《新编英语小说鉴赏》课件A Man Who was Almost a Man.pptx

1、The Man Who Was Almost a ManRichard Wright Richard Wright(1908-1960)Richard Wright Born in 1908 in Mississippi.At the age of 15,Wright published his first story,“The Voodoo of Hells Half-Acre.Wrights writings are heavily colored by impressions of American racism.Died in 1960.Richard Wright Novelist,

2、poet,essayist,short story writer Notable works includeNative Son and Black Boy.Much of his literature concerns racial themes.Dave is going to have a gun as a symbol to be a man.Joe asks two dollars for the gun sold to Dave.Dave begs his mother for money.His mother tells him that she will agree as lo

3、ng as he brings it back immediately after he buys it.Dave plays with the newly bought gun and he shoots Jenny,a mule,accidentally.Then he tells everyone that Jenny falls on the point of a plow;however,no one believes him.Dave has to pay fifty dollars for Jenny.Annoyed by this mistreatment,he jumps o

4、n top of a railroad car,to find“somewhere he can be a man.”A linear development:1.Dave wants to have a gun.“Ahm ol enough to hava gun.Ahm seventeen.Almost a man.”2.He manages to get a gun.“Gimme ma catlog,Ma.”3.He uses a gun.“The he shut his eyes and tightened his forefinger.Bloom!”4.The result of u

5、sing a gun.“When he went to her this time,she did not move.”“Fifty dollars for a dead mule.”5.His decision.“he grabbed,pulled atop of a car,and lay flat.”The function of a linear development:Makes the story believable Easy to follow Shows the change in the characters mind Conflicts in the plot Main

6、conflict:Dave wants to be treated as a man but he cant.Its the root of other conflicts.discoloration Other conflicts:He doesnt keep his promise to give the gun back to his mom.He shoots Jenny accidentally.He lies that Jenny dies because of the plow and he throws the gun in the creek.He doesnt pay th

7、e debt for the mule.The plot helps to prove that Dave is still immature:He thinks that a gun is a symbol of a man.He is afraid of shooting.He doesnt take the responsibility for doing something wrong.The plot also proves that Dave is becoming an adult:He manages to get a gun,the symbol of adulthood i

8、n his mind.He is trying to make decisions by himself.Dave:has an urge to be treated with respect.wants a gun because gun symbolizes power for him.cannot take the blame for shooting the mule.afraid and escapes to find a place for himself.To shape the image of Dave,the author has used:interior monolog

9、ue and southern black dialect.Keys to the Questions Exposition:Dave walks into Joes store and talks with him,which leads to the decision to purchase a gun.Rising action:Dave persuades his mother to buy the gun.After he gets the gun,he tries to fire it when he works with a mule.Climax:He shoots the m

10、ule and tries to cover his mistake.Falling action:He admits that he shoots the mule.Resolution:He runs away.Gun is a symbol of power,adulthood and control.These are what he lacks.His status and age determine that he is at the bottom of the society,which makes him being looked down upon.To have a gun

11、 is the easiest thing to get the sense of control.His mother is angry and refuses him immediately.Although his mom agrees at last,she still distrusts her son.Even if Mom is the person closest to him,she doesnt know what Dave really wants.Poor communication between family members worsens Daves pain.I

12、ts a really reveling detail about the other side of Dave.Dave is not a traditional hero.Passing the blame is an instinctive response in the face of mistake.Therefore,Dave has weaknesses,which make the character closer to life.Dave is treated as a boy,because other characters talk to him with contempt,call him“boy,”and ask his parents for help when something goes wrong.And actually,Dave cant take the responsibilities of a man.Other characters action and words add to Daves pain,and echo the title of the story.The End