This assignment does not require you to write a formal essay. Instead, please write a short response (no more than 300 words) in which you respond to the following prompt:

A bildungsroman, or a coming-of-age story is a sub-genre of literature (or any other kind of text) that focuses on the growth of a primary character (protagonist) from youth or childhood to adulthood.

Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or internal monologue over action, and they are often set in the past. The major plot points in these stories tend to focus on the emotional changes of the primary character.

As Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man” is considered as somewhat of a bildungsroman for Jesse (the main character), can you identify the moments in the story that best demonstrate the moments in time when he is actively being shaped by his environment? Further, how (and in what ways) did his childhood negatively impact the man that he has become? Use examples from the story to explain your thoughts.