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 crazy if you thought that Richard Wright didn't realize that, too. By choosing this self-contradictory title, Wright is alluding to the downright confusing nature of growing up. Going from childhood to adulthood isn't like driving across state lines, with helpful road signs guiding along the way. No, growing up is more like making that drive while wearing a blindfold.
This is a lesson that Dave Saunders learns well. Although he thinks of himself as a man and wants to be treated like a man, he proves time and time again that he's still a kid at heart. Still, as we learn more about his life, we come to the realization that this seventeen-year-old might be a little more mature than he lets on. He might even be the man he so badly wants to be recognized as.