Literary Devices in The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Set in the rural South, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" features some good old-fashioned country living. On one side, we have Casa Saunders, a modest home, and on the other, we have Hawkins's ritzy...
Narrator Point of View
It's so nice and cozy inside Dave's head that we end up staying there for the bulk of "The Man Who Was Almost a Man."The narration is split between two different perspectives, though: Dave's and th...
Genre
"The Man Who Was Almost a Man" uses a raw approach to realism to illustrate the societal implications of Dave's coming-of-age tale.In fact, Richard Wright is rightly regarded as a forefather of the...
Tone
We spend the bulk of "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" inside the head of a teenager, so it should come as no surprise that the story is heavy on the brashness and light on self-awareness.Even at a yo...
Writing Style
Richard Wright doesn't do anything too fancy in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," instead allowing his characters and plot to do the heavy lifting.For the most part, the story is written in a natural...
What's Up With the Title?
When you think about it, the phrase "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" makes zero sense. How can a man almost be a man? Shouldn't the story be titled "The Boy Who Was Almost a Man" instead?You'd be cra...
What's Up With the Ending?
"The Man Who Was Almost a Man" ends with some good old-fashioned train hopping. All aboard!After the whole Jenny ordeal, Dave is feeling pretty unhappy. He got his gun, just like he wanted, but eve...
Tough-o-Meter
Richard Wright writes in a straight-forward, conversational manner, so "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" should be a pretty smooth read. The use of dialect might be off-putting to some readers, but th...
Plot Analysis
Teenage WastelandLike Rodney Dangerfield, Dave Saunders gets no respect. He works his butt off in Mr. Hawkins's field all day, and what does he have to show for it? His peers tease him incessantly...
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
Three-Act Plot Analysis
Trivia
While some authors don't even write the film adaptations of their novels, Wright took things a step even further by actually starring in the 1951 adaptation of his novel Native Son, filmed and rele...
Steaminess Rating
There's nothing too edgy in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" unless, of course, you are highly sensitive to mule murder. In that case, stay far away.