Uncle Toms Cabin" by Stowe - "what Do Sam and Andy Do to Mr. Haley

Richard Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost A Man,” tells us about Dave Saunders, a boy struggling to instill his false idea of manliness in his life. Tired of being talked down to by his fellow farm-hands, Dave exhibits his first display of childish behavior when he thinks “One of these days he was going to get a gun and practice shooting, then they couldn’t talk to him as though he were a little boy.” (p. 2245) This type of thought pattern associates manliness with fear instead of respect, a pubescent outlook on manhood. Shortly after this idea, Dave thinks to himself “Ahm seventeen. Almost a man.” (p. 2246) A common misconception that age alone defines his status as a man, not his experiences in life. Another example of Dave’s juvenile behavior is shown when he spins a web of lies about the accident with Jenny the Mule, instead of owning up to his actions and facing the repercussions. The last thought Dave has in this story is perhaps the biggest factor into why he truly is not a man yet. “Ahead the long rails were glinting in the moonlight, stretching away, away to somewhere, somewhere where he could be a man…” (p. 2253) By running away from his family and responsibilities, he hopes to finally become a man. Dave believes that these things are holding him back from being a man, when in all actuality being a man is defined by the character and morals that he exhibits in his lifetime, not material possessions, or the judgment of others in his life.