The_Man_Who_Was_Almost_a_Man(1)

TheManWhoWasAlmostaManAuthor•RichardWright•1908–1960•Nationality:UnitedStates•Genres:Drama,Fiction,Non-fiction•Notableworks:UncleTom'sChildrenNativeSonBlackBoyTheOutsider•BorninNatchez,Mississippi•MovedtoMemphis,Tennessee·Fatherdessertedhisfamily.·Childhood:difficultandunhappy,squeezeinschool•ReturnedtoMemphis·Thecity'slibrary·ReadtheworksofStephenCrane,TheodoreDreiser,andSinclairLewis.influencedhisdevelopingwritingstyle•MovedtoChicago·Baganpublishinghisstoriesinleft-wingperiodicalsreflectedhispoliticalbeliefsasanewmemberoftheCommunistParty.●MovedtoNewYorkCity·NativeSon(1940)·BlackBoy(1945)wonfameasarisingstarintheAfricanAmericancommunity.•LeftNewYorkforPairs·frustratedwiththeracialdivide·HequicklybecamepartofParis’svibrantliterarycircle.·Wrightcontinuedtoproducenovelsandnonfiction,butnonehadthebrillianceofhisearlierworks.●TriedtomovetoLondonbutfailed.●ReturnedtoParis,wherehediedonNovember28,1960.•HisboldportraitsofblackAmericans’struggleforrecognitionandassertioninanindifferentworldaddedarichnewvoicetothecanonofAmericanliterature.•Wright’sfictionandmemoirsgraphicallyportraytheexperiencesofAfricanAmericansintheearlytwentiethcentury.Dave(17-year-old)agunrespectlocalstoreJoecatalogue2dollarshomeDaveMotherasksformoneyforthegundismissestheideahewillgivetheguntofathergiveshimthemoneyPlotoverviwbuyDavethegununderhispillowinsteadofgivingtomothermotherasksfortheguninthenightthegunworkfieldsMr.HawkinsJennyfiresthegundiesworktopayburiesthegunretrievethegunandshootstherestbulletshopsintoamovingtrainguninhandmaincharacter•DaveisanaverageadolescentstrugglingwithgrowingupandtheembodimentofallfrustratedandimpoverishedAfricanAmericanswithoutopportunities.•DaveisafigureofthetimesDaveSaundersDisscussion1•CanDave’saccidentalshootingofJenny,themule,beviewedasasubconsciousactofrebellion?DoesthestorycontainothersignsofDave’srebelliousness?LocalDialect•Wright’suseoflocaldialectprovidesuniquevoicesforthestory’sblackcharacters.•Incorporatingdifferentdialectsintothestoryalsolendsaringofauthenticity(真实性)toWright’sdescriptionofaruralsoutherncommunityintheearlytwentiethcentury,acommunityinwhichwhitesandblackscoexistonunequalterms.•Dialecthelpsseparatethesetwogroups.Disscussion2WhydoesDavewanttogainrespectfromotherssomuch?·family·familyrealationship·characterrelationshipsthroughraceNaturalism•Larger,all-encompassingenvironmental,economic,andpsychologicalforcesshapedandcontrolledthelivesofbothindividualsandgroupsofpeopleingeneral.•Incorporatedstingingsocialcriticismintotheirstoriesandnovelsbypittingtheircharactersagainstsocial,economic,orenvironmentalforcesthattheycan’tcontrol.•InmakingDaveavictimofracialoppression,Wrightattackswhites’lingeringpoweroverthelivesofblacks.•Dave’sstruggletoovercometheuncontrollableforcespressingdownonhimspeaksforallyoungpeoplewhomsocietyhasoverlookedanddismissedLiesandLying•Disconnectedness•Unpreparedfortheresponsibilitiesofadulthood.•Failstorealizethatlyingwon’tprotecthimandwillonlybringmoreproblemsinthefuture.Darkness•constraints•humiliation•woundedpride•OnlyinthedarkenedfieldscanDavefindtheindependenceandmasculinity（男子气）heseeks.Symbols•Thegun•ThemuleThemes•Thesearchforpower•Coming-of-AgeStrugglesMrsDalloway&TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan•Similarities·ThespiritofrebellionDaveVSElizabeth·PsychologicalDescriptionDaveVSMrsDallowway•Difference·SocialstatusMrsDallwayupperclassDavelowerclassHomework•ImaginewhatDave'slifewillbelikewiththeguninthefuture.