Langston Hughes Salvation

“Salvation”, by Langston Hughes, is the story of a boy and his salvation from sin, or at least his perceived salvation. Hughes relates how he waited for Jesus to enter him, but never felt it, and in the end felt pressured into lying about it. In his work, Hughes demonstrates the main tenets of a remembered event essay, vivid description and significance, and uses them to craft a well-told story.
Vivid description helps the reader to better understand the story, as well as provide necessary information. When hughes writes that the preacher gave a “rhythmical sermon, all moans and shouts and lonely cries and dire pictures of hell,” it helps the reader to understand just how passionate about Jesus the others are (Hughes, para 3). This information is essential to the reader, as it allows the reader to understand why Hughes felt so pressured later in the essay. The church was very passionate, so much so that the “whole building rocked with prayer and song,” but Hughes did not feel any of this, making him feel isolated (Hughes, 4). This feeling, as well as the pressure he felt to fit in, help give the …show more content…
In “Salvation”, Hughes shows that peer pressure is a powerful force, when he writes that Westley said “I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved,” as Westley only wants to fit in, not be saved (Hughes, 6). Despite having no desire to be saved, Westley does not want to be the only boy in the church who has not been saved, and therefore lies and goes up to be “saved” in order to fit in. Peer pressure also causes Hughes to lie, in order to “save further trouble” (Hughes, 11). Though Hughes had been waiting for Jesus, he had not felt him yet, but not wanting to be the last one in the church who had not been saved, he decided to lie and be