“The man who was Almost a man”
In the short story “The man who was almost a man” the main character, Dave, is a static character. There are many things that prevented him from changing, and there were many things that he could have done which he didn’t that would have allowed him to change. Dave was a 17 year old black male who wasn't taken seriously by anyone. All he wanted was to be treated like a man, so he thought one way to become a man was by getting a gun. But there were a lot more things he had to do, like face the forces preventing him from becoming a man, in order to become a man. Which he did not do; so therefore, Dave is classified as a static character.
In the beginning of the story, the author said that “One of these days he was going to get a gun and practicing shooting, then they couldn't
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talk to him as though he were a little boy.” Dave obtaining the gun was a big step in his life towards manhood, so the gun in this story represents Dave's manhood.
He still faces many problems when trying to get the gun due to the fact that he was treated like a kid and that he acted like a kid. When he went to the store Joe, the sales guy, even treated him like a kid. Joe knew that Dave’s mom kept Dave’s money, because he wasn't responsible enough to hold his own money. The fact that Dave’s mom held on to the money that he worked for shows that he is still just a kid who needs his mom's permission; so therefore, his mom is a force holding him back from becoming a man. Even though Joe said he was a kid he still offered him a gun for a two bucks, so Dave goes back to his house to try a get money for the gun. He waited till he was alone with his mom because he was afraid of his dad, which also shows that his father is another force that prevents him from becoming a man. Dave had to argue with his mother a little bit before she finally agreed, but
as a result she said that if he gets a gun it would be for Dave’s dad though. Dave was still treated as an immature person not capable of owning a gun. Later that night Dave went and got the gun, but he didn’t come home right away. Instead he had stayed out playing with the gun like a little kid, but didn't fire it because he was afraid his father would hear it. Then he went and hid the gun because he didn’t want to hand it over to his father just yet; he wanted to play around with it more. The only place he knew he could go was over by Mr.Hawkins, his boss, so the next morning he went out to Mr. Hawkins’ plantation. There he could fire his gun where no one would hear him. Despite the fact that he finally had a gun, the thing he thought that would make him a man, he still had an immature attitude and afraid of his dad finding out. Dave went out into the woods with Mr. Hawkins’ mule, so that he can shoot the gun where no one could hear him. As a result of not looking where he was shooting he had accidently shot the mule. After thinking what was probably going to come next; he went and hid the gun so no one would suspect that he shot the mule. Then later everyone was gathered around the dead mule, and Dave's parents were yelling at him asking him what happen. This is the point where he could become a man by confessing his action. The mule was a symbol for his childhood and it was finally gone all he had to do was man up to his action. But he didn’t he made up lies and eventually someone said that the wound looked like a bullet hole and Dave’s mother knew that Dave had shot him. Then when he confessed up his dad yelled at him and when Dave was walking away people were laughing at him and he almost cried, however he moved on. That night he couldn't sleep, he was afraid of his dad who was going to give Dave a beating the next day. Dave snuck out that night and went to retrieve the gun. After shooting all the rounds, he went by Mr. Hawkins house because he wanted to shoot the old man’s house to prove he was a man, yet he didn't have any bullets left. He then got on a train and ran away, ran away from all his fears, all his troubles, because he didn't want to face them like a man. In the end, Dave Saunders never became a man. He had many things preventing him like his mom holding on to his money or his father who was a very strict parent and whom Dave was a afraid of.There were also chancing that came along that would at least shown that he was matured enough. For instance, when he shot the mule he could have confessed instead of lying or at the end when he ran away from his problems instead of taking them head on like a man. All in all Dave is a static character who had the chance, but never change.
In her younger ages, she used a gun for entertainment, she loved to hunt with her father. The author was educated and taught about guns, by her father because of the unsaddling event of her grandmother and mother on highway 66 when the three men that were trying to run them off the road for the large cash amount that was used for cashing payroll checks for the miners. As she got older her gun was there for protection and security. She was more assured with it that she would be able to protect herself.
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it goes start into his life story. He ask his dad if can go hunting with him one
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