In this story, Richard Wright seems to portray that black people are ignorant, unkind, violent, and somewhat a threat to white people. This man who was almost a man, deserves to be called a child because of his selfish and irresponsible ways. Then again if you look closely, Dave really can't learn to be a man because of the way he is treated by his parents. Dave is treated just like a mule. He's given no responsibility, not even the chance to hold on to any part of his earnings. As far as I can see the only reasonable character in this story is a white man by the name of Mr. Hawkins, and even he seems to be an insensitive bigot.

The story goes on to show Dave's burning desire to have a gun. The fact of the matter is Dave doesn't want a gun; he wants to be a man, which is a healthy want for a boy of his age. The fact that he thinks that a gun will solve any problem that his environment

throws in his face is what shows his ignorance. "Kill anybody, black or white. And if he were holding his gun in his hand, nobody could run over him; they would have to respect him"(191). Dave's belief that having a gun will make him a man is ridiculous, but as the story turns out, owning that gun is his ticket out of town, and his hope for searching and finding a new and better life.

As we see Dave stumble forward through the story, we see him making very bad decisions. He's not placing trust in solutions, but just in his desire to become a man. That is what pushes him forward. Most protagonists struggle with their situations, learn a lesson, and move forward. Not for Dave. He kills the mule, and without him realizing it, this was the perfect opportunity for him to become a man. Instead of telling the truth he decided to remain a boy by saying that "the point of the plow was stickin up in the air, she swung erroun n twisted herself back on it"(194). When it is revealed that Dave s

Some common words found in the essay are:
Richard Wright, Dave Saunders, Hawkins Lawd, Wright's Man, dave treated mule, gun ticket, gun ticket town, ticket town hope, dave treated, ticket town, town hope, treated mule, mule hawkins, gun dave,
Approximate Word count = 672
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)