In Langston Hughes’ piece “Salvation,” he implemented personification to amplify the impassioned, but manipulative, environment of the church during the revival. 2. “And the church sang a song about the lower lights are burning, some poor sinners to be saved” (par. 4). “And the whole building rocked with prayer and song” (par. 4).
Hughes ' comprehension of his aunt 's explanation about salvation revival was based on his concept because he was so young; therefore, it made him come away and feel differently about God. Hughes was eager to see what his aunt told him that if he was saved from sin, then he will see a light and something will happen to him inside, and God will be with him from then on (Hughes 549). Hughes was so young to understand the faith feelings, so when he went with his aunt to the church revival, he was expecting to see what his aunt and many great old people have said to him about seeing a light, feeling something good inside and meeting Jesus in the church. Moving to the exact target that Hughes was looking for, which to meet Jesus as a person
Langston Hughes used rhetoric words in his story “Salvation,” to provide foreshadows, and emotional appeals to his struggles in becoming religiously saved. Hughes began his story by stating “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen (179).” The irony in this opening is that Hughes initially believed in the presence of Jesus, but unexpected pressures pushed him to betray and deceive his faith. The setting of Hughes struggles took place in a religious ceremony in his Auntie Reed’s church. In this service, many young children like Hughes were gathered to be spiritually cleansed by the light of Jesus.
Langston Hughes 's shifting attitude toward salvation in his essay was disappointing and at the same time upsetting. He 's disappointed and upset because he was forced to believe in the situation that something will happen to him inside before he accept Jesus but instead it did not happen. Most of the time we are pressured to accept an idea of what others belief, not because we agree to it but instead we intentionally do it for them to stop asking. Some felt the guilt after, and do something about it but most of the time we just let it go and move on.
“Salvation” is a short story by Langston Hughes describing a boy when he discovered a significant truth about faith and religion. The last paragraph of “Salvation” functions as an epiphany for the boy. An epiphany is an experience of sudden and striking realization. It can also mean the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. This event helps shape the boy’s religious understanding far differently from what his Aunt Reed believes.
In Langston Hughes’ story, “Salvation”, he is a young boy growing up in his aunt Reed’s religious household. Hughes talks about a personal experience that is related to religion and his interpretation of it when he was a child. He questions the understanding of this belief system that his aunt has been into and within the story, Langston Hughes is suddenly dropped into a difficult position for a youngster. When his auntie Reed decided to take him to a religious recital one night to be saved by Jesus, she told him that when you see a light and feel something inside, that is when you know Jesus has come into your life.
In Hughes’s short essay, which he ironically titles “Salvation,” he tells the reader about one of his most significant childhood memories. Hughes provides background about a huge revival at his aunt’s church. He flashes forward to the day where he was supposed to be called upon by Jesus and greeted by a bright light his aunt repeatedly tells him about. Hughes recalls that he sat on the mourners’ bench right in the front row with the rest of the unsaved children.
Waves of rejoicing swept the place” (205). That gives the reader a sense of also being in that exact spot. The title “Salvation” was just setting up for the rest of the essay to be filled with irony. The whole time the reader is on edge waiting for Langston to be saved by Jesus, but unfortunately he does not get saved. He ends up having to lie in order to make the people around him satisfied.
In the essay “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, Hughes argues that one should make decisions themselves instead of being forced by other people in your life. At the start of the essay, Hughes explains to the reader that his aunt was excited about anl at church where kids would get saved. Seeing Jesus,Hughes aunt told him, means you are saved and have accepted Jesus into your life. Right there is where the pressure starts for
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.
Langston Hughes short story “Salvation” epitomizes what is an internal struggle for many people, especially children, who want so badly to believe what they have been taught all their lives by their relatives, elders in the church and the preacher; that to have a relationship with God, you must be saved and only then will you be able to see him. Hughes’ Aunt Reed paints such a vivid picture of that idea beginning in the story’s second chapter: “My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul.”
Writing about controversial subjects can often be difficult; however Hughes executed his story, Salvation, in an intriguing manner that is suitable to all audiences and religions. In this story, the writer retells an experience from his childhood describing his journey to Jesus Christ. Discussing the complications, the main character, Hughes, faced while trying to come to Jesus is what makes the story interesting to read. On many occasions, you will read a story or watch a movie that shows the main character coming to Jesus and having an immediate and obvious realization of their Savior. For this reason, I found this story to be unique and relatable in the way that it shows a journey that countless Christians face, but you are not often granted the opportunity to read about this type of experience.
Langston Hughes’ autobiography essay “Salvation” goes in depth about an experience he went through when he “was going on thirteen.” In this narrative, Hughes’ illustrates himself as a young boy, whom decisions at church one evening, reflects the human race intuitive tendency to conform and in a sense obey societal trends. That week Hughes’ Aunt Reed had been pressuring him about approaching the alter, accepting Jesus as his savior, seeing the light and having a spiritual awakening. Hughes’ wanted to see Jesus dearly and experience salvation. Realizing Langston was not able to see Jesus and others could, he found himself in unexpected position with the community in the church.
In the poem “I, Too”, the author Langston Hughes illustrates the key aspect of racial discrimination faces against the African Americans to further appeals the people to challenge white supremacy. He conveys the idea that black Americans are as important in the society. Frist, Hughes utilizes the shift of tones to indicate the thrive of African American power. In the first stanza, the speaker shows the sense of nation pride through the use of patriotic tone. The first line of the poem, “I, too, sing America” states the speaker’s state of mind.
We can define the word salvation as deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ. One can be saved by accepting Jesus Christ into your life, but this wasn’t the case for Langston Hughes when he wrote “Salvation”. Having portrayed himself as a young teenage boy when this piece was written and using the first person perspective, the pressure he felt wanting to actually see and feel Jesus is the main reason why he ruined it for himself, and he was not “saved”. The first two lines even say “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.”
