The development of Dave's character in "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" is quite stunted. As an average teenager trying to find his way into adulthood, he is not able to understand the responsibilities and obligations tied to becoming an independent. First, he turns to buying a gun from a catalogue. The gun in this short story is a symbol for respect, masculinity, and independence; everything Dave wants to be. He is struggling with being an African Americn in the rural South during the first half of the 20th century, as well as being treated like a child by the other field hands. Dave very mistakenly believes that the gun will instantly turn him into a man. Dave also is a compulsive liar which shows his immaturity. He lies to his mother about the gun being outside. When Mr. Saunder's mule Jenny dies, he lies about the circumstances of her death. Even after the truth is extracted from him, Dave lies to his father about throwing the gun into the river. Still acting like a child, Dave does not realize that his constant lying will only bring more problems into his life.
Dave Saunder's character evolves throughout the story. He starts off as the adolescent main character who works on a plantation during summer vacations. We can imply he finds himself on the rough transition from a kid to a man at the age of 17. He continously struggles to earn respect from his fellow co-workers even though he lacks adultness.
Throughout the story he experiences the turmoil of this phase where he is expected by society to become a man overnight therefore grows bitter of the powerlessness of adolescence and thinks that he will be perceived by a man if he owns a gun.
