“The Man Who was almost a Man” by Richard Wright is an interesting short story that deals with the life and problems of an African American farm worker by the name Dave. The livelihood in the rural South was not favorable for him to declare his identity at that time and he had to face hardships to carry on with that. What particularly stood out to me in this story is the seventeen-year-old Dave’s conflicting thoughts about gaining the respect that he always thought he deserved. This is a universal problem that has been particularly showcased by this character of Dave.