The Man Who Was Almost a Man - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By sunset jennys dust is found and Dave is questioned by both his parents and Mr. Hawkins close what happened. Dave lies ab start the contingency stating that something was wrong with Jenny causing her to fall out on the bear witness of the plow. His mother cognises this is a lie and ass incessantlyate Dave tell the truth. In tears Dave confesses, only if lies yet once again when asked what he has do with the artillery unit. Mr. Hawkins tells Dave that although it was an accident he willing pay up twain dollars a month until he has paid l dollars to replace the scuff. That shadow Dave feels annoyed at having to pay sticker Mr. Hawkins for the next two years, and even to a greater extent annoyed with the position that people meet him as a child often now than ever before. He decides to get a air his house and feel the ordnance in which he had buried, not thr cause in a river bid he claimed. He forces himself to fire the sub with his eyes pass until he em pties it. In the distance Dave hears a train so he approaches it and record hop on intellection that this will at last at visitation he is indeed a gay! \nSymbolism. The Gun: The weapon symbolizes several things in the eyes of Dave from the acquirement of function or control, to independence, and the desire of masculinity, art object in pragmatism it symbolizes his struggle and hardship to achieve much(prenominal)(prenominal) aspirations. Dave felt he wasnt a composition without a gaseous state, on his way rest home from work he struggles with acquireing a way to ascend to everyone that he was no longer a boy, feeling that the get of a hero was the only way to get his crest across to those who subscribe been doubting him. In purchasing the gun Dave feels he has acquired masculinity, full-grown him a new sense of independence. With the gun Dave feels invincible, same(p) no one crowd out pass fancy upon him, tell him what to do, or harm him in any way. In the scene in which Dave knock knock offs Jenny, Dave exposes his immaturity and deprivation of control by misusing the weapon. Usually a boy kills an wight on an primeval morning catch trip as a cover of passage; Daves kill however, was a turn out of him sneaking his gun along with him into the field of operations he is supposititious to plow for his boss, much the likes of a child would do. His misemploy of the gun and the cleanup spot of the mule present to those around him that he was in position still an imperious boy. The gun was supposed to have make him an independent masculine individual exactly in truth it simply symbolized his struggle to achieve such goals. \nThe Mule: The mule, Jenny, symbolizes Dave as well as ill. Dave identifies with Jenny because he too feels like a mule in that he is tied down to one lifestyle. He feels that if he does not achieve author and independence that he will unendingly be stuck in a disrespected, unappreciated, and unsympa thetic position plow fields for somebody else with no try for of things ever changing just like the poor mule does sidereal day in and day out. The closing of Jenny symbolizes failure in that Dave failed to express he was liable and mature complete not only to handle a gun, but in addition to behave as a man. With the base on balls of Jenny went Daves adolescence because aft(prenominal) the incident he runs away on impulse, forcing himself to embark on a voyage that he feels will really test and prove his manhood, something his actions primitively in the day proved he was not yet prepared for. tear down though readers know that Dave will believably never find the success, independence, or power he craves, the simple fact that he is willing to assay striking out on his own redeems him and makes him more than just about a man. \n