Research Paper on:
Dave Saunders in 'The Man Who Was Almost A Man' by Richard Wright

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
the description that he is black. As "The Man Who Was Almost A Man" unfolds, a reader begins to realize that this world depicted by Wright is not the world  lived in today. In fact, the story might be construed as an exercise in prejudice, but one can analyze work-irrespective of race-as a good piece of fiction. Also, the author  had the intent of exploring humanity, and not race relations. In any event, Dave is part of a tenant family and the landowner is seemingly not kind to him. One  can tell by their quick verbal exchanges that this is the case. Dave has obviously grown up in poverty and is not well educated. His lack of education, immaturity,  and inability to speak clearly adds to the conclusions a reader must draw. That is, the character is not very bright, but that is in part due to his background.  One cannot conclude that the boy is just slow, but also, that he was not raised properly and he did not have the benefit of money. Even with cerebral shortcomings  it is possible that the boy would be dwelling on something other than a gun had he been brought up properly. Above all, it appears that the author addresses social  stratification by putting the protagonist in this particular setting. What the protagonist wants is to grow up. He wants to be like other men. The gun symbolizes his transition to  manhood as the implement is powerful, can alter things, can kill people and animals, and can give Dave something to literally hold onto. Up until he browses the Sears catalog,  Dave has very little. Gun ownership is something that would give him clout. The idea that the gun is significant symbolically and otherwise is accentuated by the characters continual banter