"It is a great shock at the age of five or six to find that in a world of Gary Coopers you are the Indian"

This quote highlights the shock and realization of being a marginalized person in a society where the dominant culture is renowned and perpetuated. Baldwin utilizes the comparison of a Gary Cooper, a famous white actor known for his rugged masculinity and brave functions, to an Indian, a group traditionally oppressed and ignored in American society. The age of 5 or six represents the minute when a child first ends up being conscious of their identity and starts to acknowledge the social labels and expectations positioned upon them. Baldwin's message is that the procedure of finding one's marginalized identity can be disconcerting and unpleasant, specifically in a world that values conformity and assimilation.