riences a vision in which he encounters an impasse of deciding to become saved or to become damned. John cries to the lord for help and for salvation. In a few moments, which seem like eternity for John, he cries, "Take me through" (Baldwin 204)! Through this last step of initiation, John becomes saved; he described this feeling as if "his drifting soul was anchored in the love of God" (Baldwin 204). In one way, John became more mature and aware of himself in the matters of religion.
             Baldwin uses racism as a sub-theme of rights of passage. John Grimes portrays a typical African American in a white dominant society. Through this portrayal, Baldwin exposes the prejudice that a black man would experience. John's first encounter with this racism occurs when white
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