Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
In case you need to be reminded of how wealthy and powerful Mr. Hawkins is, look no further than his giant plantation house. On one level, this "big white house"(210) simply represents Hawkins's immense wealth and power. Hawkins owns a giant farm, making major profits while paying laborers like Dave what can only be described as chump change. This becomes especially pronounced once we enter the Saunders's humble home and see the immense difference between the two houses.
On a deeper level, however, this plantation home represents the legacy of slavery. Although Dave lives in a world where slavery no longer exists, he still feels the weight of that institution bearing down on him, influencing his life in subtle but significant ways. Heck, Hawkins's house is even white.
This is why Dave wants to fire his gun at Hawkins's home—he "wants to scare ol man Hawkins jusa little [...] t let im know Dave Saunders is a man" (210). Dave might not realize it consciously, but this is because Hawkins's home represents everything that is unattainable to him on the sole basis of his race and class. While Dave might mean man in the adult sense, we can also see it as referencing his humanity, too, because Hawkins treats Dave little better than he does Jenny.