The Ways We Lie Analysis

Stephanie Ericsson and Langston Hughes both confront the actions relating to dishonesty in The Ways We Lie and Salvation respectively. These authors present the deviation of the truth as a main theme and maintain that it causes negative impacts on life. However, The Ways We Lie more effectively supported its purpose than Langston Hughes’s Salvation.

Stephanie Ericsson addresses the main topic of avoiding the truth more directly. The purpose of this essay is to encourage people to abstain from dishonesty. This is achieved by describing factions of lying, especially those normally not considered deceit, and using personal anecdotes and historical precedents to add that personal appeal along with logic. For illustration, the author states,”I

It is not so cut and dry as The Ways We Lie describes untruths. Avoiding the truth is complicated and ambiguous in Salvation. Hughes lies because of the mistruths he recognized around him. For example,” 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!” Langston did not grasp that this was only a metaphor. The light being an indication towards the happiness brought by the goodness of Jesus and living in heaven instead of sin. Jesus does not physically become visible after life either. The bible portrays it as the Holy Spirit resting inside your body and soul. However, a thirteen year old boy should not have been expected to understand complex cosmological questions of Christianity. Nevertheless, these comparisons are not clarified and Langston accepts them as lies. Also, Westley, a rounder’s son, was dubious about the concept of Jesus, but eventually he became restless and irritated from being situated in front of these sisters and deacons. He jumped up, and joined the other saved children, leaving Langston to his lonesome. From Langston’s perspective, God didn’t appear to be irritated that Westley was “taking his name in vain or for lying in the temple.” The point being, that Langston was pressured into lying by the very people whose ninth commandment states,”You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Meaning don’t tell lies or mistruths. While these statements are not necessarily outright lies, Webster’s dictionary defines lies as,” 1. a false statement or action especially made with the intent to deceive; 2. anything that gives or is meant to give a false impression.” Therefore, the church folk were guilty of giving a false impression which is categorized as lying. After these two separate lies, Langston is entangled in a mistruth of his own. In conclusion, Langston Hughes’s essay certainly compels the reader to contemplate