"The young think that failure is the Siberian end of the line, banishment from all the living, and tend to do what I then did - which was to hide"

This quote by James A. Baldwin speaks with the worry of failure that numerous young people experience. He suggests that youths typically view failure as a total and utter end, a banishment from all that is living. This worry of failure can cause a desire to conceal, to avoid the possibility of failure entirely. Baldwin is most likely speaking from individual experience, as he suggests that this is what he did when he was young. He is most likely attempting to convey that failure is not completion of the world, and that it is possible to learn and grow from it. He is encouraging youths to take risks and to not hesitate of failure, as it can be a valuable learning experience.