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Langston Hughes Salvation Analysis

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In “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, he recalls a time from his childhood when he was at church. All the children of the church were being “saved” until he was eventually the last one who wasn’t. Feeling tired and pressured, Langston stood, declaring he had been saved. He felt horrible for lying, but the pressure placed upon him by the entire church outweighed the feeling of guilt. Similarly, people of all types experience a feeling similar to Langston’s; something called peer pressure. Everyone succumbs to peer pressure at some point in their lives, good and bad. In Langston’s case, he is a victim of peer pressure and feels awful for succumbing to it in the first place. I, too, have been a victim to peer pressure, which is not uncommon. With some, it can slightly inconvenience them …show more content…

Practically speaking, I would be unable to attend tennis practice because I planned to spend the summer babysitting in the mornings, causing an overlap of tennis practice and my responsibilities. Despite this knowledge (and my lack of knowledge in the field of tennis), I reluctantly signed my name on the sheet, hoping I could work something out. As the impending practice drew nearer, I realized I would be unable to acquire a babysitter to take my place. Despite expecting this outcome, I felt as if I had let down all the people expecting me to join. In reality, it’s doubtful they so much as bat an eye to my resignation from the team. As a far more knowledgeable person compared to the past, I find it suffice to say one should never succumb to the expectations of others. Of course, I knew this back then but still fell victim to peer pressure. Perhaps being more mature now, I know better than to submit to other’s expectations that I either cannot or do not want to meet. Hopefully Langston realized this as well, finding happiness and content without needing the approval of

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