The Man Who Was Almost a Man

“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.”

The narration establishes Dave’s main dramatic need that defines his actions and character arc. He wants to be treated like a man by others and believes that a gun is the means to achieve that goal.

“Ah ain scareda them even ef they are biggern me! Aw, Ah know whut Ahma do. Ahm going by ol Joe’s sto n git that Sears Roebuck catlog n look at them guns. Mebbe Ma will lemme buy one when she gits mah pay from ol man Hawkins. Ahma beg her t gimme some money. Ahm ol ernough to hava gun. Ahm seventeen. Almost a man.”

Dave’s monologue suggests his internal conflict. His assertion of being “[a]lmost a man” highlights the irony in his goal. Dave feels that his coworkers undermine his masculinity, and he wants to buy a gun to prove himself. However, he lacks the economic independence of a grown man, still situated between boyhood and adulthood.

“He felt very confident until he saw fat Joe walk in through the rear door, then his courage began to ooze.”

Dave’s determination as he enters the store to buy a gun from Joe lessens when he sees the old white man. The description of his courage “oozing” suggests Dave’s vulnerability, as well as the intimidation that whiteness exerts on the young man.