The stories “Salvation” and “Araby” are both told by adult narrators looking back on a painful episode in their lives. Please address the following two creative exercises.
Imagine the narrators are telling you the story in a cafe or bar. Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Salvation” as he tells the story. Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Araby” as he recounts his experience.
In what ways are the voices
and attitudes of the two narrators
different and why?
This exercise is a good way to identify the “tone” of a story.
To receive full credit, you must address both questions.
Please address comments to others by name so that we can all follow along.
Be sure to include your SECTION NUMBER as there will be three sections of students participating in our discussions.
136 thoughts on “Week 2 Discussion”
When I imagine Langston Hughes telling me about his experience getting saved, I picture his tone or attitude being guilty and sad. It’s guilty because he led everyone to believe that he saw the holy ghost and was really saved. His guilt in lying about it and his loss of faith in god has caused a lot of disappointment with himself. For the narrator of “Araby” I picture his tone and attitude as disappointment because he was trying to do something nice for Mangans’s sister who he had a crush on. Due to his Uncle’s tardiness and possible drunkenness he was unable to get a gift for her which could lead to disappointment from her as well. These two tones are different because Hughes guilt and disappointment mainly comes from himself and him not being able to tell the truth about not seeing the holy ghost. Whereas the narrator for “Araby” his disappointment and guilt are caused by his uncle not coming home on time for him to make it to the fair or giving him enough money to buy the girl a gift.
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Hi, Heather, Your explanation is very clear with the examples of tones that you gave. I agree with you in salvation the boy was very disappointed with himself because he lied to his aunt and to the members of the church. In both scenes, the protagonists feel guilty but there is a big difference in Salvation the boy feels guilty due to his own actions and in the second story Araby the boy feels guilty because his uncle didn’t help him.
Hey Heather, I agree with you, Hughes attitude and tone was guilt at the time but then as an adult perspective he looked backed at as if it was a lesson learned.
With Araby the narrator showed the young boy was feeling ashamed and disappointed and the adolescent dealing with the harsh realities of life.
Tamaris, please be sure your comments meet the length requirements. I want you to get full credit!
In the first story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, I feel like the narrator had a different attitude and tone in the beginning and end. The narrator starts off his story with “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.” which sounds like he is confused. He then continues his story and expresses his curiosity and trust for his Aunt when he hears the feeling of being saved. The whole mood of the story changes when he did not see Jesus in the end and the narrator eventually loses interest in faith. He also feels guilty about lying and deceiving everyone at the church. The big irony of this story is when his Aunt heard his crying and she thought it was because he saw Jesus, but he was really crying because he felt hurt.
In the second story “Araby” by James Joyce, the narrator starts off his story by describing his town as dull which is important throughout the story because the narrator doesn’t enjoy his reality and escapes it by reading books. The narrator becomes infatuated with Mangan’s sister and gets excited when she tells him about the Araby bazaar:
“The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me.” (12)
The narrator promises Mangan’s sister that he would get her a gift and to him it felt like a quest to win her heart. On the night that he planned to go to the bazaar, he is waiting for his uncle to get home and the narrator starts to get anxious as it is getting late. His uncle finally comes home to give him money to go to the bazaar but when he gets there it’s not what he expected. The bazaar is not enchanting like how he imagined, and he is disappointed because he can’t bring anything back for Mangan’s sister.
I think these two stories both show irony and disappointment but both narrators express their attitude and tone differently at the end of their story. In the first story, it ends with sadness. The narrator feels hurt and guilty. In the second story, the narrator sounds annoyed and angry. Although both stories express excitement in the beginning, they end their story in a different tone.
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Angela, all your comments are well taken, but please read my prompt again. I’m not asking for a recap of events in the story. I’m asking you to stretch your imagination a bit (like the villagers in our last story) and imagine the two narrators as adults, telling their story to you in a cafe or bar. What are their voices like? How are the men different from each other? Are they bitter? Do they find any humor looking back on the childhood incident?
When I imagine Hughes telling me his story, I can feel that he was very hurt at the time of the event but I can tell his attitude towards it has changed when he starts off his story with “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.” Hughes has accepted the fact that he was never saved and moves on from the experience.
On the other hand in “Araby”, I can imagine the narrator telling me the story as if he was still disappointed about the incident. He expected to bring back something wonderful from the bazaar but failed to do so and concluded his story as a unfulfilling adventure.
Angela, thanks for this follow-up. I agree with you about the distinctions you make between the attitude of the adult narrators. Thanks for giving this a bit more thought!
HI, Angela, The author of Salvation felt hurt at the end of the story because he lied that he was saved. But, it is very interesting that the author starts saying that he was saved from sin. As we can see in this text the author gives us a lot of ironies. In the other story Araby the author ends very das because he couldn’t buy the gift. It was like a love scene but in the older times. .
Hi Angela! I think you touched upon a very important and interesting point within “Araby” – specifically when you mention that he “doesn’t enjoy reality and escapes it by reading books.” I’d like to offer a little comment about it!
One thing I’ve “learned” (not from “school”) in reading is that when writers incorporate or mention another writer or book in their narrative, in more cases than not, it tends to have been done on purpose, with some kind of intent behind it. For example – in “Araby”, the narrator mentions a book he “likes the best” among the priest’s old dusty papers. If you look up “The Memoirs of Vidocq”, you can see that it’s basically an autobiography-of-sorts of a criminal-turned-detective (in fact – Vidocq was the worlds 1st private detective and is considered to be a principal “father of criminology”). Cool as this all might sound (I’m a criminal justice student btw), it is less about what book the author put into their work but what it might mean. Criminals are deceptive when it comes to committing their crimes and detectives work to uncover the deception at the core of a case they may be pursuing – either way, this is all ironic given the narrator’s spiral into his own self-deception. Did Joyce purposely intend for their to be a connection like this? Sometimes, finding that escape like you suggest the narrator does is a mystery for everyone all on its own.
Hello Angela, I feel like Hughes was more hurt at the end of the story because he lied that he was saved and felt like Jesus had abandoned him. It kinda feels like his attitude has changed though as time went by, you can also get a sense of guilt when he’s telling the story. In James’s case I imagine he feels disappointed or amazement. He may even be bitter about it being that was his first love.
In Langston Hughes’ “Salvation” and James Joyce’s “Araby”, the reader confronts two “unknowing” narrators in the retellings of their respective spiritual developments, the primary similarity and difference that connects them. As both narrators experience a coming-of-age moment in their lives, their absorption into new stages of life result in differences in how each of them addresses a philosophical stage of apprehension, or the “wrapping of your mind around” a new development and the resulting reaction toward it. Progressing through a superficially linear path, the narrators find themselves differing in their movement through insularity, egotism, and love though we conclude in the end that Hughes and Joyce experience a disappointing deception in each that reflects greatly on their individual uses of voice and attitude. As deception reveals itself, becoming the “new known” after engaging with the unknown (i.e. the metaphysical cores of “religion” and “love”), the reader is able to identify fully the premise of guilt and hypocrisy each narrator endures and reacts to.
For twelve-year old Langston Hughes, the narrator of “Salvation”, the fundamental question of spirituality he seeks to resolve for himself as a “known” is whether or not the appearance and manifestation of Jesus before him (Hughes’ assumption is based on the word of Auntie Reed that he does in fact, appear – “I believed her”) will result in his transition toward religious enlightenment (Hughes 1). As for many Americans past and present, Hughes’ place of spiritual development resides in the church, animated with “preaching, singing, praying, and shouting…lonely cries and dire pictures of hell” (1). His images of church service reinforce and relate with an American reader’s concept of what attending church “feels” like, in which we can immediately recognize the idea of service as one “rocked with prayer and song” (1). Yet, despite the ruckus, “still [the narrator] kept waiting to see Jesus…but he didn’t come” (1-2). Hughes makes its rather easy for the reader to encounter and contend with his voice telling us as though it were directly to us, “I began to be ashamed of myself, holding everything up so long” (2). Hughes’ response to encountering the deception at his moment of spiritual development, embodied by the duplicity of his friend Westley, who simply had “got[ten] up and was saved”, moves the reader to share the weight of his disappointment as he cries “in bed alone, and couldn’t stop” (2). As the narrator opens his heart to the wave of guilt that consumes him, we find ourselves as readers unconsciously choosing to empathize with him over condemnation toward the church, highlighting Hughes’ personality as a man of great sensitivity and sensibility. Though his experience leads him to not “believe there was a Jesus anymore”, the “help” Hughes had sought to seek becomes one in which the reader, like a close friend meeting for coffee, opens themselves in support for (2).
For the young James Joyce, the narrator of “Araby”, the fundamental question of spirituality he seeks to resolve for himself as a “known” is whether or not obsessive love is able to be overcome by and answered with materialism. It is ironic then, given Joyce’s problem, that the narrator, a student in a Christian boys school, immediately alludes to his own condition of “being blind” in a Dublin characterized as “musty…littered…[with] dark dripping gardens where odours arose from the ashpits” (Joyce 1). This irony is further compounded in the deceased priest’s “wild garden” with a “central apple-tree”, an openly transparent representation of the Garden of Eden after the fall of Adam in which the essence of human nature becomes permanently defined with sin and defiance (1). The narrator’s closing view of himself as “a creature driven and derided by vanity” doesn’t quite elicit the same sense of empathy the reader may share with, say Langston Hughes, but Joyce’s striking comparison of himself to Adam is a significant point of separation between the two narrators’ use of voice and attitude (5). Joyce’s place of spiritual development is epitomized by the bazaar, “a large building which displayed [its] magical name” Araby, citing (perhaps unrecognizably to many readers) a romanticized view of the Middle East shared across Europe in the decades following the triumph and dominance of Napoleon’s Empire over the continent (4). His growing obsession for Mangan’s sister (who, though nameless, involuntarily becomes our personification of “Araby”) was “like a summons to all my foolish blood” filled with “moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand” (2). Unlike Hughes, who toiled at the opportunity for spiritual exposure, Joyce attests to reservations atypically associated in twelve-year old boys, that his “senses seemed to desire to veil themselves” and in his impatience with “the serious work of life”, he ironically refers to this as the “monotonous child’s play” that stands between himself and his pure desire (2-3). The narrator’s response to encountering the deception at his moment of spiritual development begins with his recognition of “a silence like that which pervades a church after a service,” a markedly drastic departure from the cacophony of the churches back in Hughes’ Missouri (4). Joyce’s struggle to “[remember] with difficulty why [he] had come [to the bazaar]” is completely absurd and deceptive to the rational reader (4). Enjoying a morning coffee with Joyce’s narrator would require a deep effort to withstand the torment of his own self-deception; in other words, be prepared for the long haul. In contrast to our patient observance, the narrator’s “burn[ing]” eyes, flushed “with anguish and anger,” not only detaches us from empathizing with him but simultaneously confirms his own condition of blindness and that of Dublin as the world’s post-Garden of Eden (5).
*Out of the MANY things I omitted from my discussion post, one interesting facet of each narrator’s point of spiritual development lies in how the religiously pious actually practice their faith. It goes without saying that in Hughes’ Missouri church, the screams and songs are a direct association with how this particular group of people practice faith. In Joyce’s dark Dublin, we find one manner of this “how” in the full title of one of the books he finds in the deceased priest’s pile of papers, a direct association with European religious thought as pseudo-philosophical and systematic:
“The Devout Communicant:
Or Spiritual Entertainments Before and After Communion. In Pious Meditations, Aspirations, &c. for Three Days Before and Three Days After Receiving the Blessed Sacrament. To which is Added, a Devout Method of Visiting the Blessed Sacrament in Fervent Prayers and Acts of Devotion, to be Said Before the Holy Sacrament. As Also Some Pious Hymns in Honour of this Sacred Mystery”
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David, there’s so much to say in response to this very thoughtful and analytical post. As I’ve mentioned to others, I am asking for an atypical response in this discussion. Normally, I seek exactly the kind of text-based analysis you offer here rather than any flights of fancy and creative writing. My goal, however, for this week’s conversation is to come to an understanding of “tone” as a component of a narrative. It is something that is very hard to define, as we see by the responses from students, which refer more to the protagonists’ response to specific events rather than to the protatonists’ attitude towards their own storytelling. I would say, for example, that Hughes’s tone is ironical. This is the attitude of the author towards his own narrative. It is the voice he lends to the narrator in which the story will be told. The narrators are both adults looking back on a painful childhood experience. Do you feel that the narrators have come to terms with the experience in the same way? Do you have a sense of how the adult narrators now view the childhood experience? Tone is very hard to define.
Perhaps a pertinent question for us to ask is – why is this the experience the writers decided to reflect back on? I think on the surface, sure, we can say with confidence that these narratives are indeed “childhood experiences”. But after some more thought, I don’t quite think these are experiences of childhood – in fact, I’m more inclined to believe these are moments in which the innocence of childhood is ripped from them, thrusting them into an uncomfortable and confusing world of adulthood (which it is right?) With this in mind, tone is actually more difficult to define than initially thought because there is a very distinctive blur (albeit one existing differently between the two pieces) between who is actually “speaking” – is it the “adult” writer looking back? Or the “child” narrator experiencing the experience in a “present” sense? In both cases, there are moments in which I cannot say for sure which one of these perspectives is taking hold – some seem to switch sentence by sentence – and what I mean by that is in one moment we hear from the “child” and at others we hear from the “adult (with hindsight)”. I think the new “confusions” of adulthood are by extension, one reason my confusion here on who is “speaking” exists. This is surely a defining feature of the tone presented by both authors.
In presenting a line of questioning and examination that begins with this idea of a “two-fold” voice, I think you can conclude that these are not only the moments of thrust into adulthood (my point above) but that they “stick” with them well into the latter part of each of their lives; they are lasting. I want to say that there’s roughly a 26 year difference between the events of “Salvation” and its publishing – there’s also a difference (argued among academics) of anywhere from 12-20 years between the events of “Araby” and its publishing. It is here that we should consider the question of whether or not the authors “have come to terms” with their experiences. For me, this is one of reader perspective. So, personally: Bottom line – I don’t think either have come to terms with their experiences. Contending with the quintessential modes of existential being is obviously not one with concrete answers lined up in relation to one another to give humanity the proper “structure” to navigate the new and unforeseen “break” in their perception of the world. It is the reveal of deception that now encompasses their ENTIRE view; it cannot be changed, it cannot be undone. Rather than “coming to terms” with them, I think these are the moments in which deception has overshadowed their former innocences – something I think that just can’t be easily overcome overnight. I’ve made deception a key point in my post and it is one of a couple perspectives (spirituality vs materialism as another example) that the authors take on in viewing the past. It’s exactly why too I believe that the deception they felt was indeed so traumatic, it defined them, it imprinted itself onto their very beings and for better or worse, they were no longer children. As a quick insert – Joyce’s view of “serious life work” as “child’s play” (a point in my post) is an example of this departure from childhood in his moment of development.
It’s hard to put all of these ideas into one singular discussion post, but it’s worth mentioning that, in employing a text-based analytical approach to the prompt, I suppose tone would be clearly perceptible to readers of my post because without text, we would have nothing to base our inferences of an author’s tone. I don’t typically say outright, “the difference between A and B is ______” – I try and let my words do another set of talking. I’ve set textual evidence in a way that sets Hughes and Joyce in a sort of juxtapositional framework.
Langston Huges would most likely have told his story, “Salvation”, with a voice and attitude plagued with guilt because he thought he had failed his aunt and his church. Langston’s story was about how he was saved, but not really. He was told by his aunt, very enthusiastically, that meeting Jesus would be wonderous and those who met him would have God within them from then on, but when Langston was supposed to “go to Jesus”, but he saw nothing. James Joyce, on the other hand, seemed to have a sense on longing and anger which would be his voice and attitude for his story. I chose the word longing because James truly adored Mangan’s sister, to the point of obsession. Towards the end of his story, his voice would be filled with anger. James was infuriated with his uncle because he did not remember to bring James to the bazaar and did not hand enough money for James to buy a souvenir. The two authors’ tones differ because of the direction of their feelings. Langston felt guilty because he thought he had failed his church and his aunt. James feels only anger for his uncle due to him being so forgetful.
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Chong Lin, thank you for your comments. As I’ve commented to others, there is nothing incorrect about your response. However, I am trying to get at something a bit more abstract, which is the tone in which the stories are written. Your response focuses on events in the story rather than the way in which the story is told. What kind of language do the narrators use? How do they choose to tell their childhood stories? For example, is there any subtle humor or irony in “Salvation?” Is there an unresolved bitterness that comes through in “Araby?”
Hello Chong, i too agree that Hughes would still feel guilt. I picture him uneasy or antsy as telling the story almost like he would be anticipating judgement from others as he admits to him not seeing Jesus when he was saved. He is embarrassed and still disappointed and it’s like he doesn’t really want tell anyone about it. For James i picture him telling that experience and still feeling disappointed or in awe. He may even be bitter about it being that was his first crush.
Hi Chong Lin, I find your analysis very interesting! I think you offer a great glimpse into how the narrators were feeling in the moment when the events of the story were taking place. However, I think that as adults, they would probably look back very differently on the situations they found themselves in as children. I think that in “Salvation”, Langston Hughes looked back at his childhood guilt and shame with a sense of humor, recognizing the irony in falling into such deep despair when he was supposed to be “saved”. Likewise in “Araby”, James Joyce looked back on his immature shock and anger with sadness, now knowing that he was losing some of his boyish joy and naive understanding of love at that moment. Just like when we reminisce about childhood memories, their adult attitudes towards their experiences changed a lot from the way they reacted as children in the moment.
1.Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Salvation” as he tells the story.
I would describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of salvation as confused and then finally guilty. The reason why I think it would have this tone of voice is because the story of Salvation goes on about how Langston Hughes had lied about “seeing Jesus” and how terrible he had felt during the whole process because he had felt that he had lied to everyone including his Aunt which had traumatized him.
2.Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Araby” as he recounts his experience.
I would describe the voice of the narrator of Araby as calm at the start but around the last few paragraphs worrying. I think of the voice like this is because at the start the story goes on to explain about the location and what/who is there and it seems to sound like a nice quite place but when the story moves on to the bazaar you get the feeling of confusion and worry like you know that this was a place James Joyce had jumped into to quickly without plan or knowing.
3.In what ways are the voices
and attitudes of the two narrators
different and why?
The reason why the narrators voices are different is because the stories are quite different in comprising. In Salvation it is a story of how Langston Hughes remembering something that brought guilt and great confusion because there was a misunderstanding of what “Seeing Jesus” meant. While Araby is about the excitement James Joyce is feeling when he is about to see someone hes always wanted to spend time with but in the end it shows how he was not prepared for the journey and now you are in someway lost.
Section 0503
Michael, thanks for posting. My comments in response are very much the same as i have posted to everyone so far. Rather than repeat myself, I hope you’ll browse through the questions I pose to Chon Lin, David, Angela, and Heather. It’s not that anyone is incorrect in their reading of the stories. I am asking for some exploration of how the narrators present their stories. How is the way in which “Araby” is told different from the way in which “Salvation” is told? Do both adult narrators view the childhood experience in the same way? It’s a very subtle question, and “tone” is very hard to define in literature.
The tone in “Salvation” by Langston Huges showcases embarrassment and guilt while “Araby” by James Joyce displays more darkness.
As Langston tells me a story of his younger self, I notice him display different emotions. His attitude and tone change throughout. First, I hear the belief and excitement as he recalls his aunt telling him about the change that would come when finding Jesus. I notice Langston shift into hopefulness as the church sang, and some young sinners “went to Jesus right away.” Then embarrassment when he and Westley were the only two who had not been saved by Christ—followed by disappointment and hopelessness because Jesus still had not shown up. By the end of his story, you could see the guilt all over his body from lying to his aunt and everyone else who believed he got saved that day.
As James tells me a story of his younger self, he keeps somewhat of a steady tone. When describing the neighborhood, he seemed depressed—hinting that it was quiet, lifeless, and cold; there wasn’t much excitement except when the school kids are out. His attitude changed to hopeful and a bit erotic while he expressed his feelings for Mangan’s sister. Then, towards the end, disappointment.
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Faith, as you can see by my comments to others, the voice of the narrators is not just their reaction to the incidents in the story. Of course, these were painful incidents to the children they once were. I’m trying to explore how the adult perspective comes across in the manner in which the stories are told. This is what is meant by the “tone” of a story. Guilt and embarrassment are not really “tones.” They are emotions, feelings. I would say that “Salvation,” for example, has an ironic tone. The narrator seems able to inject some subtle humor into the story, suggesting maybe that he has come to an acceptance of his atheism, or at least to a lack of believe in Jesus as a deity.
When I picture Langston Hughes telling me his story, I can see him telling me this story outside of a church sitting on a bench as complete strangers who casually sit and watch as people pass by. If he were telling me this, I would think his eyes would be wide open and full of life, hence the exclamation points in the story. As he progresses to his point of not seeing Jesus, his face would relax more, if anything, have a bit of a “natural frown”. He’s not very straightforward with setting the tone in the beginning but he definitely sets it in the end when he admits he was crying because he lied about seeing Jesus.
James Joyce however, we would be meeting in a pub where music is playing low in the background but not too loud. The lights would be dim and a bit of a yellow hue would set the mood for his story. It would also be wintertime for some reason. He right off the bat would have a much more calm expression on his face. Almost as if he has been let down since an early age. As he would explain his story to me, I would get a clear understanding as to why he’s a bit more down with his personality.
Both stories are an example of being let down either because of themselves or because of others so the tones are very similar. They just have different ways of setting them from beginning to end.
Sorry, section 0504!
Nathaly, I like how you have allowed yourself to actually imagine the narrators as characters telling their stories, and I think you have rightly set the Joyce narrator in a bar. I don’t agree, however, that the tone of the two stories is similar. I find that a bleak and bitter tone permeates “Araby.” This adult narrator is not able to look back on this incident with any humor, as we often look back on our childhood crushes. This is because his epiphany has nothing to do with love or a girl but with a realization about the conditions of his life. I think there is some subtle humor in “Salvation,” though others might not agree. For one thing, the narrator seems able to look back on this incident and point out the foibles of the elders who have led him to believe in a great, fantastical moment of salvation. I sense a longstanding affection for the “old ladies with braided hair” and the men with their “work-gnarled hands.” I have colleagues who do not find one bit of humor in “Salvation” though.
I find it interesting how you think it’s a subtle humor so I went back to re-read it. I can definitely see now how it can be portrayed in that way. Almost as if Hughes sees this moment in his life as something that he could easily brush off as he gets older. Although, I do have to say, the first time I read it I actually cried at the thought he didn’t see Jesus. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m applying it to my life and how I see things. I would do the same as him in the sense of lying about it and feeling very guilty and at the same time empty but I get he was a kid and it’s something that he would be telling anyone as “Let me tell you something crazy that happened to me as a kid” and jokingly saying it. I’ll go back to “Araby” to see if I get a different understanding.
Nathaly, please just be sure to address your responses to people by name so we can all follow along. Thanks!
Hello Nathaly,
I believe the setting you chose for each of them reflected their personality. Although, both men had disappointments I believe their attitudes would of been polar extremes from one another. James seemed hardened by the experience whereas Langston grew from his.
Arlene, please just make sure your comments meet the length requirements.
Hello Professor Conway,
Thank you for the reminder. I just went over the DB requirements and will adhere to them going forth. Sorry about that.
The voice of the narrator in Langston Hughes’ work entitled “Salvation” can be described as being resentful about this experience of not being able to be saved by Jesus. I see it as the narrator describing the event as being the loss of their innocence when it comes to their relationship with religion they might have had growing up as this event made the narrator come to the realization that they may never be saved by Jesus and the others who say that they have may be lying as well. It appears to me as if the narrator has come to terms with this event as being a changing point in their life.
The voice of the narrator in James Joyce’s “Araby” begins with the feeling of young love and an aspiration of being with someone one has a crush on. This voice, however, slowly declines towards the end to create a sense of the closing of the door that brought young love to something more realistic that comes with maturity. The way in which the short story ends conveys a tone in which it does not seem the narrator wants to come to terms with letting go of this false imagine of young love in their mind as he gazes in the darkness holding strong emotions, however he realizes that he must come to accept it.
Both short stories similarly convey the voice of a child coming to terms with maturity and their loss of innocence with two separate events. They both convey a tone in which they were upset when it came to the realization of it, however it also seems as if they both also book look back at these events as important for they were the ones that started their journey into independence and adulthood.
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Richard, thanks for the comments. The voices telling these stories are not the voices of children. I just want to emphasize this. Both stories are being told from the vantage point of adults. We know this by the verbal expression in “Araby,” and we know by the psychological insight in “Salvation,” as well as by the very first line of the story. My feeling is that the adults regard these childhood memories very differently. I feel that the ironic language of “Salvation” demonstrates the narrator’s ability to look back on the incident with an awareness of how immature and literal his ideas about spirituality were—thanks to the elders around him. I find his descriptions of the good church going people as “hardened sinners” to be touched with some humor. On the other hand, I hear only anguish in the voice of the “Araby” narrator. This is not a love story. The is a story about a boy who lives in a bleak and hopeless enivronment, who desperately craves some light or hope. He imbues the girl with these attributes, but at the bazaar comes to realize that their “romance” is a figment of his imagination.
Hi Richard! I also see the very stark difference in the way that the stories are told. I pointed out that while Hughes does express disappointment in what the end result eventually was, he writes in a way that implies that while he still recalls what happened vividly, he’s grown above that moment. He’s learned some life long lessons, he might even look back at the situation in a humorous way. Joyce’s writing is much more filled with regret. He writes as if the his experience has left a lasting effect on him. I do feel that he hasn’t really moved on, however. I feel like this experienced shaped the way he views romance, which was amplified by the circumstances he was living in during the time. It was somewhat of a reality check to him. I think that’s what truly sets the two stories apart.
Hey Richard,
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that in ‘Salvation’ the voice the narrator presents is a resentful one and that his experience was not an easy one. It was indeed a changing point in his life as a young boy moving towards manhood. The tone of sharing their bad experience is similar, yet I believe that in ‘Araby’ there is a more detailed tone and way of speaking. I felt that in the ‘Salvation’ we were brought into the story and I felt as if I was put in the shoes of the young boy. I was reading one of the professors comments about humor in ‘Salvation’. I didn’t comment that in my post, but have to say that it was very humorous that a child could be a sinner. Thank you for you post.
When it comes to Langston Hughes’s Salvation, I imagine telling this story possibly at a bar, more casual and more laid back.His tone would change throughout the telling of the story. He’d probably begin telling the story with an eager, optimistic tone, and transition slowly, but more gradually to a more melancholy tone. While we do see that the experience was indeed painful enough for him to remember it after all these years, the way the story is written indicates that the experience hasn’t;t left him with the type of lifelong emotional baggage. That’s possibly due to the fact that not everyone is impacted by religion the same way as others, but I feel like its shown in the way the story is written. We see in the beginning how the story sets a very energetic and optimistic tone, where all the people around him are above the moon to be saved by Jesus. But as the story continues, the realization sets in that he doesn’t see Jesus, and eventually lies and says that he does. The story ends with Langston recounting crying in his pillow about how he didn’t actually see Jesus. He does describe that he was indeed disappointed, but doesn’t go into detail of how it affected him other than his immediate reaction to lying and not seeing Jesus.
I imagine James Joyce, on the other hand, in a cafe. In a more calm, subdued environment. His tone is much more sad and regretful. He’d recount the story in a way that lets you know it continues to affect him to this day, as if it just happened yesterday. He sounds like someone who’s simply given up a long time ago, We see from the beginning of Araby, how life in his hometown is already insignificant and grey. Despite that, he attempts to make the best of his situation at his young age by being engaged in even the littlest parts of life. One of those things is Mangan’s sister. He emotionally attaches himself to the idea of her to the point where he feels like he’d do anything for her, which eventually led him to visit the Araby bazaar. When the illusion of what he thought the bazaar and the girl was is eventually shattered, he describes anger and shame. He writes as if he’s been betrayed. On top of that, the setting goes back to the exact place it started from, a place that’s grey and drab.
So as shown by the examples above, Langston’s tone describing this story in real life would be slightly more lively, and more so looking back on a childhood memory that he rose above from and learned a lesson from. While on the other hand, Joyce recounts the story in a way that implies that he never fully recovered from the experience, and that he’s carried it on for life.
My apologies
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Hi Caleb, I liked your interpretations of the stories and how each narrator would tell their story. I found it particularly interesting since we had differing opinions on each narrator’s tone. I found joyces voice to be the eager and more optimistic tone, while with Langston I heard the sad regretful tone you attributed to Joyce. It gave me a moment to stop and thank back on the stories, and I can definitely see where you’re coming from. Only now am I seeing the humor in Salvation, though it is also very sad, and the soul crushing darkness of Araby. Thanks for the head scratcher!
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Caleb, I especially like your discussion of “Araby” here. You have a good grasp on what the girl represents in his life and why she is so important. Some readers mistake this as a love story. But it is really a story about the search for meaning in a life set in a world of darkness and paralysis. The “tone” of a story refers to the manner in which an author decides to tell a story. For example, “Salvation” has an ironical tone. This doesn’t change with the changing events of the story.
Hello Caleb,
The emotion carried over from your explanation of Araby’s setting is precise. The connection between them both was a great perspective. I did not hone in on that detail but reflecting back on the story I can see how the setting represented his emotions. Something inside of him shut off just like the lights at the Bazaar.
Arlene, please just be sure that your comments to others meet the length requirements.
I think Langston Hughes and James Joyce would take very different approaches to tell their respective tales.
I can imagine Langston Hughes telling the story of “Salvation” in a bar or even at a party, possibly to a group of people he’s meeting for the first time. The tone of his story is ironic, even humorous, and feels like a fond memory he looks back on. Although it was a stressful and somewhat painful situation for his child self, I think he could recount “Salvation” happily to entertain himself and those around him. It is a lively and boisterous tale, one that would lend itself well to impersonations of the characters involved, and I can even see Hughes getting up to act out parts of the story to his audience. All in all, I think Hughes would have a good time telling his story, and I would have a great time listening to him tell it.
James Joyce, on the other hand, would have to recount the story of “Araby” in an entirely different setting. While Hughes might use “Salvation” to entertain, this story feels much more intimate and somber. The tone of “Araby” is very dark and reserved. I think Joyce would tell the story in a more private place, to someone for whom he already has some level of trust. I think telling the tale would bring up painful memories and emotions for him, even a level of trauma, and he would reflect that in his quiet, despondent mood while speaking. If Joyce sat me down to tell me the story of “Araby”, I would be left quite thoughtful, probably pondering what it means to be a child and when I too lost my sense of childhood wonderment.
It is interesting to me that two stories of childhood disillusionment can be told with such different tones and in such different settings. It’s a great example of how everybody processes their emotions and their pasts in different ways. I wonder if the presence of community plays a part in the telling of these tales. Hughes’s story is filled with members of his community, active participants in his life, and peers to relate to. Joyce, on the other hand, tells a relatively lonely story, where he is isolated (and self isolates) from friends and family due to his single-minded infatuation with the object of his affections. If Hughes had remembered his church experience alone in the pews as more othering, or if Joyce had focused more on playing with his school friends and actually talking to the girl he loved, we might have very different versions of their tales.
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Kia, thanks for the very good comments. I happen to agree with you about the humor in “Salvation,” though, as I’ve mentioned, there are people who think I’m crazy for finding the story funny. You mention something interesting though that may be a factor in why the tone of that story is so much lighter. This is the people in the environment. Yes. they’ve sold the young boy an unrealistic story, but they seem like good people, and there is a strong sense of community. In “Araby,” as you note, there is sense of isolation and lack of otherness. We don’t see the same nurturing and support in “Araby” that we see in “Salvation,” even though the boy ends up feeling disillusioned with those supporters. I never thought of this before, so thanks for the new ideas!
Hello kia,
You make some compelling points talking about Langston Hughes story, I believe there was definitely humor attached, especially when he and Westly remained on the bench. The exchange at that juncture was definitely rib-cracking. I believe the narrator would look back and that period in childhood with both laughter in mind but also disappointment on not getting the real experience of salvation.
Hi Kia,
I agree with your comments about both stories. I can also imagine Hughes using his story as a sort of “entertainment.” When he tells his story it’s like he can’t help but laugh back at it. On the other hand, Joyce is still disappointed about his experience. It’s interesting how you also mentioned the people involved in their story and how they could possibly change their experience. Like in the first story, if his aunt never tried to pressure him and put these thoughts in his head he would be less disappointed about not seeing Jesus?
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I sat in the cafe waiting for my name to be called to pick up my espresso at the counter. I was startled out of my day dream when my friends Langston and James plopped down on chairs next to me. We usually have coffee on every week on Thursdays before class. My name was called and James being the gentleman he always is told me not to get up, he’d go up to the counter for me. Langston and I started recalling childhood memories of when we would sneak to drink some coffee from our parents cups. We laughed and Langston went on about another childhood memory, as James joined us, but this memory wiped away the smile he held just a moment ago. He recalled being twelve years old and being brought to church to have his first encounter with Jesus. As he told this story, the longing in his voice to meet the one who would bring him salvation, could be heard over the clanging of mugs in the background. He said he could still feel the anticipation and the anxiety of Jesus arrival, an arrival that would never come. His smile came back, even a chuckle, recalling how he lied to the whole congregation including his aunt about seeing the almighty savior. He explained at the time it was such a detrimental experience, desiring to please his aunt but only making her proud by being dishonest. It made sense to me why Langston was suspicious of everything, never trusting anyone’s word over his own. James teased him and recounted one of his experiences as a young boy. James demeanor looked jaded as he recalled his first crush. He still remembered all the details of what she wore, how the light shone on her body, how her dressed swayed as she walked. I had to apologize for rolling my eyes at his obsession. James always carried himself like a gentleman. He had women swooning for him but none could ever hold his attention long enough. Mangar, the first girl to make his heart skip a beat, was where it all started. He recalled being desperate to win her over, make her think of him between blinks like he thought about her. So much so he would ask his uncle to let him go to the “Bazaar,” to buy something special for her even when his uncle came in drunk from work and the bazaar was almost over. He actually made it and walked away empty handed. “Why would you go through all of that trouble to not get her anything?!” I chimed in. He claimed he felt foolish and stupid that he wasted his time.
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Hi Arlene,
I really like how creative you were when writing and how you made it into a story of your own. Its really clever how you describe the characters in you story. For example when you called James a gentlemen while he gets your coffee or how you understand now why Langston never trusts anyone’s word over his own. I enjoyed reading your story, it left me wanting to read more.
Hello Arlene. I found our reply to the question to be intriguing as to the way you indirectly answered the questions in a unique way. With that said, I found you explained some ideas of the stories and their overall tones differently than what I had originally perceived them to be. At first, I did not notice the comedic tone of the narrator in “Salvation” and I found your writing perfectly demonstrates that tone with how you made the narrator, in this case Langston, when he chuckles when discussing the events that took place. This then creates a contrast when the tone dies down as James discusses his story describing “Araby” as his bitterness about the events fills the air.
Hello Arlene,
I absolutely love the direction you took this in! The way that you expressed the authors’ attitudes and demeanors without explicitly stating them is spectacular. I totally agree that James would appear “jaded”, and he would certainly recount all of the minuscule details of Mangan’s sister: I imagine he would obsessively remember them. Langston, on the other hand, would one-hundred percent begin the story with a laugh, and I can just see his smile returning with a hearty chuckle by the end of the story as if I, myself, am there, too. I love that you included that detail because it authentically reflects how he’s able to look back on his childhood experience with almost a sense of nostalgia, despite it being difficult to recount at times. Additionally, I really liked the concealed details you included that indicate James’ gentleman-like nature and attitude.
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Hello Arlene, I genuinely admire the approach you took for this assignment. I attempted to go this route but got lost along the way (lol). Somehow I could not grasp the concept of tone and confused it with emotion. After reading your response where Langston chuckled about lying to everyone, the irony of it all can be viewed as somewhat comical. I thought Langston still carried that guilt. Thanks for allowing me to see from your perspective.
Hypothetically Mr. Langston and I met at a cafe. Beginning a conversation he decides to tell me his story of how he was saved. At the beginning of the story, his tone was positive like an innocent child waiting for Santa. His attitude was positive and energetic. In the middle of the story, his tone becomes impatient and frustrating, and with an unsettling attitude. At that point in the story, Langston is pressured to lie, At the end of the story, his tone turned sad and disappointed, and his attitude was a little faded and fragile for two reasons, the for having lied and the second for not having seen what was expected. In the same cafe, I also met Joyce, who also decided to tell me a little story, which he calls Araby. At the beginning of the story, his tone was clear, precise, and defined, as when you tell something literally. His attitude was calm and unsettling. I was surprised by the way in which he explained the details carefully. In the middle of the story, his tone became intense and sharp. His attitude was impatient, for the way he wanted the day of the fair to come. At the end of the story, his tone turns to anger, and his attitude was defiant because he felt manipulated. I consider the difference in the tone of the two authors to be based on Langston´s innocent and passive tone and Joyce´s determination and anger. Regarding his attitudes, Langston had a submissive attitude while Joyce was angry. At the end of the story, we both enjoy a delicious coffee.
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“Salvation” by Langston Hughes is an ironic story about ceremonies of salvation in a local church. Author speaks in disdain for all what happened to him as a child and to other people as they were forced to accept through humiliating church rituals their submission of the holy spirit. While I can imagine him using strong and powerful voice to emphasize the events that took place in the ceremony, I think he would pause and sigh and continue the story with a light smile and repeat the phrase he had heard “bring the young lambs to the fold” in a way mocking the clergy. Overall, he would have a reproachful attitude toward an event that happened long time ago, but that could still be just as interesting as in the moment it happened.
The story of “Araby” by James Joyce is a picture of a short period of time in life of a young boy who is being challenged by unconfirmed love for his neighboring beautiful young girl. Author’s detailed description of the places, the events, and the girl shows the nostalgia that is still preserved in his soul. His voice is dry and shuddering.
I think Hughes writes in irony because he dislikes what he had witnessed as a kid and now as he speaks he feels relieved, whereas Joyce’s story is more descriptive and that could be understood that he still feels emotionally connected to the place and people he grew up with.
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When I read “Salvation” I found the narrators tone to be more aggressive and upsetting. He is upset that everyone got saved and he did not. He felt angry with Jesus for not helping him that day so he no longer believes that there is a Jesus. He felt upset that he had to lie to his Aunt about seeing Jesus, and that he lied to everyone at his church. Everyone was trying to guide him and it didn’t work the way it was supposed to, but everyone who was praying around him thought it did. I read the narrator in “Araby”‘s tone as naive and innocent. He was so “in love” with Mangan’s sister that he put himself on the line. Which as I can see him recounting, as a very innocent and naive thing to do. He was willing to put up a fight to his Uncle in order to buy her something, just so she would notice him more. But if the narrator we re-telling the story, I could see how he might think it was funny or he could laugh at the fact of how innocent he was. But if the narrator in “Salvation” were to re-tell his story, I think he would still feel as strongly about how he felt that night as he does now. He would still sound as though he feels betrayed and lost in the eyes of Jesus, who he hasn’t believed in since that night.
Claire, thank you for posting. I hope you’ll browse the previous comments by me and others. As I’ve said to other students, there’s nothing incorrect in what you write here. However, i’m trying to home in on the element of “tone” in a story. The tone is the author’s attitude towards the story—how he or she decides to tell the story through a narrator. It is not the emotional response to events in the story. For example, I might say that the tone of “Salvation” is ironical. This tone is consistent throughout the story and does not change with specific events in the story. This tone, I think, lends a subtle humor and affection to the narration of “Salvation,” which I see as very different from the dark, anguished tone of “Araby.” I am unable to find any hint of humor in “Araby” even though the event occured long ago in the narrator’s past. There are lots of interesting comments in this discussion, which have brought new ideas to me too.
Hey Claire! I agree with what you wrote. I feel that the narrator in “Salvation” would have anger towards not being able to see Jesus, and have that connection with everyone else in the church. I feel as if that lead him to question many things in his life. If things or “theories” or possibly religion are even real. I think its caused him to be envious of those who have a connection. In” Araby” I saw do see that the author was possibly “head over heels” in love with Mangan’s sister. However, I see him as being upset that he couldn’t have her. He would be upset that he didn’t get the chance to impress her. I think that would be his lost love.
I think the voice and the attitude of the narrator of Araby will be bitter as he is disappointed about his past, the events he had witnessed earlier in his life will make him as an adult a person who is more pessimistic than optimiste. And I think that is normal and natural considering his childhood. We can consider his expectation in life to be less or bad , because he experienced a lot of irony, considering what he had witnessed more dark things than happy things. I think his voice will be louder than louder.
I think the voice and attitude of the narrator of Salvation will be as well sad and more conservative because of the guilt about Jesus. Because he had to deal with difficulties when he was a child , I think when he becomes older while telling the story his attitude will be in a way of giving advice at the end because we can see that he has a sense of guilt.
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Souabou, I think your comments about “Araby” are well taken. This narrator does not look back on this childhood experience with the kind of smile we often have when we remember our first childhood “love” and what it meant. It’s interesting that you write that his pessimism is not unusual given the hardship of his childhood. This makes me think of some similarities in the boys’ situations. Both do not live with their parents, yet the Hughes character seems to be embraced by a loving community—even though the boy comes to be shattered by what he sees as their false promises. There is a sense of deep isolation, and “self-isolation,” as I think your colleague David mentions in one of his posts, for the “Araby” boy. When his illusion is shattered, he is faced with the reality of his bleak life. Both boys, in fact, must decide what now gives meaning to their lives. I see “Salvation” as a story about loss of faith, while “Araby” is about the loss of hope.
I picture myself at a café having a conversation with Langston as he tells me this story. His voice is filled with disappointment before any other thing, it is like he still regrets the happenings of that day till this day. He sounds disappointed that Jesus- the same person everyone in the church sang to and worshipped- could not come and him in that moment. Jesus could not give him “salvation.” He also has a tone of guilt and sadness, this showed him crying all night for lying to the church that Jesus had come upon him. Before the obvious tones of guilt and sadness, I would like to point out anger, frustration and disappointment.
James Joyce’s “Araby” in contrast to “Salvation” has tones of gloom and depression. The city of Dublin is described as “pathetic” and “depressing”. My conversation of coffee with James Joyce is quite an interesting one, her descriptions settings and characters enhances the somberness of her story.
The voices and attitudes of the narrators are different because they both tell different stories and experiences. They also feel different emotions and connections to their stories and have different flashbacks when they talk about it.
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Ebube, thanks for your comments. I agree that the voices of the narrators are very different, and I would have liked to hear more from you about these differences. You write that they are different because their experiences are different and they have different flashbacks. But what do you mean by this? What is the difference in their experiences? What is it that makes their voices so different? I wonder if you see any subtle humor or irony in the way Hughes tells his story? Does he seem embittered in his description of the old ladies with their braids or the men with his work-gnarled hands, or even of his description of the rollicking church service? Does the fact that he no longer believes in Jesus mean that he no longer believes in anything? Tone is a hard thing to define. It is the way in which an author tells a story. It is not really the emotions experienced by the character in the story.
Hey Professor, thank you for your questions. When I say they are different because of their experiences I mean, they both had different situations and this situations shaped up their tone in the story and in the cafe. While Hughes still has a tone of guilt and sadness, Joyce has the gloom and doom expressed in the description of the city of Dublin.
Also, I definitely find subtle humor in Hughes story and I agreed with what Kia said above. I believe there was definitely humor attached, especially when he and Westly remained on the bench. The exchange at that juncture was definitely rib-cracking.
Thanks for the feedback!
The narrator in “Salvation” by Langston Hughes seems to go through a spectrum of emotion as he recalls the events of his childhood. I like the atmosphere of a bar to this retelling, because of the ambiance it evokes, especially after a drink or two. I would imagine at first the narrator being sarcastic and animated as he says things like “to bring a young lamb to the fold,” when speaking of this revival. In this fictitious bar scene I can see the narrator next to me, I can picture maybe his head start to drop, focusing more on the drink in from of him than to anything else, as he gets deeper into the story. And at this point I would measure his tone as more pity than guilt. Pity perhaps coupled with slight embarrassment. Pity for his younger self that didn’t understand the situation and had such a defining mark dictate his emotional wellbeing. Then also embarrassment for still feeling this way when recalling it.
In “Araby” by James Joyce I’d see the narrator retelling the story in a café rather than a bar. I’m sure in your assignment we weren’t necessarily supposed to match one with the other, but I think they fit better for my analysis.
I feel less curtain about this story in terms of tone. I can view this narrator in two states. One is that of melancholy, perhaps throughout his retelling. Though I don’t see the actual story having this tone, I do think the recap of it from a person later in life would. And the other could be a sort of fondness with sympathetic undertones. I see two possible outcomes because I think it would be heavily dictated from the life experiences afterward of course. If the narrator is melancholy, I would assume he never grew or moved past that love lost, and the disappointment in the universe not coming to his aid that night. A sense of betrayal and abandonment.
On the other side of this coin I’ve imagined, if we decide to see this as fondness and sympathy, the narrator would retell it in a way that would leave us appreciative and happy. We would see that despite the child’s poor up-brining and bitter experience, he loved deeply and we’d leave admiring him.
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In the story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes we recount the story of a young man who attends a church service designed to help children come to Jesus and be saved. Leading up to this service the narrator is told by his aunt that “when you were saved you saw a light” and that “something happened to you inside!” she also told him “you could see and hear and feel jesus.” Being a young man, the narrator takes this information quite literally, also explaining that “some very hardened sinners had been brought to christ.” This information gives the sense that the narrator believes this to be quite a big deal if hardened sinners are being saved.
Once at the service he waits on the mourners bench for Christ to come, he waits earnestly, excited to see Jesus and be saved, yet he never comes into view. Eventually his hope of Jesus coming is lost, resulting in his disbelief of God and jesus. Life becomes far more real for the narrator, magic in the world is lost.
If Langston told me this story in person I believe he’d speak quietly, almost ashamed of the story, worried someone may hear and tell his aunt of his disbelief. I believe there would be pain in his eyes while recounting the events, but also a gleam of clarity, for he does not deal in superstition and religion.
In the story “Araby” by James Joyce we learn the story of a lovestruck boy, and his innocent obsession with his first crush. Overwhelmed by his newly found emotions he speaks of how much he thinks of her saying “her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which i myself did not understand.” we’ve all been there, praying to anyone listening that you could share love with this other person. Like many young boys head over heels he becomes uninterested in play and school, only she fills his mind.
Finally he has a moment when he can prove himself to her, saying he will buy her a gift at the bizarre. He goes through many trials leading up to the bizarre, most importantly his drunk uncle who is responsible for the narrator reaching the bizarre late. He feels a sense of failure finding the bizarre is essentially closed.
If James told me this story in a cafe I believe he would tell it in a carefree way with a rosy faced smile, possibly remembering how lovely he found this girl to be. Though when talking of his uncle i could imagine a bit of pain in his words, something being held back. The trauma of an abusive family member can follow you forever, just like a first love. Once he finishes the story I believe the smile would fade revealing this event was a truly painful one, no matter how far removed.
The voices of these two writers are very different in that James seems to have an easier way of accepting the hard knocks of life, especially when explaining his uncle. while langston is ashamed of the difficulties he had since he had so much positive energy being put towards him regarding the finding of christ. Both experienced a painful moment, and they both reacted very differently, langston crying and expressing himself, while James held his pain inside, fuming in a silent rage at the battles of life.
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James, the phrasing in your post that most strikes me is when you write that the adult Hughes would have a “gleam of clarity, for he does not deal in superstition and religion.” I think this is very well put. The fact that this narrator can tell the story with irony and subtle humor, rather than with anger or bitterness, suggests to me exactly what you write: that as an adult he has eschewed both religion and supserstition and does not feel bad about these “losses.”
My imagination on how Langston Hughes would be telling me his story would at a bar. I picture his tone and voice being in a more relax state. I say this because I picture Langston looking back at the past as an adult now compared to when he was a kid not wanting to disappoint his aunt. Kinda like having a drink and laughing about situations you’ve been through in the past. As for James Joyce, I picture this conversation happening at a cafe. I feel like his tone would be more sad/depressed. I say this because I picture James sitting down slouching and staring into his cup of coffee, kinda as if hes looking at himself while explaining how he never got to be with his first love due to life getting in the way in a sense. The two tones are different because Langston’s frustration was more towards himself for lying to his aunt about seeing Jesus, where as James frustrations stems more from life not allowing him to be with who he loves.
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I imagine the narrator of “Salvation” telling his story in a bar or event with many people around him. I believe telling the story today as an adult he finds humor in his story, looking back at what happened to him as a child he can laugh at today. He starts off his story speaking ironically how he was saved from sin at thirteen “but not really saved”. He would mock his aunt when she told him “when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside!” and how Jesus and God were supposed to come into his life. Then he would probably laugh when he talks about how he believed her and be sarcastic and say “still I kept waiting to see Jesus.” And those around his would laugh too. He would mock the priest when he asked him why he wouldn’t come to Jesus. Comically talking about how late it was getting, being ashamed of holding everything up for so long and how he better just lie and say he saw Jesus too. He ends his story ironically describing himself crying in bed when is aunt heard him she thought he was crying because he had seen Jesus when in reality, he didn’t see Jesus and now he didn’t even believe there was a Jesus.
I imagine the narrator of “Araby” was telling his story in an empty bar, the bartender would know his as a regular. It would be just us two talking about painful stories growing up. He would speak of his story describing every detail as if it just happened yesterday. He spoke of the town and house he lived in as gloomy and depressing. But only when he speaks about Mangan’s sister and the conversation they had he sounds sentimental and loving. He describes his uncle, who forgotten to give him money to go to the bazar but instead comes home late and drunk, pathetically and with resent. The rest of his story he would sound disappointed because when he got there it was dark and practically closed.
The voices of the two narrators are different because one narrator can look back at his story and laugh while the other narrator’s story seems to still affect him till this day. The narrator of the “Salvation” might tell his story to break the ice in a room, to entertain people and make them laugh. While the narrator of the “Araby” wouldn’t tell his story to many people only someone he trusted. He might feel resentful to what had happened to him maybe even blame his uncle.
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Michaela, thanks for the thoughtful post. I share your feelings about the narrative voices in these stories. I think your choice of the word “mock” is very apt here. Clearly, this boy realized that he had been duped by his elders into believing in some fantastical vision of Jesus coming to save him. As an adult, he is able to tell the story, expressing some of his childhood pain but conveying that he does not suffer the loss of these tall tales that were told to him and which caused him to much pain at the time. As I’ve mentioned to a few others, “Araby” is not a love story. You are so right in highlighting the bleakness of the boy’s environment. Isn’t this the reason he feels the need to create a fantasy of light and hope embodied in the girl? Isn’t it more about what she represents than who she actually is—which is someone unattainable whom he barely knows?
As I imagine myself in a conversation with Langston in bar, his voice and attitude is filled with discontent and disillusionment as he author the words “I was saved from sin……But not really saved.” From that first statement I can sense that the story is somewhat filled with an expectation which was not fulfilled. A change in attitude is noticed from his fifth statement. I can perceive that he was looking forward to an experience, which in reality did not happen.In the middle of the third paragraph, I realize the dramatic change in voice and attitude from expectancy to stupefy. Langston is filled with guilt and sadness as he completes his last statement. In “Araby”, I realize some of kind of excitement in the voice and attitude of the narrator. I realize the narrator goes into details the setting of events which speaks to me as a listener to expect more. That alone to me shows that the narrator looked at reality differently as many will agree with me that sometimes reality is as to how the observer views it. The use blind in regards to the streets tells us that at some point in time, the streets looked less busy and just a countable number of people were seen. The excitement grows as the narrator had his first conversation with his crush. The expectation and excitement grows until the 13th paragraph where his expectations were diminishing but he had a little hope. As the story ends I realize that my narrator is disappointed and in disbelief. Ways in which the voices and attitudes of the narrators are different are: 1. I realize that the expectation and excitement in voice and attitude of James grows as the story unfolds. Langston’s voice and attitude was maintained until he was uncomfortable and in disbelief. 2. I realize that a little of Langston’s disappointment started from the beginning as soon as he starts the story but James’s disappointment begins from the later part of the story. 3. I realize Langston ‘s disappointment,guilt,and sadness are caused by himself. In other words the internal conflict was caused by the protagonist. James’s external conflict is caused by another character. In other words the falling action is caused by a protagonist
Sorry…… In my last statement, In other words the falling action is caused by an antargonist instead of a protagonist 0504
Mercy, thaks for your comments. I just want to note that the tone of a story does not usually change with the emotions brought on by events in a story. The tone is the way in which an author decides to tell his or her story. For example, “Salvation” is told in an ironical voice, which remains pretty stable throughout the telling.
After reading “Salavation” by Langston Hughes, it gave me a feeling of guilt and remorse. I feel as if he is looking back at that and regretting his lies about seeing Jesus and The Holy Ghost to the church. I also can tell that he is upset with himself because the people around him are strong believers, while he is not and in a way that makes him feel as if he stands out. In the second story “Arby” the tone of the narrator can be described as disappointed. If I was to sit in a cafe with both of these narrators now, I imagine Langston looking back at it as a regret, thinking, what if he told the truth? As for the author of “Arby” I can see him looking back at how upset he was that he didn’t get to bring the girl the he liked what he wanted. Also same as Hughes, he probably was sitting reminiscing in his mind how things would have been different if he was able to deliver that day. All in all, I see these two authors have something very particular in common and that is they both are wondering how there lives would be if they had other outcomes.
David, thanks for posting. I hope you’ll browse through my comments to others in which I try to explain the element of tone. The tone is not the same as the emotions in the story, such as disappointment or guilt. It is a combination of elements that might include language, diction, use of irony or humor. I’ve written this to so many others that I hope you’ll take a glance back at my posts.
It is interesting that you considered what would have happened if he had told the truth. Do you think he would’ve been better off by admitting that he didn’t believe in Jesus? In “Araby”, although he was not able to bring the girl the gift, I disagree that he was upset about that. I think the main focus of his frustration and disappointment was with his expectations and fantasies being shattered. If he was able to get the gift however, what do you think would have happened?
Johnson, please address comments to others by name so we can all follow along. thanks!
I can imagine Langston Hughes when telling me the story as him being ashamed and kind if having the feeling of being guilty. At the beginning his voice can be very calm I would say meaning that he really believed everything his aunt told him. He really believed that he was saved by Jesus, he believed he saw a light and that something really happened to him. Close to the end his attitude changed because he started to think that he was doing something “stupid” I would say. When he said he would lie and get up, it sounds like he was just pretending after all. For the narrator of Araby, I pictured him as being really disappointed about everything itself because he really liked this girl but he was scared to tell her I will say and when he finally decided to actually trying to do something about it to get the girl he wasn’t able to. The saddest thing about it is that it was not is fault at all. it was his uncle’s fault by getting drunk and getting home late which made him get to the bazaar really late, and everything was close. He really tried to get the girl a gift after everything but he was scared because he was to scared to talk to the women from the store. Also he didn’t have enough money for the girl”s gift therefore he was trying to collect the pennies some guys were letting fall on the floor.
I don’t personally think that their voices have so much difference but I also respect the fact they do at some point. At the beginning the narrator from “salvation” was really believing in everything his aunt was telling him. Later on he was feeling like stupid and like thinking it was not truth because he probably didn’t see anything. Meanwhile the narrator from “Araby” was in love and disappointed because he couldn’t do what he wanted to do because he was sacred and second his uncle did not help him because he came home late, drunk and didn’t give him enough money. In conclusion, the tone from each narrator was different because they were both disappointed by what was happened to them but the reasons were pretty different.
Sec. 0503
Jeidy, as I’ve said to so many others, please review some of my comments in this discussion. The emotions in the two stories may share similarities; however, the two stories are told in two very different voices. Also, be aware that “Araby” is not a love story. The protagonist has created the fantasy of a relationship in his head, and it becomes the only spot of light and hope in his life. At the end of the story, when he illusion is shattered by reality, he faces an existential question about the meaning in his life. Please revisit the story if you have some time.
I think the story “Araby” began with a very hopeful young boy. He lived among daily chaos but it had become the backdrop of this life. He realizes his newfound admiration for his friend’s sister and finds a bright light among the darkness. The only connection they have is this bazaar called “Araby”. The vivid imagery and descriptions he uses during the story convince me as well as him that this bazaar is going to be the most enchanting place he has ever been. He even dismisses the fact that the girl says she can’t go because she has to go to a retreat in a convent, meaning she is religious and probably has no interest in him. Nothing can dissuade him because this unrealistic idea he has of her is driving him to go to great lengths to impress her. His voice and tone are very persevering despite the obstacles. It seems as though time was going by normally up until he decided to go to the bazaar for her. After that he would find himself distracted in school, counting the days and watching the clock tick until his uncle returns home as his friends continue playing outside unbothered by anything. Everything around him that was once in the background is now making this journey challenging. Once he gets to the bazaar, his hopes are crushed as he realizes his expectations of what this and his crush would be were all false. The light extinguishes as he makes this discovery. He falls out of his fantasy and into reality.
“Salvation” starts with a more mature and intelligible young man who is hopeful as well but aware of his reasonable doubt. He believes his aunt about being able to see Jesus at this event but as time goes by his doubt grows stronger and he becomes a little worried. The concerns keep coming back but he tries to shut them down only to have to accept them and lie in front of everyone. It was quite a rude awakening that broke him
If someone were telling me either of these stories I would think they were both a life-changing reality check that shaped the rest of the protagonists’ childhood and growth into manhood. I think in “Araby” the boy made a much-needed discovery because his unrealistic anticipations would only continue to make his life more difficult and lead to more disappointment. In “Salvation”, I felt that the discovery hurt him more. Although he would have had to understand the tension between him and his faith at some point, he may have been too young to handle it. I also noticed the parallel of both of them living with/being raised by their aunt and uncle. I’m not sure if it was a coincidence or it highlights how as an orphan they had a harder time dealing with such issues because they didn’t have their parents who would understand them better. They were both coming of age stories that every child has to face at some point, one introspecting his faith, and the other understanding petty and irrational crushes but in “Salvation” the protagonist was given a much bigger pill to swallow even though a part of him was more prepared for disappointment than the protagonist in “Araby”.
Section 0504
Zubaida, your analysis of the two stories is very good. But you really don’t need to recap the plot in these forums. The question I was trying to get at this week is not about how the events in the stories might be similar but about the different way in which the stories are told. For me, the ironical tone and subtle humor in “Salvation” suggests that the narrator does not feel the loss of faith as something bad. Instead, what he views as bad are the lies told to him by his elders. As another student commented, he has no need for religion or superstition. I don’t feel as you do about the loss in “Araby” as being less. “Araby” is not a love story, as you seem to understand. In “Araby,” it seems to me, the boy loses hope. Which is greater, the loss of faith or the loss of hope? I guess you might feel that the loss of faith is worse.
If the authors would be telling me their stories in a bar. In the first story Salvation by Langston Hughes, the voice of the author is solemn at the beginning when the author starts talking about the events in the church and what happened during the events. At the end of the story, the tone is guilty because he said that the deceive them but, at the same time the tone is furious because he didn’t see Jesus. In the second story, Araby by James Joyce the author’s tone is sad when the author describes the quiet street, useless paper in the ground, and that the dusk came before dinner. In this story. The author is describing an older and poor town and then the story moves to a bazaar. Where he is supposed to buy a gift for Mangan’s sister the person he is in love with. but unfortunately, he couldn’t buy the gift, and here is where the tone change to guilty.
The difference is that in Salvation the little boy of twelve years old feels guilty because he lies to his aunt and to the members of the church. In the story Araby the little boy feels guilty because he couldn’t accomplish a promise.
section 0504
Miguel, as I’ve said to many others, please do review my comments to students in this discussion. The tone of a story usually does not change with the emotional events in the story. For example, “Salvation” is told with an ironical voice throughout. The tone does not change from disappointed to guilty; it is a constant element. Also, please revisit both stories for the larger meaning behind. The boy in “Araby” is not devastated because he doesn’t guy a gift. Something much more profound happens to him at the end of this story. Please see my short lecture on the Week 2 page, which might shed some light. Similarly, in “Salvation,” a much greater realization strikes the protagonist than the face that he has lied.
Afsanaeh Akbarzadeh
ENG 201- Section 0534
Salvation
When the narratives of salvation talk, I can feel the deepness of his voice which I think is the result of the depth of the damage that he experienced. The damage of not living up to your communities’ expectations from you. The damage that is the result of the conflict between your desire to believe and depend on a higher power to the reality of your personal experience and your logical reasoning.
He is unruffled as the result of repeating his story multiple times.
He would close his eyes when talking about his past. His conflict is still deep inside him. He knows not everyone is lying about their belief and religion, but he doesn’t seem to know why he is not like others. Why he has to struggle with a concept that is easy to feel and understand for many people.
Digging back on a story that seems to continue forever is hard so he puts his right hand on his chest when he talks. He has lost the shine of his eyes out of disappointment. He thought he will have an answer to his question by now, but he still has not. But if you look deep in his eyes you can still see a small but alive light of hope which is the motivation for him to tell the story. He is still hoping to find someone who can shed some light so he will find his answer that he has been looking for.
Araby
I think the narrative is in peace with is past. He talks about it with a smile and shining eyes. He is good at describing details, but he sees himself separated from the events he is describing.
I think his voice is hopeful and positive, even when he is talking about the priest who had died at the house. He knows is all in the past now. He sees a significant difference between himself and his friend who used to play with him on the street. They never really understood him. But he still likes them. He outgrew his complications in the past, and he is in a more peaceful situation with his memories now.
In the story of “Salvation”, Langston Hughes feels regret of his lies to his aunt and other people who pray with him. He feels shame because he didn’t have the help of Jesus. As you had read the story, you can feels his heart yearned for the Jesus’s help to gain innocence. The attitude of narrator is to free from sin in his childhood. Moreover, in order to get other’s approval, he used deceptive means to gain other’s trust. The tone in this story which is hopeless because he never got help from Jesus.
In the story of “Araby”, the attitude of the narrator is full of longings for the world, but these longings have not been responded to or rejected. The narrator know he cannot get Mangan love.
From this two story as we can see the narrator are using different tone to tell the story because faced with different things that happened, such as the place where things happened, the year, and the friends around you who followed you.
Section 0503
Mei Yan, I hope you will review my comments to others. I’ve written the same thing so many times that I have to ask you to browse back through my comments. I would just be repeating the same thing here. The tone of the story is the attitude of the author to the material. The tone is not really affected by the events in the story. So please look over my previous comments here.
I cannot help but to imagine everyone with a drink in their hand talking loudly, laughing and having a good time. When telling both stories at the bar I like to believe the tone is very light and full of satire.
In “Araby” feel the innocence of the young boy. This story is more funny to me because the boy in the story is very smart. He notices just about everything while at the same time missing a lot. Like the girl being a nun or about to become one. The tone when telling the story carries a youthful innocence. When he reaches the bazaar, he soaks in the environment and almost forgets why he is there. He quickly starts to look at very expensive things like porcelain vases and tea sets. I like to imagine he cannot afford the things he was looking at. Making the story very funny when telling it at the bar or café. Like what was he thinking. Trying to impress a girl with a Tea set.
In ‘’Salvation” the boy feels very overwhelmed by everything . When telling this story at the bar I think it carries a funny but more serious tone. Faith is very personal. I felt the boy’s disappointment when I read the story. This story is very funny because you feel the pressure of the whole church all around him. The loud shouting all around and the priest saying “ o lamb of god why wont you come”. My favorite part is when Wesley says “God damn! I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved.” This breaks the tension in the story and gets a big laugh.
Section:0503
Kevin, I have to say that you are the first person I have ever heard of who found “Araby” to be funny and lighthearted. It is an incredibly bleak story about a boy searching for meaning and hope in his life. It is devoid of humor. I hope you will revisit these stories when you have a chance.
Rather than a bar or cafe, it felt more as though I was in a theater watching a silent film with the narrator beside me, depicting a memory from their past. In “Salvation”, the narrator is an older man who speaks with a resigned voice, as if he has already came to terms with his past. He describes the rift between himself and the rest of the church members as though he is on one end of a bridge, with the rest on the other end. Everyone who crosses over is “saved”. But when it comes to his turn, the only thing waiting for him was a lack of fulfillment. The irony of being saved, yet at the same time being plunged into emptiness, sets a hopeless and lonesome tone to the story. In the end, the grown narrator can only chuckle to himself in vain because he knows there’s nothing he can do but accept the result.
In “Araby” the narrator is a young man looking back on his youth. But as he speaks, his voice carries a hint of embarrassment as well as frustration. In the story, Mangan’s sister becomes the center of the boy’s infatuation. So much so that she is all he can think about, despite their limited interactions. The enticement of his “love” for her as well as the promise of purchasing a gift for her at Araby cultivated a fantasy in his imagination. However, upon his arrival, his innocence and pride, along with the anticipation of his fantasies becomes shattered by the dullness of reality. His efforts had ended in failure, and he realizes that his “love” for her, was really just a conceited desire for something new and exciting in his life. His subsequent change of heart places a tragic tone to the story, as what could have been a happy story of romance ended in anguish and sorrow.
The narrator of “Salvation” may have been distressed at the time, but has since moved on in acceptance. In contrast, the narrator of “Araby” can only look back in pain as the memory of his failure only brings him frustration and disappointment.
-Section 0504
Langston Hughes’ short story, “Salvation”, is characterized by undertones of inner-conflict and doubt, however, it is clear that the narrator is aware of the ironic nature of the situation. This leads me to believe that although this was a defining moment in the young boy’s life and potentially a difficult experience to recount, it would be told with a sense of retrospective acceptance and understanding, with maybe even a hint of lightheartedness. If Langston Hughes himself was sitting across from me telling this story, I can see the faux enthusiasm of his aunt as he recounts her words, I can see him with a smile, laughing to himself as he remembers the urgency of the situation then, but now accepting the humor that can be found within the irony of his experience, all from the distance of adulthood. Based on how the story itself was narrated, I can’t help but see him telling it with a bittersweet attitude, recounting it with such depth, imagery, and spirit in his voice that it’s almost as if you were right there beside him in that church.
James Joyce’s, “Araby”, on the other hand, has a much darker tone. If James himself were telling this story, I imagine he would seem distant, his heart still just as heavy with the weight of disappointment as when the events first took place. His obsessive tendencies as a little boy seemed to extend far beyond a simple infatuation and based on the way in which the story was narrated, it seems to me as if that experience is something that you carry with you into adulthood. His voice would certainly waver as he recounted his frustration, his attitude would become infinitely more melancholy.
The fundamental difference between these two authors is that Hughes’ story can be embraced from the distance and maturity of adulthood, where it seems as if Joyce’s story is one that most likely sticks with him in a more destructive way, and can’t ever be truly accepted. I say this because the tone of each piece and the overall voice and attitude of the authors are very different: one looks back with dewy-eyed sentimentalism and one looks back with only a remaining sense of bitterness.
Section: 0503
Emily, this is very well expressed. I think your reference to the text, especially with respect to “Salvation,” makes good case for how very differently these two stories are told. Thanks for a good post!
Hello Emily,
I completely agree with the possible attitudes of these two men in the future. It seemed to me that the delusion James experienced as a young boy could have tainted his relationships with the opposite sex. Although, Langston in some sense suffered a delusion as well seemed to be able to overcome it more productively.
Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Salvation” as he tells the story.
In “Salvation” Hughes his voice and attitude was guilty because in the beginning of the story Hughes made everyone believed he was saved, but in reality he haven’t been saved, most importantly he lied to his aunt that’s where guilty interfere.
Describe the voice and attitude of the narrator of “Araby” as he recounts his experience.
In the story “Araby” the narrator used Araby as an example of epiphany. In the story they young boy promised Mangan sister a gift from the bazaar but the boy over heard a conversation between an English girl that works at the bazaar and two young men that the bazaar wasn’t really what he expected. It was commercialized place to buy things. He leaves Araby feeling ashamed and disappointed. This epiphany signals a change in the narrator from innocent boy to an adult dealing with the harsh realities of life.
In what ways are the voices and attitudes of the two narrators
different and why?
The narrator In Salvation showed how guilty and hurt Hughes felt from his lie. In Araby the narrator was showing a Childs perspective on life and an adult perspective on life.
section 0534
I can imagine Langston Hughes telling his story of “ Solvation” in the cafe with a bunch of unknown people. The tone of his story is a very dark one, which makes it a bit sad and depressing. When he started saying “ I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen” that made me wonder what happened to his childhood. His words are depressing while he says to us. His story is sad and gloomy, he says that God has given him a new life in Christ, so he should be able to live. He talks about how he was saved from sin. I think Hughes is trying to show that if you don’t believe in God then you can’t trust him or even hope for anything. He also uses the word faith to describe how he feels about God. His life is full of trials and tribulations, but he doesn’t let them stop him from believing in God which his Aunt thinks because he lied to her about seeing Jesus. All of us in the cafe enjoy his story and cheers up at the end of the story but somehow I still see some pain in his eyes.
The story of “Araby” by James Joyce is a tale about a young boy who is in love with the young girl. The boy, who is not only infatuated with her but also loves her very much. I believe Joyce will tell me his tory on a cafe where is all the flowers smelling coming from outside the flower garden while telling me his story. The voice describes as being like a bird that has been chirping for days and weeks for the girl. The way Joyce says each word with a funny and humorous tone makes it seem like he wants to make fun of himself because he sees like he knows he cannot get the girl but still he walks through dark.
I think the two narrators are diiferent because both stories used different tones to express their feelings. Langeston Hughes’ story is a very dark, gloomy and depressing show that shows how life can be so cruel and unfair. On the other side James Joyce’s story is amusing and sad but also the way he uses language to show his feelings.
Section: 0503
In the short story “Salvation,” the narrator, Langston Hughes, has a very desperate tone when he conveys that uncomfortable childhood situation. The story starts slow with him leading up to the day where all the children are going to be saved by the Holy Spirit. Then, when he’s sitting there and holding up the group at church, time slows and he becomes increasingly more desperate to see Jesus. The desperation then turns into everyone waiting for him to be saved, which causes anxiety that makes him get up. At the end, I believe he’d speak in a somber tone. Due to the guilty crying that Hughes experienced when he lost his faith.
In the story “Araby,” James Joyce’s tone would sound wistful. He would reminisce his life as a young boy. He would describe his town as dark. Full of shadows and his hidden admiration for the girl he’s obsessed with. He would describe the bazaar as if it were empty. Joyce’s tone would be disappointed and dolor. When he saw that the store woman was casually speaking to two men, he finally grew up and realized his love for the girl he went shopping for viewed him as a passerby. His tone would convey defeat and growth because he realized the harsh reality: He meant nothing to the girl he loved.
Both Joyce and Hughes have similar attitudes towards these painful childhood experiences. They go through the story with hope that only an adolescent can have. When in the end, they finally see that life isn’t always something that goes their way. With Hughes, he loses his faith after Jesus does not show up at his church to save him. Similarly, Joyce lost his innocence when he realized how insignificant he was to the girl he loved. Both experience anguish, guilt, and frustration. They both lose their faith in their adolescents.
English 201 0534
Marisa,
I agree with your observation of desperation in Salvation. I believe we’ve all been in public situations whether it be in class, on a sports team, or accepting an award where we felt the pressure of our peers or audience bearing down on us. The desperation to be saved from that situation has its own sense of irony in this story when compared to the major point when he want’s Jesus to come to him.
In the short story “Salvation,” the narrator, Langston Hughes, has a very desperate tone when he conveys that uncomfortable childhood situation. The story starts slow with him leading up to the day where all the children are going to be saved by the Holy Spirit. Then, when he’s sitting there and holding up the group at church, time slows and he becomes increasingly more desperate to see Jesus. The desperation then turns into everyone waiting for him to be saved, which causes anxiety that makes him get up. At the end, I believe he’d speak in a somber tone. Due to the guilty crying that Hughes experienced when he lost his faith.
In the story “Araby,” James Joyce’s tone would sound wistful. He would reminisce his life as a young boy. He would describe his town as dark. Full of shadows and his hidden admiration for the girl he’s obsessed with. He would describe the bazaar as if it were empty. Joyce’s tone would be disappointed and dolor. When he saw that the store woman was casually speaking to two men, he finally grew up and realized his love for the girl he went shopping for viewed him as a passerby. His tone would convey defeat and growth because he realized the harsh reality: He meant nothing to the girl he loved.
Both Joyce and Hughes have similar attitudes towards these painful childhood experiences. They go through the story with hope that only an adolescent can have. When in the end, they finally see that life isn’t always something that goes their way. With Hughes, he loses his faith after Jesus does not show up at his church to save him. Similarly, Joyce lost his innocence when he realized how insignificant he was to the girl he loved. Both experience anguish, guilt, and frustration. They both lose their faith in their adolescents.
English 201 0534
sorry didn’t mean to post it twice
The voice and attitude of “Salvation”, by Langston Hughes, and the voice and attitude of “Araby”, by James Joyce, happen to be completely different from one another. In “Salvation”, the author portrays an exuberant tone through the description of overwhelming emotions the narrator was experiencing during his conflicting experience with the church. It is almost ironic, because the narrator is clearly distressed while everyone around him in the church is projecting, what is supposed to be, excitement, passion, and an expression for their love and faith in the religion. Whereas, in “Araby”, the author sets a desperate tone throughout the first half of the story when discussing his love for Mangan’s sister, but then shifts the tone to be something more of disenchantment once the narrator realizes that his fantasies of the bazaar were not real. To sum up the differences, the tone in “Salvation” happens to be filled with excitement, where the tone in “Araby” results in despondency. Similarly, both stories end up focusing on how unrealistic expectations can lead to an unexpected misfortune in feelings.
Section 0504
Hi Soraya Bagheri, I think you mention a very good point which is that the narrator brings the emotion into the story and reflects the attitude and the tone in the story. I agree with your point “the tone in”Salvation” happenes to be filled with excitement, where the tone in “Araby” results in despondency.”. However both narrators use different attitudes to describe the story. I am still confused about the discussion question but until I see your discussion, I fully understand what the question is talking about.
Hi Soraya Bagheri, I think you mention a very good point which is that the narrator brings the emotion into the story and reflects the attitude and the tone in the story. I agree with your point “the tone in”Salvation” happenes to be filled with excitement, where the tone in “Araby” results in despondency.”. However both narrators use different attitudes to describe the story. I am still confused about the discussion question but until I see your discussion, I fully understand what the question is talking about.
Section 0503
Hey Soraya,
I love how you tied both stories by stating “they focused on unrealistic expectations can lead to an unexpected misfortune in feelings”. I feel that is perfect way to describe both stories. Hughes really wanted to experience the God, in that way that he seen with everyone around him. Unfortunately him and Joyce had high hopes just to get crushed. I felt that these experiences were necessary stepping stones for both stories that essentially changed they have feel concerning God for Hughes and Women for Joyce. Desperate is a great way to describe the how the beginning of the “Araby” story begin!
In “Salvation” Langston Hughes speaks with a voice of admiration and then with a voice of shame and regret. He enjoyed the atmosphere that the revivals brought both the church and his Aunt; however, this changed when it became his time to see “Jesus”. Although following in Westley’s footsteps was an immediate solution to Langston’s problem of not being able to “see Jesus”, the guilt that came with living with this decision brought Langston to tears. The tone of James Joyce in “Araby” was a preferably simple minded one that would rather hide the ugliness of the world rather than confront and wallow in it. Joyce’s world had little to no beauty in it until he began speaking in regards to Mangan’s sister. The way Joyce described Mangan’s sister painted a clear image of her. From her skin, to her dress, to the way the light bounced off of her as her hair fell. Joyce highlighted the description of Mangan’s sister like it was the only thing that really deemed excessive detail. The voices of the two narrators were different due to the expectations both narrators had about each of their significant events. In “Salvation” Hughes faced Situational Irony because he was met with the harsh reality that he would have to lie and say that he saw Jesus to appease the crowd. From the way his Aunt described it, Hughes saw the revivals as a great experience where believers and non-believers would come to see the light that is Jesus. What he was met with was the harsh realization that there were people like Westley, and now him, who didn’t see the light at all and strove only to please the audience into believing they did. In “Araby” Joyce was faced with what seemed to be a recurring trend of unreliableness on his uncle’s part. From the way Joyce described his Uncle entering the house and hanging up his coat he could tell exactly why his uncle was home late. While Hughes went into the revival with high hopes and came out disappointed in himself Joyce left the Bazaar regretful of his own pride and the lengths with which he had obsessed over the bazaar only to face disappointment.
Section 0534
Hi Richard,
I agree with your point about Hughes’s Story, the boy who used to believe in God but when he loses his faith in God he never believed again. The author uses a lot of symbolism and imagery to show how the young boy lost his faith in God. However, the boy was ready to receive Jesus as his savior, but he didn’t know he would leave the church with doubts about God. On other hand, Joyce’s story is about feeling love with Magan’s sister. It was interesting how you mentioned “From her skin, to her dress, to the way the light bounced off of her as her hair fell”.
When I imagine Langston Hughe´s telling me his story ”Salvation”,I can already sense the feeling that he’s is a few drinks in, he’s no lightweight, but it’s just been a long day for him, I can hear the nostalgia behind his words and the feeling of innocence and fear. He’s smiling, mesmerized by his drink, thinking of the silliness yet severity of his story. I know he’s a quiet and observant man, it’s just that a few whiskeys have opened the floodgates of memory tonight and he’s willing to share; I know I can’t be the only one listening to him. I relate to him, I too sat on the mourner’s bench and felt alone. I know the feeling of guilt that one gets in church when everyone’s screaming and hollering but somehow you don’t feel what they seem to be feeling.I can tell he doesn’t tell this story often, but it does come to his mind often, it’s one of those sad experiences where when you live it you say, ”One day, I’ll look back on this day and laugh” but as of right now it’s a few lightly-shared chuckles, teary eyes and the clinking of ice swirling in glasses. Langston, my new-found drinking buddy, is a very selfless man. He lives to make others happy, even in his story, you could tell he didn’t want to hold up the rejoicing that everyone in church was experiencing and definitely didn’t spoil his aunt’s pride in him although he was crying tears of sadness and not joy. L can tell he feels small guilt for lying in the church the way he did, for following and pretending as his friend did. His guilt is outweighed by his loss of hope, security, and faith. He’s an independent man, he doesn’t rely on anyone because even God himself wasn’t there when Hughes needed him the most, in church! Like Viet-Nam PTSD, there’s no way you can walk away from that experience the same person, even if it seems like a silly and ironic story,
When I imagine James Joyce telling me his story ”Araby”, we’re at a dinner of mutual friends and we’re all talking about childhood and I already know that it’s a fond memory of young love and naive because he’s blushing just thinking back about it. He’s talking me back to that feeling of when I was also young and things seemed bigger; When the park was an enchanted forest, dark rooms were the 9th circle of hell, and crushes felt like Romeo and Juliet scale destiny. Very much like Romeo and Juliet, you get the sense that there may be no happy ending to this story, it’s full of young ego where loving someone was as simple as buying them a piece of candy at recess. Despite it being a humorous story, Joyce repeating this experience to himself, while a little tipsy off two glasses of wine is making him learn a lot about himself, reality, and emotion. As he’s talking I’m remembering my first heartbreak and how much Paul McCarty I listened to afterward. Like him I can remember how large, love made things, I can remember how good music sounded and how nice the air was, that whoever this person was that I was in love with, we were going to be together forever. But unfortunately, reality comes back to us and we start realizing how foolish we were, the power and beauty of ignorance; we start realizing how sad love songs are and rather how polluted the air is. Joyce from that day on still believes that love is a scheme developed by movie directors and drug stores to sell more Valentine’s Day cards, he never believes the hype. Joyce knows that even though this was many years ago, it’s still not his proudest moment, he’s tomato red as I laugh about his ”heartbreak” but don’t worry, he’s laughing too.
Both stories cover that general feeling of loss and realization and how powerful it feels when you’re young. These stories differ as Joyce loses the hypnosis of love and gets in touch with reality, while a sad experience, it’s quite light-hearted and laughable. Hughes talks of his loss of hope and the feeling of loneliness he went through, though told quite light-hearted, you’re almost haunted by his story because of its honesty and reflection. Joyce can remember the beauty of these moments he’s retelling while Hughes can remember more of the fear and loneliness of his moments.
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Syndoll, great comments! Wish you’d posted before Saturday to get full credit!
HI Syndall Clarke,
While reading your comment the way you was describing Langston as a adult sounds very accurate. A young boy that was crushed by the church. A memory that can never be forgotten because he remembers every detail clearly. I felt as if I were there with you guys as well. I loved that way you expressed that pain he had within himself so easily. You made it clear enough to understand and others to relate. I feel like most people have a experience like Hughes. While talking about Joyce and his first love it was totally relatable. Everyone has done foolish things for love. My mom calls it “baby love” at that early age we don’t know the meaning of loving another human being. Expressing or talking to your “love” is always a cringe. Syndoll you helped me get a better understanding of the task I like the way you added your own experience at the same time expressing Joyce and Langston’s past.
Salvation tells a story of a young boy who feels a sense of shame and guilt for questioning his faith. From the very onset of the story, the first sentence, we can hear in the narrator’s voice a sense of shame and irony: “I was saved from sin when… but not really saved”. The author goes on to describe in a very enthusiastic and yet dramatic tone (through the brilliant use of exclamation points) the sense of expectation and pressure in which he felt he must embrace Jesus. However, as we quickly find out, while he struggled to embrace him, this revelation did not occur for him. The narrator’s voice and attitude portray a sense of suspense, drama and guilt (“I began to be ashamed of myself”). His description of time and space, and his ability to depict the emotions of those expecting him to “see Jesus”, in particular his Aunt, allows us to truly feel the atmosphere in the room and the pressure in which he found himself under. When he describes his friend, who also hadn’t seen Jesus but yet managed to “proudly” get up on the platform, with no struggle at all, while he, felt he cannot do so, felt deceitful if he would, felt ashamed and filled with guilt, makes us understand the emotions running through his body and the realization he has so suddenly- one of disbelief. The narrator’s comparison of his experience with his companion who happened to experience this in much more ease and much more swiftly, allows us to understand the narrator’s attitude and emotions deeply. The narrator was struggling much more and eventually confined to this pressure, which led him to break down. his attitude demonstrates his questioning and doubt of belief and makes us all wonder whether… we must consider. Towards the end we feel a sense of pity for the narrator- he leaves us wondering whether perhaps he had to lead a life of lies to comply with the pressure of his family and peers. The narrator’s vulnerability and his characterization of the boy towards the end of the story is a very powerful tool- leaves us feeling a sense of sympathy towards the character and perhaps allows us to question …If I had heard the author tell this story over a glass of wine or over a cup of coffee, I would perhaps feel the same emotions I did when I read the short story. That is what is so vastly powerful about the narrator’s voice and the way in which he writes. When reading this story, one can imagine that the narrator’s voice would shake when describing his painful experience and when even more painful realization towards the end. One would imagine the pain in his voice, one would sympathize with his experience, must like one does when reading the story. This is why the narrator’s voice and writing style is so powerful.
‘Arbay’ is also a story about a boy who is approaching adulthood. While not through religious means, he encounters a different yet similar difficult experience in his life.
In Araby, The narrator is very observant, and his writing style allows us to understand exactly what it is he is observing – the details in which he notices things around him and in which he describes them enables us to be present with him. The narrator (boy) cares deeply about impressing his companion’s sister, so much so that we too, as the reader, begin to care for him and his success. The narrator, similar to the narrator of Salvation, also makes great use of the sense of time and space. His ability to describe his need to go to Araby (the bazar) however his struggle at home with his drunk uncle, and the anguish in which he waits until he is able to leave, allows us to experience this anguish as if we are in the room with them. If I heard this story over a cup of coffee or a beer, I would hear the frustration in the narrator’s voice. His urgent desire, but ultimate failure at achieving this quest of buying a gift from the bazar for the woman, who he does not know, but yet still fantasizes about. The reader too feels disappointed at this point, as the author made such brilliant use of suspense and anguish for the boy to succeed on his quest. Towards the end as the narrator describes his eyes burning with “anguish and anger”, we as the readers can feel his emotions at this point and are able to sympathize with the character of the boy, much like in Salvation.
While the narrator of Araby tells the story in a more detailed way and describes every event and moment taking place, and thus uses his voice differently than the narrator, we end up feeling the two stories are different. Salvation situates us within the mind and worry of the narrator, while Araby intros us to a backstory leading to something deeper.
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In the story of “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, I feel like his tone of voice and his attitude felt disappointed and sad. He disappointed because he believes that God was going to save him and see the light. But he didn’t feel or see the light that church and family were talking about. He felt sad because he lied to his aunt saying he saw the light when he never did. In the story of “Arby” by James Joyce, I feel like his tone of voice and attitude felt disappointed. He felt disappointed because he wasn’t able to get a gift for his crush because of his uncle’s exhaustion and not able to confront him.
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Cemil, please read my comments to others. The emotions evoked by incidents in a story are not the same as the tone of a story. Also, please be sure your post meets the length requirements. See “Information about Discussion Boards” in COURSE INFORMATION.
Hello Cemil! I agree with you when you said the tone is disappointed/sad and that’s due to the reason of him feeling desperate to be saved by God, but in the end he couldn’t come to a belief. Also after taking another look at the story, if Hughes was sitting in a cafe with me, I feel as if his tone would be disapproving as he looks back at this childhood memory. In the second story “Arby,” I agree with what you said but also you should add frustrated to the tones because again, if he was sitting with you in a cafe and telling you this story as a childhood memory, he would be upset and frustrated with himself because he couldn’t come through with the gift. Let me know what you think!
Thanks David
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In the beginning Langston tells the story without much opinion or strong emotions. Just going along for the ride as his aunt hypes up and drags him to church. Then he starts feeling the pressure, everyone starts looking and singing at him waiting for him to stand. Meanwhile he sits in the heat waiting to see jesus but seeing nothing.That fact that nothing happened upsets him because he feels like he is letting everyone down. Then Westly shows him that all the hours spent waiting were meaningless. He simply had to lie and then he could finally stop waiting. When he gets home the weight of his lie overwhelms him with grief and he begins sobbing endlessly. Which makes him feel sad in the present since he has no longer believes jesus is real.
In the story called “Araby” the narrator spend the entire first half filled with hope and motivation that he can impress his crush but in the second half outside forces causes him to lose hope and long periods of waiting causes his unyielding motivation to yield. By the end of the story the narrator becomes angry at his failure and angry at himself. He had a simple mission and he blew it. The two stories both start out being hopeful and optimistic but as they progress, they make the main character disappointed in their actions.So that when the narrator tells the story he has an air of sadness around him with a bitterness in his words.
Langston Hughes would be sitting around a group of children as he told this story. He would be sitting in his designated chair, sighing exasperatedly as the kids asked for more stories. It would be told for fun with good intentions, but as usual with most stories told by older folks, there would be a lesson or a warning intertwined into it. In Hughes’ case, the lesson would be about faith and growing up. He would have a cheerful but somber tone. It is an interesting story from his childhood, but the ending would most likely bring a bitter memory for him. While he can look back on the day fondly, at first it was a very painful thing to experience, emotionally.
Araby, however, would be most likely in a bar, on his 5th whiskey sour, lamenting to the disinterested bartender about his life during that particular time. He would probably be extremely angry, roughly pushing all of his glasses away and huffing and puffing like a small child throwing a tantrum. Others, nosey, would turn and see what the source of all of this frustration is. He would glare back angrily and snarl “BE LUCKY YOU HAVE A BETTER FATHER THAN THE ONE I HAVE” and then slump back to the bartender, asking for another.
The voices and attitudes are different because of the types of problems they were dealing with, the outside factors, and how they dealt with it. Depending on your age, and the situation at hand, everyone has their own way of coping with defeat. In Araby’s case, it was with anger, and in Langston’s case, it was sadness.
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As I and Langston Hughes sit down in the bar I can automatically see he isn’t a tequila kind of guy. He looks more like a red wine kind of guy. As I sit down next to him I can feel an aura of both happiness and regrets. He captures my attention by telling me a story. It was quite intriguing, to say the least. The regrets he keeps are forever bothersome in his life because he wishes to change these events. He goes on saying how he lied to the church and to his aunt about feeling the presence of Jesus. As I’m sipping on some tequila my emotions and truthfulness come out. To be brutally honest I tell him “why should you care about something that happened decades ago?”. He goes on saying that it was a life-changing experience because he had committed a sin that will forever haunt him. His voice saddens as he sips his wine. I can tell he isn’t the guy to forget. As he starts to tear down I can see a smile. A smile that threw me off. A smile that he will be alright and wishes to improve his life by not committing the same mistakes when he was a kid.
I also see James in the bar but this guy is a heavy drinker. When I see a strong alcoholic in the bar I can assume something is bothering him so much that he just wishes to forget everything dramatic that has happened to his life. I see nothing but darkness in his heart. As I carefully approach him, surprisingly he welcomes me with open arms. He wants to talk to someone to release his disappointments. As we talk I can barely hear him. His voice is heavily covered with sadness that you just feel really bad for this person. He goes on about how his events as a little boy were troublesome and that they were incredibly tough times.
The differences in these characters are that Langston changed as an adult and learn to accept the mistakes that will haunt him forever. As for James nothing can be changed even as an adult. His troubled past is heavily impacted by negativity events that will forever be a curse.
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Hi Gloria, I agree with you Langston Hughes wishes he can go back and change things, and that is going to bother him for the rest of his life. James Joyce, probably had some dark times too, just saying because his parents were not mentioned in his story but there was love there from his aunt and uncle.
I too have some stories to share. Believe it or not, those are the things that shaped us.
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In the “Salvation” by Langston Hughes in the beginning of him telling his story is tone is very calm and disapproving of the events that occurred to him at the age of 13. As he starts his story he first mentions how deep into the church his aunt and the rest of the church members firmly believed in God. His first reaction to his aunt telling him he needed to get “saved” was very optimistic. He was hopeful in actually seeing Jesus in person to “save” him. In the rising point of the story his voice changes because he is now if very confused and wondering when was Jesus going to appear. His friend has lied about getting “saved” so he was questioning whether he should lie as well. He was confused. At the end of the story he is very sentimental about him lying to the church and his aunt. He was hurt and felt trapped in guilt. When he looks back at his experience as an adult now he sees it as lesson learned in not believing everything you see or hear. In “Araby” by James Joyce in the beginning of the story his tone was very straight forward. He doesn’t talk about much, only about his neighborhood. As he starts talking about Mangon’s sister he turns more lovable and affectionate but only towards her. He knows that he likes her but is nervous and doesn’t know how to approach her. When they talk for the first time his voice turns gentle. His thoughts are only her and his concerns are about her. When his plan about going to the “Bazaar” gets ruined he gets very frustrated with his uncle because he had forgotten to take Joyce. After going to the ” Bazaar” when he actually gets there he is disappointed at the fact that it was empty and his illusions were crushed. Looking back at this he knows that what he imagined in his head was very different to his true events. The narrator voices are very different because Langston was more serious and concerned while Joyce was more loving and hopeful. In some way Langston’s experience traumatized his believe in church because he thought Jesus was going to appear but reality was he never appeared to save him soo how was he going to tell his aunt that he lied? His aunt was excited for him and joyful for him in that moment. Joyce on the other hand was innocent in love. He wanted to make a first impression of himself and failed at it.
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Langston’s attitude in “Salvation can be described as one of honesty. I feel like Hughes is desperate to hear or see something. His voice is very sadden and esentially confused on why he wasn’t experiencing what he’s seen other experience. Joyce attitude in “Araby” is one of self pride and ego, I feel like he’s struggling to impress a girl and when he can’t accomplice his plans, he fears being defeated. The differences between the two stories is one describes a story of confusion and disparity and another one is based of ego and pride. They are difference because Hughes really depicts feelings of shame and confusion. Joyce depicts self esteem and pride issues.
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Summer, I hope you’ll browse through the comments in this week’s discussion to get a clearer idea of what is meant by the tone of a story. Ego and pride are not tones. The virtue of honesty is also not really a tone. I would say that the tone of “Salvation,” for example, is ironical. The tone does not change according to events in the story. It carries through the story. It is the attitude in the voice of the narrator, not in the emotions being recounted in the plot. Please make sure your comments meet the length requirements. Review “Information about Discussion Boards” in COURSE INFORMATION, so you can receive full credit each week.
Summer,
I completely agree with you! I felt like the narrator of Salvation was more affected by this event. He was so hopeful from the beginning but he was heartbroken in the end. He was being honest with himself throughout the story, assessing along the way why these things were happening, why he wasn’t seeing Jesus, and if it was through any fault of his own. I also felt a slight sense of arrogance from the narrator in Araby because it seemed like he was so blinded by this one motive of impressing this girl that he was not interested in seeing what is wrong from the beginning. Both narrators faced obstacles and in a way failed in the end but Langston took notice of each obstacle whereas the narrator of Araby ignored every single one.
The author of Salvation would have the look of confusion, disappointment. His hands would cover his face, he lets out a small sigh. He would look up to the sky and wonder what’s really up there. He would look at me , as if its a load off his shoulders to tell someone this event. He wouldn’t even think about telling anyone, which is why it’s shocking that its flowing right out of his mouth. The words come out, is it the liquor? Either way he feels some sort of relief talking about it.
The author of Araby would be upset. His fist would clench, jaw tightened. He would describe how upset he was about his time and effort being wasted. He would never confess that his obsession was unhealthy. He would just say that he liked her, He just wanted to impress her, with a gift. His body language would change dramatically, as if his whole body tensed. His eyes darkened, angry, yet sorrowful. His voice would have a rumble of aggressiveness, like its a burden to talk about this.
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Thahina,
I really like how you described the facial expression and body language of how these narrators if they were telling this story. The narrator of Salvation would be very disconcerted and shaken while the narrator of Araby would just be dissapointed. I think that that the protagonist of Araby could even be a little arrogant in fully admitting his mistake, I also got a sense of that in the tone of the story. This was very creative!
The story “Salvation” and “Araby” are both different stories with similar tones but the same kind of disappointment with life and expectations. I believe that both of these people when they were younger were always wanting more in their life. We see in “Salvation” the narrator had to deal with guilt and embarrassment all due to the adults around him telling him what he should be feeling and if he didn’t feel the same way then there must be something wrong. This is evident as he tells the story with sense of embarrassment. In Araby, the narrator also feels guilt, but the guilt comes from a different source, which is his uncle and the sadness and bleakness all around him, except his crush who is the only light around him. These stories have personal meaning to me because I feel like parents and adults make kids feel awful about themselves because of pushing their own beliefs onto them. In both these stories an adult is hurting the child’s childhood and the child is taught that the adults ways are the only way. The broken childhood causes the narrators to tell the story with tones of guilt, embarrassment and sadness that stems from different types of disappointment.
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Hello Chad,
You pointed out that you could relate to these stories people you had older figures who pushed their beliefs on you. This is important because a lot of time the pressure of an adult can affect a innocence child. However life lesson open up our eyes to the reality of the world at a young age.
In Langston Hughes’s “Salvation”, I can imagine the story being told in an outside setting like a park bench, or possibly a bar which would be a more casual somber setting. Hughes’s tone would fluctuate through this telling of the story. Probably beginning in a more upbeat tone filled with optimism, gradually to a more desolate tone as he went on. We can clearly see that this experience was a painful one because he still remembers it after all this time, the way in which the story is written shows that he has emotional trauma or baggage. As the story starts everyone around him in the church is in an optimistic mood, an uplifting mood, because all the people around him are sky high about being saved by Jesus. However, as we continue the story, he realizes that he doesn’t see Jesus the way his aunt describes it, “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!” (Hughes) he then lies after sitting and waiting for Jesus to come to him. The story then ends with Hughes’s recollection of crying in his pillow so no one could hear and because he didn’t see Jesus. He does describe that he was disappointed, however, he does not go into detail about its effect other than his initial reaction to the lie and the visual absence of Jesus.
I can imagine James Joyce, telling his story in a café or a café related setting, with a calm atmosphere. The tone is one of sadness and forgetfulness. Recounting the story in a way to where you can tell it still deeply affects him, as if it just happened to him. His tone sounding dark and reserved, he wouldn’t just tell this story to anyone though, it would have to be someone he trusts because of the trauma and pain inducing memories that it sounds like it’ll turn up. I would describe the story “Araby”, as a brief moment in time of life involving a young boy, being challenged by the unclear love he had for his neighbor. The sense of nostalgia is present within the tellings of this story sounding very maintained.
I imagine Hughes writes with an ironic tone due to the distaste that he saw as a young boy. Whereas Joyce has a more descriptive story which can be comprehended as a story he is still connected to and the people associated with his story.
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Hi Zakiyah!
I couldn’t agree more with your assumptions of where the authors could be telling their stories. I believe that the story of “Salvation” would be told in a setting where it was open and bright because the irony of the story tells that even in what is supposed to be a positive and uplifting environment, even the most despairing moments can happen in these places. I also can see how “Araby” is being told in a cafe, given that even though the tone of the story was solemn, it still happens to be calm and collected. You can assume most people in cafes would also be considered to be calm and collected. I really appreciate your analysis of the tone for each story. Thank you for giving me something to think about more in-depth with both stories!
Soraya
In Langston Hughes passage “Salvation” and “Araby” by James Joyce, both passages with had tones that made the reader want to engage into what they were saying and make the reader want to know the mood. I believe Langston coveys his toners be apologetic and has learned from his mistakes based on what he has done. On the other hand with Araby, the tone covered felt like the character was dealing with the hardships and obstacles that life was bringing him and didn’t know how to quiet deal with it due to his age.
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Sanaya, this was actually posted after midnight on Sunday. Also, it does not meet the length requirements for posts.
Sanaya, this was actually posted after midnight. Also, it does not meet the length requirements for posts.
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After reading both stories, I feel like I can have a clear image of how both narrators will tell their stories. Each narrator will have a different voice, attitude, and will choose a different location and set up to tell his story.
In my imagination, the narrator of “Salvation” will choose to tell his story in a dark pub. He is seating at the back table, far behind in the shadows. He will tell the story after two or three glasses of scotch, and his voice will be sad with a little spark of anger.
It is a rainy Thursday night on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We are entering a small Irish pub, Rachel, Tom, Ammy, and me. We do not know this place, but there is a massive rain, and we just needed a place to hide. There is only one empty table, at the back next to the kitchen, but we sit there. Next to us, an old guy is sitting by himself drinking scotch. At first, he looks upset, like it bothers him we are sitting in the table next to him, but then I look again, and instead of anger, I see the face of a sad, lonely man. I asked my friends if we should talk to him “It breaks my heart” I tell Rachel. “Leave him alone. It is none of your business” she replays. I can’t ignore him; I walk to the bar and buys him another glass. I return to his table and sits away from him; he thanks me for the scotch without looking up at me. After a few minutes of silence, he starts telling his story. At first, he is quiet and unsure if he wants to share his memories with a stranger, but after a few sips, he starts sharing his story with me.
On the other hand, the narrator of ” Araby” will choose a different location- a coffee shop. This time, the narrator is happier and cheerful. He will be sitting in an outside table in his favorite coffee place in Netherland. He is pleased with the way his life turned, and he believes it is thanks to the lesson he learned back then in Araby. His attitude is cheered and full of hope, although you can notice from time to time little disappointment sneaking to his voice.
It is early Monday evening, and the sun is about to set. I am walking back home after a Yoga class. I decided it’s time for me to do something in my life other than work. I also decide to practice a healthier lifestyle, so I stop at my favorite coffee place to buy a glass of ice Matcha, it is like a latte but green. It’s a thing now. When I step out of the coffee shop, I see Tim, we went to college together, and we were good friends back then. Tim is sitting at a table next to the canal. He notices me and waves, showing me to join him. He is not alone, but I don’t recognize the man sitting next to him. I reach their table. “Hey, Tim. How are you? Its been a while.” Tim seems pleased to see me, “That’s my grandfather” he introduces him. “would you like to join us?” he offers. I am trying to think of an excuse for not staying, but since I couldn’t figure something out, I decided to stay. His grandfather smiles at me. He seems nice and loveable. I sit there quietly since I feel like I joined in the middle of a story, and I don’t want to interrupt. It’s a story of something that happened to his grandfather, back then when he was young. At first, I am not sure how I should feel. It’s a love story, but it’s sad. It has hope and disappointment. I feel like I want to cry, but the way he tells his story, comfort me.
Both stories are nostalgic, and each narrator lives his childhood memory from a different perspective. Both fascinating, sad, and I can relate to each one of them.
I thank them for sharing this hard, and meaningful moments with me.
Hello Shai,
I really enjoyed reading your perspective on this post. I do agree that Langston in “Salvation” would be in a more depressed setting than the narrator of “Araby”. This is due to the fact that Langston as adult is not fully acceptive of this time period in his childhood. It’s not as sad now but he still disappointed in the fact that he lied on seeing something he never saw. However I can see the narrator of “Araby” like you pointed out in a more cheerful area such as a coffe shop. Because the author tone is that more of understanding and getting a grasp of reality.
The voice of the narrator of “Salvation” is that of a emotional young 12 year old. As the pastor and worshippers urge Hughes to be saved, the mood grows anxious, as evidenced when Hughes states “And I kept waiting serenely for Jesus, waiting, waiting but he didn’t come.” The repetition of “waiting” here suggests that a significant amount of time has passed, and Hughes just wants to please his Auntie and her church by joining the other children who were saved during the revival.
To avoid embarrassing his Auntie, Hughes decides to lie and say Jesus has revealed himself as he “gets up” off the bench. The church erupts in approval, which Hughes describes using metaphors: “sea of shouting” and “waves of rejoicing.” The dramatic irony of Hughes lie, creates a discordant mood where Hughes feels alienated from his surroundings.
Finally, in the last paragraph of the essay, Hughes explains how he cried alone in his bed that night because he doesn’t “believe there [is] a Jesus anymore, since he didn’t come to help me.” This line creates a sympathetic attuude because the reader pities the young, confused version of Hughes who had to grapple with such difficult issues without the guidance of adults who were so blinded by what they wanted to see that they were unable to see the truth.
The voice of the narrator in “Araby” is a young boy going into adulthood. Araby” begins with a forthright and very matter-of-fact tone, as the narrator describes the gloominess of his street, and the previous tenant. However, the tone grows to be one of awe as the narrator begins to talk about his adoration for Mangan’s sister and Araby. The tone of awe is particularly expressed as he seems to almost worship his crush and the bazaar instead of god or his church. However the tone changes to a more cynical tone as the narrator realizes that he does not live in a perfect world and he blind to vanity which drives the adult world.
The difference between both text voice is Langston is more of disappointment with his lie and belief in god. But the narrator in “Araby” voice is more of shame for being foolish in love with a girl than god.
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