--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew to manhood in the Ohio State…" description: "\"I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.\" — Chester Himes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png" --- # I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary. ![“I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.” quote by Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png) > “I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.” [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal account of growing up within a prison environment, reflecting on identity and survival. **In simple terms:** Growing up in prison shaped his life. Key Takeaway Recognize how environment influences identity. Themes identity survival prison life Mood reflective somber Type narrative autobiographical When to use this quote - prison reform - rehabilitation programs - personal memoirs - social justice discussions Key Concepts Sociology psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - How did the prison environment affect his sense of self? - What lessons can be drawn for prison reform? A Different Perspective Personal narratives may not capture broader systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Manhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhood/) [Ohio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ohio/) [Ohio state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ohio-state/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) ## Related quotes > [My first gig with Metallica was at San Quentin State Penitentiary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trujillo/my-first-gig-with-metallica-was-at-san-quentin-state-penitentiary/) [Robert Trujillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trujillo/) > [“IN ALL THE YEARS I’ve spent here at Salton Sea State Penitentiary, I swear I never met a scarier man than Big Pete. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-graham/in-all-the-years-i-ve-spent-here-at-salton-sea-state-penitentiary-i/) [Joshua Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-graham/) > [“Infiltrating the records of a state penitentiary as well as the state and federal court systems was much more fun than deciphering art. -Phil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/infiltrating-the-records-of-a-state-penitentiary-as-well-as-the-state/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [“I was born and grew to manhood in one of the wildest and roughest districts of Pennsylvania.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-h-elmer-harry-kreps/i-was-born-and-grew-to-manhood-in-one-of-the-wildest-and-roughest/) E. H. (Elmer Harry) Kreps > [Perugia is my true fatherland because there I grew to manhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-aretino/perugia-is-my-true-fatherland-because-there-i-grew-to-manhood/) [Pietro Aretino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-aretino/) > [If anyone knew where they were, I'd send the ISDBB (Incredibly Stupid and Dumb Beyond Belief) award to the two guys who tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/if-anyone-knew-where-they-were-i-d-send-the-isdbb-incredibly-stupid/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [I remember a class I taught at Ohio State where I assigned a Mary Gaitskill story, which really wasn't that bad, and I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/i-remember-a-class-i-taught-at-ohio-state-where-i-assigned-a-mary/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [What would have become of Ohio State if I said everything? Half the team would have been suspended, and it would have been worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-clarett/what-would-have-become-of-ohio-state-if-i-said-everything-half-the/) Maurice Clarett > [I'm no longer the head football coach at Ohio State.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/i-m-no-longer-the-head-football-coach-at-ohio-state/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) > [ From him \[Wilard Bennett\] I learned how different a working laboratory is from a student laboratory. The answers are not known! \[While an undergraduate,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-m-fowler/from-him-wilard-bennett-i-learned-how-different-a-working-laboratory/) William M. Fowler > [Ohio State is an up and down team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booger-mcfarland/ohio-state-is-an-up-and-down-team/) [Booger McFarland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booger-mcfarland/) > [Ohio State created me. They created what they suspended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-clarett/ohio-state-created-me-they-created-what-they-suspended/) Maurice Clarett > [I feel blessed to be able to do these events. As I travel around, I'm fully cognizant that there are a lot of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-mcdonough/i-feel-blessed-to-be-able-to-do-these-events-as-i-travel-around-i-m/) Sean McDonough > [At Ohio State University, to avoid being guilty of 'sexual assault' or 'sexual violence,' you and your partner now apparently have to agree on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/at-ohio-state-university-to-avoid-being-guilty-of-sexual-assault-or/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think at Ohio State, we're professional athletes in Columbus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezekiel-elliott/i-think-at-ohio-state-we-re-professional-athletes-in-columbus/) [Ezekiel Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezekiel-elliott/) ## More by Chester Himes > [“what i really need is a dead man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/what-i-really-need-is-a-dead-man/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [American violence is public life, it's a public way of life, it became a form, a detective story form. So I should think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/american-violence-is-public-life-it-s-a-public-way-of-life-it-became/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [Our highest ambition is to be included in the stream of American life, to be permitted to "play the game" as any other American;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/our-highest-ambition-is-to-be-included-in-the-stream-of-american-life/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [It seemed so illogical to punish some poor criminal for doing something that civilization taught him how to do so he could have something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/it-seemed-so-illogical-to-punish-some-poor-criminal-for-doing/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [“Don't ever lean your whole weight on happiness, Jimmy. You fall too hard too hard when it gives away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/don-t-ever-lean-your-whole-weight-on-happiness-jimmy-you-fall-too/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [“For he reached the conclusion that everything he had ever seen, or had ever done, or had ever dreamed of doing would in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/for-he-reached-the-conclusion-that-everything-he-had-ever-seen-or-had/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [When you get to mixing sex and religion, it will make anybody crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/when-you-get-to-mixing-sex-and-religion-it-will-make-anybody-crazy/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [Democracy is not tolerance. Democracy is a prescribed way of life erected on the premise that all men are created equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/democracy-is-not-tolerance-democracy-is-a-prescribed-way-of-life/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [I would sit in my room and become hysterical about the wild incredible story I was writing. And I thought I was writing realism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/i-would-sit-in-my-room-and-become-hysterical-about-the-wild/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [Growth is the surviving influence in all our lives. The tree will send up its trunk in thick profusion from land burned black by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/growth-is-the-surviving-influence-in-all-our-lives-the-tree-will-send/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [Man cannot live without some knowledge of the purpose of life. If he can find no purpose in life he creates one in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/man-cannot-live-without-some-knowledge-of-the-purpose-of-life-if-he/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [The Harlem of my books was never meant to be real; I never called it real; I just wanted to take it away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/the-harlem-of-my-books-was-never-meant-to-be-real-i-never-called-it/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [There is an indomitable quality within the human spirit that cannot be destroyed; a face deep within the human personality that is impregnable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/there-is-an-indomitable-quality-within-the-human-spirit-that-cannot/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [If one lives in a country where racism is held valid and practiced in all ways of life eventually, no matter whether one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/if-one-lives-in-a-country-where-racism-is-held-valid-and-practiced-in/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [“She held him at arms’ length, looked at the pipe still gripped in his hand, then looked at his face and read him like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/she-held-him-at-arms-length-looked-at-the-pipe-still-gripped-in-his/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) [Explore all 17 Chester Himes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) ## More Grew quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [I grew up in Mumbai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-grew-up-in-mumbai/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [I think anyone that grew up in the '70s and '80s grew up with Bob Barker and Wink Martindale and I think that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-fieri/i-think-anyone-that-grew-up-in-the-70s-and-80s-grew-up-with-bob/) [Guy Fieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-fieri/) > [I got to meet some of the best people I've ever met, and we all grew as people and as entertainers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/i-got-to-meet-some-of-the-best-people-i-ve-ever-met-and-we-all-grew/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [Once my family grew bigger I loved Portland more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-wallace/once-my-family-grew-bigger-i-loved-portland-more/) [Rasheed Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-wallace/) > [Grew up in a small town where there was only one crazy guy. He didn't even go insane doing anything good, like going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-posehn/grew-up-in-a-small-town-where-there-was-only-one-crazy-guy-he-didn-t/) [Brian Posehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-posehn/) > [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/) [Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/) > [I have to say, I grew up with fashion because my mother was a seamstress, and she had an atelier. She would cut the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/i-have-to-say-i-grew-up-with-fashion-because-my-mother-was-a/) [Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/) > [This role is more visible, and I grew up without a lot of that sort of modeling so I'm relieved and proud to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/this-role-is-more-visible-and-i-grew-up-without-a-lot-of-that-sort-of/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [I grew up on a set and saw my family doing it and thought, 'I can do that too.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-culkin/i-grew-up-on-a-set-and-saw-my-family-doing-it-and-thought-i-can-do/) [Rory Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-culkin/) > [My dad's Israeli. He was born in Baghdad to Iraqi Jews. Then, at age two, his parents wanted to move to their homeland and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-yamin/my-dad-s-israeli-he-was-born-in-baghdad-to-iraqi-jews-then-at-age-two/) [Elliott Yamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-yamin/) Browse all 6,016 Grew quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chester Himes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-penitentiary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grew" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-penitentiary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/chester-himes-30065_grew_i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-peni_2042076.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.” — Chester Himes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chester Himes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I grew to manhood in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-penitentiary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/i-grew-to-manhood-in-the-ohio-state-penitentiary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```