Salvation by Langston Hughes
Maida Dias
Mr. Bobby Ruth
ENG.111.4219
8 September, 2016
Salvation by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri. Was an African
American poet, novelist and playwright whose themes made him a leader contributor to
The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Salvation is an autobiographical work written in
1940. The writer explains his experience of a reunion in a church in his childhood. His
prospects of finding Jesus and disappointment of nothing that expected will happen, to
feel pressured to do something that wasn’t feeling and be part of a group that was lying
like him. The sinner felll because of the attitudes taken and doubt their internal values,
result in a state of disillusionment and loss of everything he believed up to that point and
he would not recover. The loss of faith in Jesus and pressure to please the adults in his
family and the church.
The story begins with the contradiction, “ I was saved from sin when I was going
on thirteen. But not really saved”. Giving us an idea of something expected to happen
and it was not. He described about the church her aunt attended and particular
characteristics of these meetings assistants. The preparation of his aunt days ahead,
for the accept Jesus and be saved. From what would happen when he got the time and
the expectation of seeing come to Jesus, that never came. The pressure of an
congregation given to prayer, to sing, to worship and glorify their God, who would come
to save others and they wanted him, be part of the same group. While he is waiting to
feel that calling, to see the light that would change his life somehow. At this point
he felt the frustration and anxiety of waiting, along with the other children.
He shows his values, when inside was against the actions of his friend Westley.
Westley announce in a whisper: “God damn! I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and
Be saved”. And got up and was saved. Still he is feeling alone in the bench and the
Insistence of his aunt and congregation, he kept waiting, waiting for Jesus. He started to
feel embarrassed because nothing happening with him and the increase of the
pressure from others to pass. Surprised thinking to see that nothing had happen to
Westley, to go out and lie to the church, God did not punish him for his actions. Nor
did he sentence him to death for his sin. Unexpectedly, he decides to go to the front
and received Jesus. To give the congregation and family, what they were expecting
even though it was not real.
At the end, the pressure of the group, beat against their values. That night, when
he was alone, he felt the pain to confront himself with the reality that would bring
consequences of delusion, the feeling of guilt that he felt for completing the expectation
of his family, church congregation and himself. The feeling of be part of the group also
to show that he was worthy to feel the same. Although inside, he felt a strong pain that
framework and. as a result he lost his faith. The deception about everything he knew
like reality, lost sense. The diversity of emotions that had to confront and an internal
struggle to preserve its values and internal shame that was not worthy to feel the
presence of Jesus, made he defines himself as a nonbeliever.
Over the years. We continue to face the pressure of being part of something
that we strongly believe is right, with often counterproductive consequences for our
own sanity. We influenced and are influenced constantly by all kinds of advertising
and beliefs of all kinds forms, from norms, religion, food, fashion, politics. Be part of
a society full of many trends and constantly challenges. As adult many times, I have