Read and respond to at least
two of your classmates postings, as well as any follow-up instructor questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop. Identify a portion of your classmates response to one of the above questions which you think is unclear or with which you disagree. Include at least one of the following in relation to that response:
Ask a question that will help you better understand what your classmate intended to say.
Suggest a specific revision which you think would be clearer
Or, explain why you disagree.
STUDENT 1:
Dave believes manhood will come from the respect he gets from owning a gun.
I believe he is still a boy because hes frantically searching for power to come from a material thing. His money is also being held by his mother, which is a sign she may not trust him to spend it wisely.
I think the gun represents responsibility and power. It can cause unnecessary harm if not handled correctly. A gun is just a gun until you put it in someones hands. Dave misused the power he thought he had by killing a mule.
Its evidence of his boyhood. He has yet to take responsibility of his actions. That would include leaving his parents with a $50 debt and taking the gun with him.
It is fair. We all make mistakes and to better understand the effects, we can be fined heavily. He is treating Dave as a man. He wasnt sent away with a slap on the wrist.
The irony is that Dave wanted manhood so badly and thought it could come from an object. He leaves with it and assumes he is going to be seen as a man elsewhere. In reality being a man comes from his actions and he has some maturing to do. The lesson is that maturity is about being responsible and working hard, not running away from obligations.
Hes become worse. He is causing himself more trouble by leaving behind a debt and taking a gun that still has to be paid for. He represents a lost man.
I believe his message is to be mindful of the consequences your actions have. This is evident in the end of the story when Dave contemplates shooting towards Mr. Hawkins house. His intent would be to scare him, but it hast registered that he could possibly kill him the same way he did his mule
STUDENT 2:
How does Dave define manhood? What does he think he needs to do in order to become a man?He defines man hood as not letting anyone talk to you as a little boy, he believe he need a gun to become a man.
In your opinion, is Dave more of a man or a boy at the beginning of the story? What criteria do you use to form this opinion? Dave is a boy, his actions let you know that he is not mature, his thinking about learning to shoot a gun to get respect from others.
What you think the gun symbolizes in this story? Explain your answer. The gun symbolizes freedom for Dave, he feels like having a gun will get respect.
When Dave climbs onto the train at the end of the story, is this evidence of his manhood or of his boyhood? Explain your answer. Boyhood, he is acting on a whim. Dave doesnt have any money or a destination.
Do you think Mr. Hawkins proposal for repayment of the mule is fair? Does he seem to be treating Dave as a man or as a boy? Explain your answer. His proposal is fair, he can price his mule at what he think it is worth and he is treating Dave as a boy by making him pay off the debt with work
Identify as example of irony in the story and explain how is used to achieve a message in this story. Dave was seeking respect and acceptance and he got the opposite, everyone was laughing at him and his father told him that he is going to beat him and he will have to give up the gun.
In your opinion, has Dave changed at the end of the story? If so, how has he changed, and is it a positive or negative change? If not, then what does Dave symbolize, based on his character traits? Dave has changed and its for the worse, he has fired the gun and now he cant get enough of it and because of that he has run away from home.
What do you think the message of Wrights story is? Do you agree or disagree with the message? Explain your answer with specific reference to the text. The message is children do childish things and I do agree with the message. He didnt even know how to shoot a gun and never should have been given the money to purchase the gun
