Many are based on his personal experiences in the South, as he grew up in a volatile time period where there was immense racial and economic tension within a debilitated region. Richard Wright was born in the Deep South, near Natchez Mississippi in 1908 (Brigano ix)
Symbols are an important part to any piece of fiction writing, whether it is long or short. According to the research, symbolism "provides us with a transcendent embodiment of the meaning" (Kumar & McKean 349)
Richard Wright had his own issues with dealing with manhood. He had no one to look up to as a growing adolescent, as when he was only five years old his father had abandoned his family (Spack 103)
When dealing with short stories, the task of character development becomes a complicated endeavor. Character development is often difficult to do within the brief context of the medium of the short story (Werlock 450)
After finally purchasing a used one for $2 from Joe, Dave begins to actually feel the spirit of adulthood that he had been dreaming about so much. While he has the gun, Dave believes that "they would have to respect him" (Wright LIT 382-02)