Even though the novel Go Tell It On the Mountain really only takes place over the course of one day and night, a whole lot happens in that 24 hours… and we're not only talking about all the memory-based time travel that goes down.
John Grimes, the main character, experiences a religious conversion on that evening that turns him into an adult in his own eyes and in the eyes of his community. The novel is also punctuated with the coming of age stories of John's older relatives, his parents, and his aunt, to show how religion has played a role in their development. Whether they accept or reject it, by making a decision to join or walk away from the church, everyone asserts their adulthood.
Questions About Coming of Age
- Why does Sister McCandless say that John has two birthdays now?
- Do you think that fourteen is old enough to come of age?
- What role does religion play in the different characters' coming of age?
- What has changed in John over the course of the novel?
Chew on This
John becomes a man through his religious conversion in Go Tell It On the Mountain.
John becomes a man by challenging his father in Go Tell It On the Mountain.