Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Many forces illustrate how a person behaves. These influences can be self-inflicted or a product of an outside or uncontrollable force. Breaking down what shapes a person’s character can be a very intricate process. The many elements that affect the identity of John Grimes can be observed in the book Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. Through viewing all the related forces, one can see why John is a person who hates his father, but at the same time longs for his love and acceptance. One of the things the reader discovers about John is his biological father is dead and he does not know it. As John’s mother prays in church, the author reviews her memories of John’s real father, “[Elizabeth] sat curled... at the edge of the bed,... It was then she decided not to tell [Richard] yet about [his child John]. ...That night [Richard] cut his w