Langston Hughes Salvation Analysis
The short story Salvation, written by Langston Hughes, is based on his personal experience at church as a young child. Langston Hughes aunt takes him to a meeting for the children at her church. At the meeting all the kids were to sit on the mourners bench and wait for Jesus to save them. Towards the end of the ceremony, all the children had been saved by Jesus except Langston and another boy. Eventually, he decides to get up and said that he had been “saved” by Jesus, although he never was. His tone in the story is somewhat a feeling of betrayal and that things aren’t always what they seem. Langston presents 2 contradictory views on religion in which are presented from Langston himself and his Auntie Reed. In the story Hughes says, “ I was
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Auntie Reed, at the age of thirteen, was probably a very religious child. Her views compared to Langston, after the event, are completely different. Auntie Reed most probably grew up sometime in the 1800’s, a time in which religion was very much looked upon. In the story, the reader can see see how she pressures Langston by making him think that he will see Jesus and when he does it is such a glorious moment. Langston mentions how his aunt had said to him that, “when you were saved you saw light… She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul” (19). Auntie Reed paints Langston this marvelous image about how enlightening it is to be saved by Jesus, except he never was. In Amy Carillo’s blog, she expresses that, “ … The pressure that an adult can have on a child causes so much damage to the infant who is not aware of what exactly is going on.” In this case, Auntie Reed’s views on salvation have given a negative effect towards Langston in the sense that at the end of the day he loses his faith in Jesus. Langston Hughes published “Salvation” in his autobiographical volume The Big Sea; two decades after the event happened. The fact the he decided to publish his experience two decades after it happened demonstrates that he had already matured enough to fully understand what happened that day. It also allowed him the opportunity to develop his own opinions and ideas. This may have eventually
Auntie Reed, at the age of thirteen, was probably a very religious child. Her views compared to Langston, after the event, are completely different. Auntie Reed most probably grew up sometime in the 1800’s, a time in which religion was very much looked upon. In the story, the reader can see see how she pressures Langston by making him think that he will see Jesus and when he does it is such a glorious moment. Langston mentions how his aunt had said to him that, “when you were saved you saw light… She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul” (19). Auntie Reed paints Langston this marvelous image about how enlightening it is to be saved by Jesus, except he never was. In Amy Carillo’s blog, she expresses that, “ … The pressure that an adult can have on a child causes so much damage to the infant who is not aware of what exactly is going on.” In this case, Auntie Reed’s views on salvation have given a negative effect towards Langston in the sense that at the end of the day he loses his faith in Jesus. Langston Hughes published “Salvation” in his autobiographical volume The Big Sea; two decades after the event happened. The fact the he decided to publish his experience two decades after it happened demonstrates that he had already matured enough to fully understand what happened that day. It also allowed him the opportunity to develop his own opinions and ideas. This may have eventually