The Man Who Was Almost a Man

The gun symbolizes ideas around masculinity, power, and violence. It is described as a “big gun, with a long barrel and a heavy handle” (18), reinforcing the gun’s status as a phallic symbol. Dave believes that the gun will provide him with everything he lacks, such as independence, a male identity, respect, and power. He feels that “if he were holding his gun in his hand, nobody could run over him; they would have to respect him.” (18) The gun directly connects to his experience as a Black man, alluding to the racial violence that Black men in the South were exposed to and how that has defined their perspective. Dave has experienced oppression, abuse, and humiliation in a society dominated by white men, and those social values have defined his ideas on male identity.

On another level, the gun represents general social views on masculinity and power. The narrative’s connotations around the gun demonstrate how society often associates masculinity with intimidation and violence. Dave’s world, the rural South, the plantation, and his household, are all male-dominated. His family is characterized by his father’s imposing figure, which makes Dave nervous and keeps his mother mainly a domestic character.