F1. In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright, the gun symbolizes several different things to the character Dave. It symbolizes gaining power or control, independence and masculinity. Although in reality it symbolizes his struggle and failure to achieve what he really wants to achieve. "Dave felt that he was not a man without a gun", upon returning home from work, he tries to find a way to prove to everyone that he is no longer a child or just a boy, believing that the possession of a firearm would. being all the proof he needs of his masculinity. Possession of the gun makes Dave feel like he has finally achieved masculinity and respect, giving him a new sense of independence. With the gun, Dave feels invincible, as if he has the power to do anything and that no one will be able to question his motives or his status as a man. In the scene in which Dave murders Jenny, Dave shows his true immaturity and lack of control through his use of the gun. He has higher power with the use of the gun, but he foolishly abuses this power. Killing an animal on a hunting trip is a rite of passage for a boy, but Dave's murder was the result of him "slipping his gun with him into the field he is supposed to plow for his boss ". He is still very much a child. His misuse of the gun and the killing of the mule are proof that he still has the mind of a child. The gun was supposed to have made him a real man, but in reality it shows his struggle to become a man. The gun represents power, masculinity, respect and independence: everything Dave desperately seeks and wants. He sees the weapon as the solution to all his problems and a way to cover up any weaknesses he knows he still possesses. Dave doesn't like the fact that the other... middle of paper ......rator is an angry person because he doesn't understand the role he plays in Sonny's life. Sonny cannot communicate verbally that jazz music gives him happiness and hope, thus becoming the only positive aspect of his life. It gives him a safe escape that drugs could never provide. The musicians he connects with become a second family to Sonny. Even if jazz music is foreign and incommunicable to the narrator, it brings happiness to Sonny. Ultimately, jazz music functions as a form of communication for both brothers. When the narrator goes to see his brother play jazz, he finally understands this part of himself that he had never been able to understand before. Sonny can finally introduce his brother to a different part of him, a part of him that gives him joy. His brother can finally understand and appreciate the wonder of being a musician who keeps his brother alive..