The Man Who Was Almost a Man
What is the author's style in The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright?
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The Man Who Was Almost a Man is narrated by a third-person, omniscient narrator. That is, the story is told by a narrator who is not part of the story's action and who is able to see into the minds of the characters. In this case, the omniscient narrator has insight into Dave's consciousness, as in the first paragraph of the story, which describes Dave's private thoughts and feelings.
One of the most notable stylistic aspects of the story's narration is Wright's use of dialect—the particular grammar and pronunciation of black southern farm workers—in juxtaposition to standard literary English. When he describes thoughts as well as quoting speech, Wright uses dialect, but when he describes actions he uses standard English. He switches back and forth between these two modes of narration, creating an implicit comparison between internal and external, subjective and objective, and subordinate and dominant.
The Man Who Was Almost a Man