gwad!" He is literally like a kid with a brand new toy. I do sympathize with Dave to some extent. It is unfortunate that he can not be seen as more than a boy, but then again he gives them reasons to believe he's not a man. His level of maturity is very low as proven throughout the story. Personally, I do not believe the title fits the story too well because I don't think Dave was close to becoming a man. Maybe in his mind he was close because he got to fire the gun but after that all hell breaks loose. The only time I see him act more of an adult is when he confesses he committed shot jenny but other than that he is a rebellious boy.
1) Yes, the fact that the story is told exactly how the charactor would say it, makes the story a lot better. it reminds you of the time setting, the way people were educated, and it deffinately gives you an inside view of how an african-american may have grown up during that time period. besides the fact that it sort of, made it hard to read, i thought it was cool for the story to be wrote that way. 2) I think that the role of the gun is important. Dave thinks that with this gun, he will be more of a man, in fact he thinks it's what will make him a man. also he feels by having a gun that it will give him a sort of respect. that no one can talk to him like he's a child, because with the gun, according to Dave, they will have to respect him. 3) that he really didn't know what he was doing, or why he even wanted a gun. he thinks it will give him respect from others, but when he has the gun he is really amazed at what it can do potentially. he starts to like the power that it has. he tries to see what it can do, and when he does, thats when he shoots Jenny and when he really realizes the strenght that it has. 4) in the introduction of the story he talks about how THEY wont be able to talk to him like that, that he is not a boy, and how he's smarter then them. the insident he has with some friends is what leads to the whole issue of a gun, and all the trouble it gets him into. for that reason, i really dont sympathize with Dave, because he wished it upon himself. it's his fault for convincing his mother, and actually shooting the gun. he should know that Guns usually lead to bad things and if he used one, that there probably was not going to be good conciquences, even if he was shooting at nothing, with guns you can never be certain.
1. After the first paragraph I thought that I’m reading a wrong story or something. I could barely read it, but after a while I realized that the author used an African-American dialect which was used in the 1930’s. I think that the dialect used in the story is the primary element that makes the story authentic. I could actually imagine Dave and his parents speaking like that, making the story so real. After reading the first three pages I started to get use to the dialect making the reading much easier for me. A very good thing about the story is that the details were so good that I could print the image of an action into my mind and feel every detail as I would be in the story; it’s like an empathizing feeling. While I was reading, I could make the difference between the people from the story based on the dialect used by the author. The dialect has a unique role, making the reader to go back in time, in the early 1930’s and experiencing the life. Using the Afro-American dialect, the author reflects creativity and originality which makes the reader more interested in reading the story. 2. I could say that the gun had more than one role in Dave’s life. The first one role of the gun was giving him the attributes that a mature man should have. He thought that by having a gun, and knowing how to use one it would make him a man, even though he was seventeen. A second role of the gun is the power that he would get “they would have to respect him”. I want to assimilate the gun with the fruit from the Eden’s Garden that Adam and Eve ate. They both have the same starting point. Both of them promise something false, showing fake results and making you not to think about consequences. Dave needs power, needs to be known as a man at his young age and the source of Dave’s needs is the catalog with guns from Joe and his need of a gun, which is power. 3. The accidental shooting of Jenny reveals that Dave was overwhelmed by the situation and he realized that he just met the “secondary effects” of the gun’s power. The unexpectedly just happened and Dave started to act in a way he never felt before. “His hand was numb; he jammed it into his mouth, trying to warm it, trying to stop the pain”. Dave realizes that he did a really bad thing and he was trying, in this case, to solve the problem by trying to stop the blood flow from Jenny’s ribs. Eventually he realized the he couldn’t do anything so he decided to lie. He buried the weapon and then he prepared his version that he was about to say to Mr. Hawkins and the others. This reveals a part of Dave that puts him in a situation that makes him more as a coward than a man. He tried to act like a man but instead he proved how immature he was. 4. What evidence is given in the story to support Dave's rebelliousness or hostility? Do you sympathize with Dave? Dave’s rebelliousness is showed in the first paragraph where Dave is really upset and angry because the other workers from the field are treating him as a child. That opens a fire inside Dave, the desire to prove that he is not a child anymore and that he is a grown man now. The second evidence is when he supposed to return the gun to his momma right after he bought it. Instead of doing as he was told to do, he invented a story, and as he lied his mom, he showed the rebel behavior that was inside him. Overall, I do not sympathize with Dave. He should’ve think about consequences before doing something. That’s why it is always good to think twice before doing something.
10 comments:
Please post a response to the following questions concerning Richard Wright's "The Man Who Was Almost a Man." Your responses should be 200-300 words for each question. Please respond to two other students' responses (minimum 200 words).
1. Does Wright's use of early African-American dialect make the story a more authentic read for you?
2. What role does the gun play for Dave? Why does he need/want a gun? What are the sources of Dave's needs?
3. What does the accidental shooting of Jenny reveal about Dave?
4. What evidence is given in the story to support Dave's rebelliousness or hostility? Do you sympathize with Dave?
1.)At first, the use of early African American dialect made the story harder for me to read. I found it hard to really understand what they were saying. There were points where I became confused and had to reread some paragraphs. It took me a page or two before I got used to how it, but once I did I started to realize how the dialect contributed to the authenticity of the story. The use of this dialect clearly illustrates a difference in speaking between the black people and the white people in the story. The dialect helps to establish the setting and the time period of the story. Once the reader gets used to the dialect, it really helps to make the reader fell like they are in that time period.
2.)The role the gun plays for Dave is a source of power and manhood. In the very beginning of the story Dave says that he deserves a gun because he is seventeen years old and almost a man. He thinks that since he works hard all day he should be allowed to own a gun. He also thinks that if he owned a gun the older men working the in the fields would talk to him with respect and not like a little kid. He feels that owning a gun will make him more of a man. In order to prove to himself he was a man he felt he had to fire it. The first time he fired he was scared and closed his eyes and looked away which was probably why he hit Jenny. Later on when snuck out at night he dug up the gun because he felt he had to fire it again. He had to show himself he could fire it. This time he fired four shots, eyes open, not dropping the gun. This gave him a feeling accomplishment. Then it said he wanted to fire at Mr. Hawkins’ house “just enough to let him know Dave Saunders is a man.”
3.)The accidental shooting of jenny showed that Dave was not responsible enough to own a gun. Even though he thought he was a man, he acted like a child and lied to his mother to keep form giving her the gun. He then snuck it out to work with him so he could fire it, in again ignoring what his mom told him. Once he finally fired the gun it showed that he was not physically or mentally ready to fire a gun since it knocked him to his knees and hurt his hand. When he realized he had shot Jenny he began to panic. Instead of going to Mr. Hawkins to get help, he thought about the gun lying on the ground and how he would get in trouble if someone found it. Once Jenny died from the bullet wound he tried to cover it up and lie to everyone even though it was obvious what had happened. Once he began telling the truth he started crying because he was so scared of what had happened. All of these events showed how Dave was not mature enough to own or use a gun yet.
4.)There are many instances that show Dave’s rebelliousness and hostility. The very beginning shows Dave’s hostility toward the other field workers. He gets upset when they talk to him like a little boy instead of a fellow man. Dave’s rebellious attitude starts to show when he brings the catalogue home during dinner. Despite his mom and dad’s orders he continues to hold on to it read look at the guns on the pages. He really starts to disobey his parents when instead of taking the gun he bought straight home to his mom, he plays with it then makes up a story so that he does not have to give it up to her. After this Dave takes the gun with him and actually fires it, all of which he would get in trouble for if his parents found out. Once Jenny dies and things start going bad he shows his hostility toward his parents and everyone who watched him admit to his crime. He blames his mom for telling on him and sneaks out so his dad won’t beat him. He then takes the gun
1.Yes, I think that the dialect that Wright chose to use contributed to the story and the way I read it. I was able to put myself there with Dave and feel like he was a real person with real experiences. Some parts I had to read a twice to understand what Wright was saying, but thats just how it is when you are communicating with someone from a different culture than yourself. I like seeing how the characters pronounced words and communicated with each other. The story was authentic for the cultural value of the dialog.
2.To Dave, the gun is a sign of power, strength, authority, and manhood. Dave obviously thinks he is grown up enough and considers himself a man. His trouble is that nobody else seems to look at him in this light. He is still a boy to both his father and mother, and as well to Mr. Hawkins. Dave wants the gun to prove to himself and to everyone else that he is a man. How a gun makes you a man, I have no idea, but in Dave's mind, owning a gun gives him the power that he lacks. Rather than earning people's respect with time, Dave wants to believe that showing a gun will get him the respect he longs for.
3.When Dave accidentally shoots Jenny, by ricochet I suppose, he reveals his true self. Everyone seemed to be right about him in that he wasn't ready for a gun. His immaturity showed when he one, shot the gun off into a forest and two, shot the gun off only twenty feet from a mule. A more grown and mature person would have been smarter in their shooting of the gun. Also, the accident provided another reason to prove that Dave is still a boy and immature. After his mistake, he was unwilling to own up to it and there fore showed me his immaturity. In trying to prove his manhood and gain respect from his family and friends, Dave actually went the reverse direction and proved everyone right.
4.All Dave does is work and work, then come home and do everything his mom and dad want him to do. At age seventeen you would think he would have a tiny bit more freedom from his parents, even in the time this story took place. I can understand why Dave was feeling inferior and maybe not living up to being the man he thought he should already be. I do not however sympathize greatly with what Dave did because it was ignorant and immature. Dave showed how foolish he was for thinking he was ready and man enough to handle a loaded gun.
-Josh Mackey
1.) When i first began to read this story it was very hard for me to understand what was going on but as i went along and kept reading i really understood. The way they talked help me to picture the setting and time frame in which this story took place. I had to reread and read over before i could understan but all in all the dialect did make the story more suthentic to read.
2.)The gun played a very important role for Dave it not only showed that he had power but it also showed the manhood that he had.The whole reason why he gets the gun in the first place because he says that he was almost seventeen and would be a grownman soon so he figured he should have a gun. Another reason why hewanted a gun is because the men i the field talked to him like he was a kid and he thought that if he had a gun they would treat him like a man and talk to him with more respect. He didnt really consider himself as a man until he had actually fired the gun. The first time he dropped the gun and close his eyes because he was so afraid of what would happen and that is why he probably hit Jenny. the next time he fired four shots without dropping the gun or closing his eyes. He really wanted to prove to one person that he was in fact a man so he wanted to fire the gun at Mr.Hawkins house so he could prove his manhood.
3.)When Dave hit Jenny it proved that he couldn't handle having a gun he was still a child. The reason i say this is because he lied to his mother so that he wouldn't have to give the gun to his mother. He took it without letting his mom know to work so he could fire his gun, only to realize that he was not ready for the gun mentally nor physically. He had fell onto his knees and hurt his hand then he began to panic because he had shot Jenny he didnt want to go to Mr.Hawkins for help he wanted to get the gun off of the ground before someone had seen it. After Jenny died from the bullet shot he continuously lied about what had really happened to Jenny even though many people already knew what happened.he began to cry as he told the truth because he didn't know what would happen to him. This revealed Dave was very much a liar until he was pressured to tell the truth. He was not at all a mna or even close.
4.)There were several times that Dave showed lots of hostility. Very early in the story it showed that he had hostility towards the field workers(one of the reason's why he wanted the gun). Dave's attitude also shows the rebellious side of him when he doesn't listen to what his parents say and continues to look and think about the gun he wanted. He then instead of not taking the gun home he took it straight home to show his mom he also made up a story so that his mom would not take his gun. He shows more hostility to his parents and the people who saw him shoot and kill Jenny.He refused to get beat by his dad so he blamed his mom for telling on him and he snuck out and took the gun along with him.
Colton Cole
1.)The early African-American dialect allows you to really get a sense of what it was like to live in those times. It definitley makes the story seem more authentic as if you are really listening to people from that time period tell the story to you. Although it does add to the story, it can make it difficult to read smoothly. When reading this I had to take my time and really think about what I was reading. Some of the conversations were confusing between Dave and his dad. When dave shot the mule and was talking to his dad about it, I had to read that conversation twice because of the dialect. On the other hand without the dialect I wouldn't have been able to have a good mental picture of the story. While reading this story I could picture what each character would look like by the way that they talked. Overall I think that the early African-American dialect makes the story. Even though it made it tougher to read, I personally dont think I would have liked the story if it wasn't written with the dialect. I think it would have been kind of boring even though it would have been easier to read.
2.)Dave thinks that owning a gun will somehow make him become a man. He is tired of being treated like a little kid by everybody. He thinks by owning that gun that the workers will have to respect him and that the people in his family and will treat him like an adult. You see these feelings from him through out the whole story. The story starts with him talkking about him finding a way to get respect even though he's smaller than the other people. The first thought that comes to him is to own a gun. He thinks that the gun is a symbol of power and that nobody can disrespect someone who is holding a gun. Then you begin to see the source of all these feelings. When he tells Joe at the store that he is looking to buy a gun he tells Dave that he doesn't know why he needs a gun because he is only a boy. His mother gets mad at him because he was late to dinner and then during dinner his dad gets mad at him for not eating. When Dave finally asks his mom about the gun she tells him the same thing, that he is only a boy. Then we learn that his mother recieves his paychecks because she doesn't think he is responsible enough to handle the money. All these things together led to Dave wanting a gun.
3.) Through out the story you see Dave trying to act like a man. He thinks that is responsible and that he should be treated that way. When the shooting happens you see all of this change. For one the fact that he tried to sneek out into the woods to shoot a gun reveals his childish side. Then once he shoots the mule he doesn't know what to do and he immediatly starts to think of lies that he can use. Although the shooting was an accident, if Dave was truly a man he would have just owned up to it instead of lying to everybody. Then once people find out what really happened and he finds out that he has to pay fifty dollars for the mule he becomes angry. He doesn't think it's right to have to pay that much for a dead mule even though he was the one who killed it. This also reveals a childish side because he doesn't realize that he has to pay for his actions. Lastly you see him try to run away because he doesn't want to stay and take responsibility for his actions by working off the money that he needs to pay for the mule. All in all this event reveals that Dave is not a man.
4.)Dave trys to be rebellious through out the story because he is tired of how people treat him and he wants to do his own thing. First he goes into town to ask Joe about buying a gun without asking his mom. Then once she agrees to let him get the gun she tells him to bring it straight home so he can give it to his dad. Once he buys the gun he stays out in the field until he knows that his family is asleep and he lies about having it when his mom asks. The next day when he goes to work he takes the mule out into the woods so that he can shoot the gun without anybody knowing even though his mom told him that the gun was for his dad not him. Lastly he decides to run away from home because he doesn't want to stay and be in trouble with the whole town. Through out this whole process he shows hostility to everyone who doesn't treat him how he wants to be treated or give him what he wants. He even shows hostility towards the man who's mule he shot because of how much he was going to have to pay him. I don't think Dave should get any sympathy for his actions because he was warned and he just chose to disobey poeple.
5.)After reading tyler's respponses I saw that he answered all the questions very similar to how I answered them. We both liked the dialect of the story. We both feel that Dave was irresponsible and that even though he wanted to be treated like a man it became obvious that he wasn't. Overall I think we have the same views on each of the subjects brought up in the four questions.
1. I felt that that African American dialect in this short story was very hard to understand and took a lot of attention to try to understand the way that Dave and his parents were speaking. I think that the dialect painted a mental picture of that particular day in time. I think that the dialect added color and character to the short story. The dialect allowed your imagination to go wild. I did notice that there was a difference on how the whites would speak and how the blacks would speak. This would also show that the differences in dialect would set the timing that this particular event took place. Overall I felt that the dialect that was chosen was great for the story.
2.I think that the gun for Dave gives him a sense of control. He wants to be respected. I think that the gun was a bad thing for him to get. The gun showed a lot of power that he was unaware of. Once he noticed how the gun was so powerful he wanted to feel this sense of power as well. He wanted to feel this sense of respect. Dave want the gun to be able to scare other people into respecting him and to show other people that he is a man. Dave was longing for that level of manly hood. Even though that Dave was able to get the gun shoot it and accidently hit the mule, Dave was laughed at and was still not able to get that manly hood acceptance from the crowd of people the night of the accident.
3.The shooting of Jenny revealed that just because he got his gun, it didn’t make him even more of a man. This incident if anything proved to the people and his parents that he was not ready to be a man. I feel that this accident showed that Dave was irresponsible, disrespectful, & deceitful. Dave would go behind his mothers back to fulfill his wants and needs. I see that when Dave was lying to his parents and the workers of the farm it was very disrespectful. I personally feel that he needed something more, maybe attention, maybe even love from his family.
4. Dave was wanting to be seen, to be respected, to be loved, to be a man. Dave was willing to do anything and everything to see these things in his live. I think that back in those days it was even harder for boys, black boys at that and feeling like a man and grown up. I don’t sympathizes with him. I think that his problems lay in the way he was raised by his parents. I think they were lacking in areas in raising him, they could have prevented a lot of his rebellious acts. I will say that as a child he was not able to live the life of a boy and that can be hard on a child but again still is no reason for the way he was acting.
Esmeralda Ordonez
1. In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" the African-American dialect at first is a bit difficult to understand. It took me a while to understand what they were trying to say but after a few paragraphs I quickly caught on and enjoyed reading the story even more. It makes the story one hundred percent more authentic because it allows us to get an insight to their culture. It also gives a more laid back tone which contributes to the setting. I feel the author attempts to connect with the reader and we even feel like if we were transported to those days. Any story where the language is different seems more interesting to me. Sure it may take a few pages to get used to and comprehend, but otherwise the story would not be the same. Language can say a variety of things such as nationality, customs, social class, age, emotions, etc. The early African-American dialect is the extra touch that makes this short story genuine.
2. Throughout the story the gun is a symbolic representation of manhood. For Dave it is his official coming of age to be able to own a gun. The gun also seems to be a representation of power. Dave wants with all his might more than ever to be a man and sadly he is convinced that the gun is his golden ticket to manhood. He simply wants the gun to prove he is a man, but doesn't take in consideration the responsibility that comes along with it. Dave is absolutely fed up with the workers in the field treating him like a kid. He feels he deserves more respect and what better way than to have a gun. In his mind he is probably thinking people, especially the workers, will fear him with a gun in hand and when people feel this way they tend to respect the person with power. I believe that was the main source of Dave's need for a gun. Also the fact that his family did not want him to get the gun might have made him more rebellious to get his way. To me it felt like it was just a moment of adrenaline rush because it all happened so soon and even he himself admits he wasn't thinking. I guess this proves society's perception of a person may lead to serious damage just as it happened to Dave.
3. Without a doubt the accidental shooting of Jenny reveals Dave was not a man. First of all his reasons in getting the gun were not very mature. That is exactly what happens when you give a person too much power, they don't know what to do with it. Dave was given specific instructions by his mother to take the gun staight home after he purchased it, but he just couldn't contend himself and had to shoot it. He was not going to finish his right of passage without firing the gun. Dave is so inexperienced that he did not even know how to shoot the gun. Even the way he handled the situation afterwards proves just how immature he truely is. The accidental shooting of Jenny reveals Dave is a liar, still a boy, and not ready for big responsabilities.
4. His rebelliousness and hostility is proven by his never ceasing plead to be allowed to buy the gun. He will not give up until he at least has his mother's consent. He later lies to his mother and the poeple at work. the way he speaks demonstrates his hostility, "Anyhow, this is a gun, n it kin shoot, by Gwad!" He is literally like a kid with a brand new toy. I do sympathize with Dave to some extent. It is unfortunate that he can not be seen as more than a boy, but then again he gives them reasons to believe he's not a man. His level of maturity is very low as proven throughout the story. Personally, I do not believe the title fits the story too well because I don't think Dave was close to becoming a man. Maybe in his mind he was close because he got to fire the gun but after that all hell breaks loose. The only time I see him act more of an adult is when he confesses he committed shot jenny but other than that he is a rebellious boy.
1) Yes, the fact that the story is told exactly how the charactor would say it, makes the story a lot better. it reminds you of the time setting, the way people were educated, and it deffinately gives you an inside view of how an african-american may have grown up during that time period. besides the fact that it sort of, made it hard to read, i thought it was cool for the story to be wrote that way.
2) I think that the role of the gun is important. Dave thinks that with this gun, he will be more of a man, in fact he thinks it's what will make him a man. also he feels by having a gun that it will give him a sort of respect. that no one can talk to him like he's a child, because with the gun, according to Dave, they will have to respect him.
3) that he really didn't know what he was doing, or why he even wanted a gun. he thinks it will give him respect from others, but when he has the gun he is really amazed at what it can do potentially. he starts to like the power that it has. he tries to see what it can do, and when he does, thats when he shoots Jenny and when he really realizes the strenght that it has.
4) in the introduction of the story he talks about how THEY wont be able to talk to him like that, that he is not a boy, and how he's smarter then them. the insident he has with some friends is what leads to the whole issue of a gun, and all the trouble it gets him into. for that reason, i really dont sympathize with Dave, because he wished it upon himself. it's his fault for convincing his mother, and actually shooting the gun. he should know that Guns usually lead to bad things and if he used one, that there probably was not going to be good conciquences, even if he was shooting at nothing, with guns you can never be certain.
1. After the first paragraph I thought that I’m reading a wrong story or something. I could barely read it, but after a while I realized that the author used an African-American dialect which was used in the 1930’s. I think that the dialect used in the story is the primary element that makes the story authentic. I could actually imagine Dave and his parents speaking like that, making the story so real. After reading the first three pages I started to get use to the dialect making the reading much easier for me. A very good thing about the story is that the details were so good that I could print the image of an action into my mind and feel every detail as I would be in the story; it’s like an empathizing feeling. While I was reading, I could make the difference between the people from the story based on the dialect used by the author. The dialect has a unique role, making the reader to go back in time, in the early 1930’s and experiencing the life. Using the Afro-American dialect, the author reflects creativity and originality which makes the reader more interested in reading the story.
2. I could say that the gun had more than one role in Dave’s life. The first one role of the gun was giving him the attributes that a mature man should have. He thought that by having a gun, and knowing how to use one it would make him a man, even though he was seventeen. A second role of the gun is the power that he would get “they would have to respect him”. I want to assimilate the gun with the fruit from the Eden’s Garden that Adam and Eve ate. They both have the same starting point. Both of them promise something false, showing fake results and making you not to think about consequences.
Dave needs power, needs to be known as a man at his young age and the source of Dave’s needs is the catalog with guns from Joe and his need of a gun, which is power.
3. The accidental shooting of Jenny reveals that Dave was overwhelmed by the situation and he realized that he just met the “secondary effects” of the gun’s power. The unexpectedly just happened and Dave started to act in a way he never felt before. “His hand was numb; he jammed it into his mouth, trying to warm it, trying to stop the pain”. Dave realizes that he did a really bad thing and he was trying, in this case, to solve the problem by trying to stop the blood flow from Jenny’s ribs. Eventually he realized the he couldn’t do anything so he decided to lie. He buried the weapon and then he prepared his version that he was about to say to Mr. Hawkins and the others. This reveals a part of Dave that puts him in a situation that makes him more as a coward than a man. He tried to act like a man but instead he proved how immature he was.
4. What evidence is given in the story to support Dave's rebelliousness or hostility? Do you sympathize with Dave?
Dave’s rebelliousness is showed in the first paragraph where Dave is really upset and angry because the other workers from the field are treating him as a child. That opens a fire inside Dave, the desire to prove that he is not a child anymore and that he is a grown man now. The second evidence is when he supposed to return the gun to his momma right after he bought it. Instead of doing as he was told to do, he invented a story, and as he lied his mom, he showed the rebel behavior that was inside him. Overall, I do not sympathize with Dave. He should’ve think about consequences before doing something. That’s why it is always good to think twice before doing something.
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