Even though it might be a little cheap to write about the story I presented on, I am going to anyway. When I first started to read “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” I started to write it off as just another coming-of-age story, but it turned out to be more than that. The more I thought about Dave’s decision to leave, the more I was unsure of what I thought about that decision. My first reaction was to think of him as a coward. His parents gave him the opportunity to show some responsibility by owning a gun, and he quickly showed him that he wasn’t mature enough for that responsibility. My parents always taught me that it is far better to accept the consequences of my actions and channel my embarrassments and frustrations into something constructive. Never let a mistake hurt you twice.
On the other hand, I could see where Dave’s choice to leave might actually be better for him than staying. In class we talked in depth about how a man’s choices define what kind of man he is. I got the sense that there were some really oppressive qualities about the community around him. At some point, if a man thinks that the people he has around him aren’t the kind of people that share similar values or challenge him to be a better person, then he should remove himself from that situation. I can guarantee that Dave will grow up quickly once he is on his own. Now the real question is whether he can make the correct decisions when he is away from his family. Just as a high-school student going off to college, that new freedom can lead down a better or worse path. I know I have loved the opportunities and experiences I have had so far at TCU, but I can also tell you that I have not always made the right decision, but I learned from it. This story reminded me that, yes, taking responsibility for my actions is an important part of being an adult, but, if I think I can do better under different circumstances, I shouldn’t be afraid to leave the disfunction of my current situation.
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