Social Determinism In Richard Wright's The Man Who Was Almost A Man

Douglass Rothschild’s interpretation of literary realism is a frustrating one. It is difficult to read about such apathetic perspectives towards other human beings. He defensively rejects the idea that social determinism is a real issue because it diminishes his own accomplishments. People with this mindset believe that if they can overcome adversity, anyone can do it as well. But not everyone is born under the same circumstances, and sometimes it is not possible to make anything of your situation. That is what realism is about. It’s about looking deeply at our societal issues instead of ignoring our problems. Everyone makes mistakes because we are human, but not everyone has the freedom to make those same mistakes and bounce back.

The way

His parents serve as a microcosm of society in the way that they control every aspect of his life. They make him work in the fields, they keep his earnings, and they must always know his whereabouts. In the same way that his parents restrict him, society decided that because of his race he was destined to live a life of laboring in the fields. Dave had the ability to get an education, but the racial biases of the 1900’s made it unlikely that he would be respected even with schooling. The gun he buys is his way of forcing people to respect him. After Dave shoots Mr. Hawkins’s mule and is ridiculed by the community, he jumps on a train that passes through the town. Rothschild would most likely say that Dave’s escape is a sign of immaturity, and that he brought failure upon himself. However it is the opposite. Dave has the awareness to realize that in his situation he was going nowhere. He could find better opportunities outside of his restrictive and minute town. Rothschild would most likely assume that Dave’s running away is a bad thing because his opinion is clouded by racial bias. If it were a white boy who ran away from home, he would be labeled as daring and ambitious. But because Dave Saunders is black, his actions are reduced to rebellion and a lack of judgement. I

He has a steady job and receives an education at a school that he debatably deserves to attend. He is rude towards his teachers and condescending towards his peers because he thinks he deserves to be in a more cultured and exciting town. The story opens with him being scrutinized by the administration of his school. Despite his behaviour, Paul is allowed to return to his classes. This is a perfect example of how people can be treated differently because of their race. Paul is granted a significant margin of error, due in part to racial bias. Rothschild argues that this sort of treatment is not a factor, but Paul would have had to be more careful if the thought of expulsion was looming overhead. Paul knows he can get away with his behaviour, and it progressively gets worse as the story continues. When he is banned from attending the theater by his father, he steals $3000 dollars from his employer and runs away to New York. When the law firm realizes what has happened, Paul’s father pays them back in full and they decide not to prosecute. Paul gets away with stealing from a law firm, which would have had an easy time convicting him of theft. In this story, Paul most definitely acts immaturely. He has opportunities but does not take