SALVATION- LANGSTON HUGHES
- Read the short story "Salvation" by Langston Hughes and respond to the following question below:
- Overall, how effective is Hughes' story about this childhood event? At the narrative's conclusion, did you empathize with him or have a different reaction?
- After your response, read two of your colleagues' comments and respond.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHughes explain in (1940) about Salvation, I found out that Hughes childhood was very genuine because as a child I know for a fact that you should obey your parents and undertake what they say. But Hughes was a rebellious child. In his adolescence years at age 12, his aunt take him to church so that he could accepted Jesus as his personal lord and savior. But he refuses to do so. He wanted to stay as the hardened sinners who don’t want to accept Jesus into their lives. Despite the fact of satisfying his aunt as well as the congregation, Hughes lie to them about seeing Jesus. When he know from the bottom of his heart that was not so. Eventually in the end Hugh was crying because he felt heart broken and embarrassed because he lied and still believe that Jesus does not exist. I think that Hughes should have just accept the fact that he is a sinner because being deceitful in the house of God is a serious problem. (p. 180-182)
ReplyDeleteHughes. L., (1940). Salvation. New York, NY: Harlem Renaissance.
Hughes was unaware of what was happening around him. As a child, you believe in almost everything. So he did accept the fact of Jesus being real at first, but not quite the way he had imagined it. He cried that night because he knew he had lied to his aunt and everyone in the church. But really, I didnt think he had any fault.
DeleteLangston didn't had any fault indeed.I think if he would have been "educated" more about the fact about "seeing" and feeling Jesus the situation would have been different and the story would have had a better ending.
DeleteThere is no fault to be put on Langston here because he just a boy who don’t really grasp the understanding of what believing in faith is. I have seen people pray their whole lives and claiming that they have been saved. Later on some off those same people go right back to the way they were. If people can really be saved then there is no way they could have reverted back into their old selves. Like I said earlier, believing in faith is not for everyone.
DeleteHughes was not a rebellious child. From the beginning of this story his beliefs were based on his obedience to what his aunt taught him and what other adults were teaching. He believed in God, because they told him that he should. At the end of the story he lost faith in God, because in a sense his aunt failed him. They basically painted this beautiful picture of what seeing God would be like and look like and Hughes did not see what they said he would see, so he started to question the beliefs that he was raised with.
DeleteHughes is a child and children are open minded, they like to imagine many things and I think Hughes doesn't have any fault because it was his aunt who told him that he would see a light and be saves and that's what he imagined. he didn't got the message what his aunt was trying to tell him.
DeleteAs children we are not always at fault. True there may be outside influences, but it does not mean that we will not follow that which we were taught in the church or at home. Hughes’ may have cried because he felt confused, for rather than feeling that he was being deceitful, maybe he felt like he was the one being deceived. He grew up believing in something he was taught and is now realizing that it was not as he had perceive it to be. He really just wanted the acceptance of the congregation and their trust that he knew what was happening.
DeleteHughes is a very smart and quiet young boy, he doesn't have the full understanding of what his aunt was actually talking. I don't blame Hughes that he has the fault because his aunt should have been clear not talking to him in a indirect way, he don't have the full understanding at the age so he interpreted it in his own imagination, not his aunt's.
DeleteI was saved from sin when i was going on thirteen. But not really saved( Hughes,1940, p.180-182) Hughes explains about a childhood event, that his aunt took him to a special meeting at church, where all the other kids were waiting for salvation from Jesus. He was ready to accept Christ into his life because of all the wonderful things he had heard about him. Hughes, as a child, believed that Jesus would be like us, in flesh and blood but, of course, that is not so. Hughes mind as a child was of innocence, so I did empathize with him when he thought he could have literally seen Jesus. He was totally oblivious to the fact. In the end however, he came to a decision that he will accept Jesus in order to please his aunt and everyone else in the church. He succumb to a choice that broke off his beliefs of what he heard about Jesus.
ReplyDeleteHughes. L., (1940). Salvation. New York, NY: Harlem Renaissance.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree because Langston fell into peer pressure.As a child it was easy for him to do so.He knew he didn't saw Jesus but just to please everyone he said he did.The fact that he had the mentally that he would have seen Jesus with his naked eye another human being.Because of this his entire belief was indeed changed because his expectations wasn't successful.
DeleteI agree because at his age he submitted to peer pressure by just wanting to fit in, because everyone was being saved he believed that the best thing for him was to go ahead and be saved too. The picture that was set before him, was that he would physical get a chance to see Jesus and so deep down he was waitng patiently to get to see him. As human beings we tend to give the wrong impression to others when we want them to have the same belief as we do so we paint a bright picture, not realizing how much this can affect the individual, because the decision made in the story was not on his own free will. This led to him loosing all hope in even believing that there was a Jesus and he actually could be saved.
DeleteI agree because if you don’t believe in something and other people are forcing you to do so, only one thing you can do to get them off your back is to just go with the flow and pretend so they can move on. You might feel bad about lying to people but sometimes it is something that needs to be done. Like what I said earlier Aunt Reid should have been a little bit more clear on the matter so Langston could have understand it better.
DeleteI agree that Hughes was pressured into accepting Jesus into his life because even his aunt and the congregation kept pushing and pushing him, so he crack .Hughes felt guilty for telling a lie but know he believe even more that Jesus did not exist. His aunt should have explained that Jesus was not of flesh but of spirit.
DeleteI agree in the sense that a child's mentality is more of innocence compared to an adult's one. Due to the pressure of not only his Aunt but of the church itself he had decided to lie in order to please everyone. Thinking about the others and not of himself was a good thing he had done. However, because this had happened he ended in a position whereby he did not believe that Jesus existed again because of waiting to see the 'Light' that his Aunt had not explained clearly to him.
DeleteTyra, I agree with you as many psychologists have proven that we are born innocent. It is our environment that influences our way of thinking. In this story the narrator was influenced to go to the altar by the people at church. He also indicated twice that it was getting late.
DeleteI think you did a great job Tyra and I totally agree with you. Hughes went to church religiously and at the end he didn't believed anymore on Jesus because he didn't saw him. Jesus may come on different ways, and we can feel him on different ways too.
DeleteLangston story was very effective.This story has events that actually happen in our society today, going to church and people pressuring you to go up to the altar to get "saved" as what they would call it. Langston thought that he would have really seen Jesus as a real person.No one didn't really explain to him more that he would have understand and maybe the situation would have been different.He uses figurative language with irony, metaphor and hyperbole to help explain his story better and give us an idea an image in our head of what is happening in the church,among him,minister and the congregation.I empathize with him because he thought he would have literally seen Jesus and that is the reason he lied because he didn't saw him and he wanted the people to think he did.Now, this made him have a different mind set about Jesus and he just sinned again by lying.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with the way you annotated this story. I couldn't have said it any better. As I myself have some few views as yours. While reading the story also, you can see how the author creates suspense when he writes short sentences and having you wanting to read more of the story.
DeleteThe story was very effective, because we can actually relate to this in our society. Many young men who was raised by grandparents going to church was part of there up bringing. The only way they where thought to be saved was to be brought before Jesus. I was able to actually get a clear picture of what the author wanted to bring across to his reader's, not only was he able to use discriptive writting but he used the methaphor language in giving me a better understanding of what actually occurs in a church setting. I was able to empathize with him, because he allowed is self conscious to get the best of him, he knew that he did not actually see Jesus, but pretended that he did. This experience led him to have a different outlook on Jesus and being saved.
ReplyDeleteReading Langston Hughes’s story about salvation was very effective to me because seeing how his aunt was always taking him to church and trying to save him is almost like what my mother use to do to me when I was around Langston’s age. Langston loses his faith because of Auntie Reed. She tells him that "when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to your insides!" Langston took this literally, expecting to actually see a light and to feel something happening in his body. When he doesn't see or feel anything after he's saved, Langston gives up on believing in Jesus because he believed his aunt's descriptions of salvation. The story reflects how adults don't realize or understand how children think, especially when it concerns a concept as difficult as faith. Auntie Reed expects Langston to accept what she says because she's the adult, and he's a child. She never explains that Biblical stories are a useful guide for how to live one's life. After reading this story would stay that I was able to empathize with him because if he didn’t pretend to do what he did his aunt would have brought him to church over and over until they believed that he was saved. So yet again I do understand what he did because praying is nothing but false hope.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with your statement that Langston lost his faith because of Aunt Reed. She told him that you would see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul. This gave Langston all rights to think that Jesus would come to him physically. I believe that if she had education Langston prior to taking to taking him to church, he would’ve understood what being saved really meant. Therefore, I was also about to empathize with Langston.
DeleteI similarly agree that Langston would of lost his belief. This is due to the high expectation that he had. He was greatly persuaded by his Aunt' therefore;making him have an intense guarantee that he would of seen the light/Jesus. So when he didn't most naturally the trust that he had would of been forcefully removed. Resulting from the failure of information that should of been taught to him by his Aunt Reed.
DeleteI agree that Hughes lost his faith because of his aunt. I do not think it is fair that some adults basically force their beliefs on children. Children have a mind too and they should have opportunity to grow up and decide what beliefs they want to live by. Yes they should be taught about God, but they shouldn’t be pressured into accepting salvation, at an age when they do not even really understand the concept of being saved.
DeleteHughes story about salvation was very effective; it shows how a young boy was expecting to see Jesus in a physical state because his aunty Reed told him all the wonderful things that happens in a person’s life when you give your life to Jesus, he also heard the elders in his community speaking about Jesus, so he believes. I empathize with Hughes because he was innocent to the whole situation because no one explain to him that Jesus was not of flesh but of spirit. Making matters worse the congregation kept praying and praying as Hughes was the only sinner left to give his life to Jesus. To please everyone he got up and said that he accepted Jesus into his life and the whole congregation was rejoicing. Hughes contentious gets the worst of him because he lied. Hughes believes Jesus did not exist because Jesus did not come to save him.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree because, that kind of pressure seeing that everyone around you were being saved except you, would leave you feeling left out. So to blend in he decided to be saved and later on his conscience got the best of him and he felt worse.
DeleteThe story ‘Salvation’ in my point of view was very effective because it was not only written based on an experience us human can relate too but it was also written with a moral behind it. Reading the story gave me a clear vision of how differently a child’s mind is from an adult like for instance Langston wanting to see ‘Jesus’ physically not knowing that the ‘Light’ meant a clearer path in his future. I enjoyed the story. Arriving at the conclusion of the story; I had a different reaction. I was disappointed that Langston had lied to avoid from staying at the church until night. I expected him to not only be true to himself but also be true to his Aunt who put her outmost effort in helping him to view things in a better way. After all he did not believed in Jesus no more and seems that no one would change his mentality. All in all, ‘Salvation’ was a properly written story I enjoyed reading.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with my fellow friend here in saying that the story was well written well told and gave us a clear vision of how different a child mind is from an adult.
DeleteI would also agree with my fellow classmate that the story "Salvation" was a well rounded story. Readers were able to visualize the events that occured, and understand exactly how they happened. I also agree with your statement that the story gives a clear vision of the difference between a child's mind and that of an adult.
DeleteI agree fully with my classmate because sometimes as kids we tend to take things more on the literal aspect of things. Also when it comes to the ending of the story I would say that he should have just remained honest because he is already trying to be save and he is not helping the situation by lying.
DeleteIn salvation by longston Hughes written in the year 1940, Hughes who utalizes the first person point of view, explained how he was taken to church to be saved. His aunt had explained to him that when you are saved you will see a light and you will find Jesus christ. Longston took it too literal waiting to see Jesus Christ and the light. The story shows how a child thinks espically a child like longston they expect to see physical things rather only trying to do what they believed is right. I empathize with longston because he was only trying to understand what "being saved" is as per told to him in his aunt's explanation.
ReplyDeleteI think you could have went more in depth and tell us more of what you think, if you could have relate to Salvation or if you taught the sort story was effective to you. With that said you did an ok job.
DeleteI find the story entitled "Salvation" written by Langston Hughes in 1940 to be very effective. He explains a childhood event, whereby he was taken to the church by his aunt to be revived. This is still happening in our society today, this is my reason for saying it is very effective. In a sense, Langston was never educated about God, this is the reason why he was waiting to physically see Jesus. He wasn’t aware of the fact that, “seeing the light” only means to visualize a better path to life. His reason for believing that Jesus would come physically is because his aunt told him, “when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened inside! And Jesus came into your life!” She also told Langston that see and gear and feel Jesus in your soul. Therefore, Langston shouldn’t be blamed for his actions, as he was never educated about such events prior to being taken to church. Langston submitted to peer pressure from those within the church, the entire congregation praying and singing. After reading the entire story, I empathize with Langston, as he was innocent in his pursuit to a better life. He was waiting for Jesus in the way he thought Jesus would come. However, due to the pressure that was being placed upon him, he was forced to lie in order to please everyone around him. Langston feeling guilty for having lied to his aunt symbolises that he was only trying to understand what “being saved at the altar” really meant.
ReplyDeleteI most definitely do agree with that of your answer, in the fact that the lack of knowledge which hughes had therefore allowing him to be clueless hence forcing him to take what his aunt said in a literal sense as a result creating him to want to see god in a realistic form.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post that you share. It was really interesting and your comment is accurate. I agree with you when you stated that Langston felt guilty for having to lied. I would suggest he only did it because he wanted his aunt to feel proud oh him and think he was saved from his sin.
DeleteI totally agree with the way you bring across your points. Due to the pressure from the church makes him tell a lie to please everyone then in the end he had to feel sorry for what he has done.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with you, Eluide Miller, as the narrator did not only feel pressured by Westley, but also by his aunt, minister and the other people gather there. It is also true that he was ignorant to what salvation was. What I dislike is because of incidents like this people lose faith in Jesus. This incident will definitely have an impact on narrator’s future life. I agree that the narrator should have been educated that Jesus is omnipresent and will not necessarily appear in flesh.
DeleteThe story "Salvation" written by Langston Hughes is considered very effective, in that it illustrates the reality that a child's imagination and way of thinking goes beyond that of an adult and also how easily a child can be opinionated. Hughes demonstrates this view by giving a direct in sight about one of his childhood memories. He explains that when he was about 12 to 13 years old he and his aunt went to church to be revived. His aunt explained to him that when he received the lord he will then see a light. Hughes now anticipated kept waiting and waiting till when he would able to see the lord Physically. His reason for this faith is because his aunt told him, “when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened inside! And Jesus came into your life! and from then on God would always be with you”. This just goes to show his knowledge about the lord and the acceptance of him. After anxiously waiting to see Jesus he then became cautious. This was because the entire congregation started praying and singing as if they had received Christ. He then felt left out. Desiring to want to see the light he falsely pretended to do so as! This shows how desperate he had become and all so This just goes to show how an individual can easily be influenced just by wanting to feel like they belong. I personally do not emphasize with in him simple because he should of just been patient and understanding and it would of came to him. Instead of him taking measures into his own hands and pretending to be saved.
ReplyDeleteCourteney, I think you did an amazing job by executing thing assignment. I like that you where able to state your pointers and you were able to refer back to the short story to back up your points that u gave or listed in your comment.
DeleteYour perception is correct and that scenario can be seen in everyday light because peer pressure is not a uncommon thing
DeleteCourtney, you are right on point. Your view was clearly stated and your thoughts wad relevant to the version Salvation. But, the incident when he told a lie will definitely have an impact in his future life ahead.
DeleteHughes, L. (1940) stated “I was saved from sin when I was going on to thirteen. But not really saved.” These two lines are very significant and really effective. At the beginning of this story I did not really know what he meant when he mention “But I was not really saved”. But definitely after reading “Salvation” I could have relate to his situation. I am a Catholic and we go through a ceremony by the name of confirmation which prepare us to become a child of God. We should go to church on a regular basis to be familiar with the church and so we can go repent so our sins can be forgiven. I understand that Langston was waiting patiently to see Christ so he could have been save from sin. At the end of the story Langston lost his faith in Christ because he thought he was literally going to see and feel Christ. It is so amazing when you’re a child because you think differently from adults and you misinterpret messages that you hear. When you’re young you have a wild imagination. I would agree and say Hughes story “Salvation” is effective because a lot or most of us can relate to this story from our own childhood experience. In the end I empathized with Hughes because I felt that God did not come to save him and he was waiting patiently to see the light when he was sitting on the mourners’ bench. I knew he took it to heart because he began to cry that same night in his room.
ReplyDeleteShaine, I totally agree with you because I could relate to Langston situation. Many times we are force to go to church because it is ethically right if we attend the service. I will say that you did a fine job with your feedback.
DeleteI agree with you Shaine cause i think on the end he was really sorry and disappointed for the lie he told.
DeleteShaine, I quite agree with you and I love the way how you annotate your view on Salvation. Yes, many of us are force to go to church as teenagers to worship God. But, honestly we all know that he is very disheartened for the lie that he told his aunt as well as the congregation.
DeleteI agree with you Shaine, I strongly feel that the child felt extremely hurt that he never heard or saw Jesus calling him, but I feel he was more hurt because he felt rejected. As a child their idea of what Christ is is more tangible.
DeleteThe short story “Salvation” that was written by Hughes in the year 1940 is extremely effective from what I understand. My reason is because majority of us can take a glance into our childhood and can relate to what he wrote about. I don’t know about you but I could clearly remember it like it was yesterday. When I was younger my mother would send me to church almost every Sunday morning. I would only go because my mother sent me, it was not something that I was really interesting in doing. Every time the church service began the priest would convince you that God will lift up your soul and He will walk into your heart if you let him. I use to wonder if it is possible. But as I grew older I understand and I got a better understanding of what the priest meant. I think that Langston really misinterpret the information when his aunt told his he was going to see Christ. Hughes refused to stand up at first because he taught Christ was literally going to hold his hand and save him from his sin. Eventually he was tired of waiting so he stand up but he lost his faith in God. I empathized with him because he was being patient and nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteI could agree with you on the point that you made. As children, regardless of your age, we are all still ignorant to certain things because we know of only what we are taught and what has been instilled in us by the adults around us. Hughes’ aunt told him that when being saved, you would see the light and something happens inside you. Considering that was all he knows of being saved, that was what he truly expected to have happen. For many children, Jesus is just as real as Santa Clause or the tooth fairy and we all hope that one day in our mortal life we will be able to meet with them in person. Based on what he knew of Jesus and being saved it is understandable for him to have pretended to have been saved as this was all that he knew.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe short essay Salvation by Langston Hughes (1940). I found to be effective because Mr Langston was writing from a personal point of view about one of his childhood experiences. It shows that as a child we tend to take things literally sometimes when thy are not explained to us by adults properly. The point i am refering to is when Mr Langston said "my aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light and something happen to ypu indide." He taught literally he would have seen a light not understanding his aunt was only using a figure of speech to bring across a point. I empathize with him regardless of the lie he told because as a child you dont want to be left alone in a situation when you are been pressure and everybody is looking at you so u tel a lie to get it over with.
ReplyDeleteAs children, we expected our parents and elders to know best and that they were basically responsible for guiding us on the right path. Hughes’ story of going to church with his aunt and being told that he needed to be saved and what to expect when he was saved is a typical example of how children were taught to confirm with their parents ideals and beliefs. His behavior is reminiscent of how children sometimes react when they don’t share or have a similar experience to their elders and just pretend to have had the experience to keep the peace so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my fellow classmate because our parents often times wants us to follow in their footsteps and to be like them and we try so hard to make them proud which is kind of hard because they expect so much from you. And in the story he wanted to make his aunt proud of him.
DeleteI agree because: indeed there can be other influences to lead him astray. However, he should have been taught better at home before attending a mass that he was completely oblivious of their ways. Although he was influenced by the other child, it could have been different if he knew more from his aunt.
Delete“Salvation” by Langston Hughes is about a boy who was literally waiting to see Jesus. The story is effective even though we seldom to find children who are completely innocent at the age of twelve. The child in his desperation decides to lie to everyone in the church that he had seen Jesus. He then feels extremely guilty that he lied to everyone so he cries all night. Children do not feel guilty for telling lies in these days since they are more exposed. Children are opened to technology and in using technology; their knowledge broaden. The conclusion is effective as it shows the influence of religion. Most children at twelve are not ready for a Christian life. The decision of accepting Jesus in their life should be the child’s responsibility. A person should accept Jesus when he/she is fully prepared. Parents/relatives should not mandate or impose on their children’s’ life. Of course, parents or relatives should be there to guide children to the right path or the norms accepted by society.
ReplyDeleteThough I agree with most of your points, mind you Salvation was written in 1940 in a time when at the age of 12 a child still carried their innocence. And as far as imposing religion on a child, I would like to know if not the parents then who? I’m a strong believer that we should teach our kids of a higher power, so they know something is greater than them that is responsible for them in this world.
DeleteHughes, L. (1940) stated “I was saved from sin when I was going on to thirteen. But not really saved.” This poet was showing us an effective vivid view on how his current child-hood life was going on. To me the story is very ironic, because it’s a false pretended on how he was trying to give himself up to Jesus just so he could had satisfied his family. In our generation we all can relate to how our parents use to take us to church, or force us to go. At older age we find it hard on wanting to go there now because of the way society has showing us. There was many Interesting Things he point out to show us he was a hypocrite. As a family from The Methodist Church there’s a story from this that is related to Methodist religion. There’s a lot of Christian that act the same way in this generation also and it’s just more Sin there putting on themselves.
ReplyDeleteHughes story “Salvation” is a very effective story to me as this twelve to thirteen year old child religiously accompanies her aunt to church to be saved. Children aren’t like adults that may understand or be aware behind something and in this case Hughes was told by his aunt that he was going to see a light and be saved but he didn’t understood the idea behind this. He anxiously awaits and got depressed after it got late and lied that he had seen Jesus. He wasn’t religious anymore at the end of the passage and cried that night because he lied. Hughes on my side of view was not ready to be presented to church. A child should not be pushed to something they don’t want to, it should come from their own decision. After all I enjoyed the passage and reflected me back to some of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Elsner i can see you went and look up for what was asked. I think what you said about is clear stated they way you arrange you writing come up with the ideas very slowly and smooth.
DeleteHughes story is effective about childhood, because his experience with Christianity is still happening in many religions. In a lot of families today young children are taught certain beliefs about God, Jesus Christ and religion with the expectation that as they grow up they will hold on to what they were taught. It is quite obvious that children need adult approval to feel like they are doing the right thing and so many times they do not even question what adults tech them- they just believe, because so much pressure is on them.
ReplyDeleteChildren are raised to believe that they should give their life to Christ and some of the do it sincerely, while others just do what is expected. I remember things like this from when I was growing up, and now I know a lot of people who are no longer committed to the beliefs that we were raised with, because when they grew up they had more opportunity to question what they were taught and form their own beliefs about religion and Christianity and what beliefs they want to guide their lives.
I empathize with the boy in the story, because in the beginning he genuinely had faith in God due to what he was taught by the adults around him- some people would say he was on fire for God. However, by the end of the story, he actually lost his faith in God, because he did not get the experience that people told him about. He simply gave into pressure and was hurt in the end, because instead of getting closer to God, He stopped believing that God even exists.
L.Hughes was an author who wrote the story salvation which is a story about how he was,"saved from sin at the age of twelve".I sympathize with him for crying because the truth can hurt some people and seeing how religeous his aunt was she would of forgave him.The act that was taking place was a clear sign of peer pressure but as a child how could you expect him to understand the cretics of the bible his aunt didnt explain the methaphor and the meaning behind,"you will see the light"
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding from Hughes story “Salvation” is that it clearly states how a young man’s curiosity about seeing Jesus was not satisfied reason being because he was thinking too literal, Due to Wesley’s misunderstanding of how the "saving" was to occur, rather than just state that he didn't felt what the other children felt he chose to pretend to feel it simply because he was "tired of sitting here" and wanted to join the other children who had "seen the light of Jesus”. His motive was to be saved by the savoir himself but he failed to see the bigger picture that him being saved doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus will appear to you personally but is observing your every actions and will reward you for your good deeds. My feelings towards it was slightly different because I know Jesus wouldn't just appear to you personally, the feeling o the holy spirit would be from within so all that was happening wasn't entirely pointless to me it was unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteThe author is been very clear because he slowly build his personal life when through his early teen. Hughes, L. (1940) stated stated,"I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved." The is very effective on behave of the actor side. He is bring the feel he had toward Christianity at this stage of his life. He didn't have the clear understanding of what his aunt was bring across to him. The author also show at this point he was mainly doing it because he didn't want his aunt to feel ashamed of him. Then he express that he was confuse the fact that he wanted to see a literal light, not understanding that it was used as a paraphrase. I don't blame the author for what he did in the ending, i personal would'd done the same.
ReplyDeleteThe story ‘Salvation’ by Langston Hughes, in my opinion is highly effective as it touches on a sensitive matter that most children experience growing up in a family that is all about the church and accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Embedding in our minds that Heaven and Hell exists, and when we die we will go to be with God or burn in Hell for all eternity as it all depends on accepting Christ before we die, a fear that most carries all through childhood. As a child I believe we see the idea of God as an actual person that we can see and hear. This tangible entity that when he calls us we will see him as he stands there with a smile on his face with a welcoming voice calling on us to come to him.
ReplyDeleteI can relate. Reading this essay took me back to my childhood where I went through a similar scenario. Hugh’s was of conveying the emotions of the character were exactly on point with how I felt. Wanting to be a part of this thing everyone was accepting into their life, but waiting for the call, waiting to see the man walk through the door to call me to the altar.
I can relate to the pain of feeling empty, to finally submit to walking to the altar to join the others that have accepted Christ and feeling that Christ didn’t want me. I didn’t see him; I didn’t hear him, and wondering if he even existed at this point.
I can’t stress enough how effective this piece is as it hashed in me a memory of the event.
" I was saved from sin going on thirteen. But not really saved." I must say being that I grew up in a Christian home I can truly Relate to Hughes story for he based his content on events that are actually faced in today's society. I do not believe that the child in this story is one who is to be described as disobedient or delinquent to his elders or parents. In fact I believe that he was very much so loyal and obedient hence he made.the choice he made. As a Child, and I speak for myself we are taught many things from the people who raises us, and sometimes they tend to fail to realize that when teaching a child something one.must be very specific and go into every detail as possible.for that child can easily misinterpret what is being taught and that leads to misunderstanding what is being taught. like myself Hughes was taught that when being saved he would have a grand feeling or he was going to see something that he has never seen before. He was told that he would see a light and hear God's calling, and he took that literal. He really expected to see and feel the touch of this God who was calling unto him. Him refusing to go up and give up his soul wasn't a sign of betrayal or disobedience, he was simply waiting for a sign, for some type of reassurance that he was making the right choice that he was ready. He simply wanted something,anything to have him feel what he was taught to expect to feel. At around the age of ten so . Went through something quite similar to what Hughes went through. It was a Saturday for we were adventist believers,it was a baptismal service that day and I can remember the pastor preaching on about how so many "young souls" would be saved on that day. While preaching he kept touching us "young souls " on the head with the approval and encouragement of the members,and before we knew it he started taking us by the hand and took us to the alter. Now I was lost for deep down I did not feel ready to be baptized or "saved" I wanted the Lord to come and take my Palm in his and take me forward himself, for that is what I was told would happen. I also waited on the light to come but that didn't happen either, and like Hughes I didnt want to disappoint my grandmother who was a firm believer of the Lord and the members so I stepped forward and agreed to the terms. That's not being disobedient it's simply being pressured and forced into something blind folded. Hughes was a child who was lost, confused, forced,exhausted, and was pressured into something he wasn't ready for hence he said he was saved.......but not really.
ReplyDeleteThe story "Salvation" written by Langston Hughes was one that was quite interesting. I feel this way because this is something that happens a lot in our modern day society. Many young folks take church going for granted and do not see the importance of it. But if they would realize that God has the last say then maybe they would take it more seriously. I also believe that the title of the story is ironic because the boy was not actually saved from sin and salvation means being saved so in that sense it is ironic. Another thing is that i think that the little boy was innocent in the sense that he knew little about the process of being saved, because he wanted to literally see a light when it would just be him getting save and feeling like a new or different person. A lot of times kids are forced by their parents or guardians to go to church, and me already being in that situation knows that you won't show all your respect. I thought what he did in the church was really disrespectful but at the same time i think that he didn't really understand the situation that he was in.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete