In the beginning of the story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes. He was a young boy that trusted his aunt’s words she stated that he would be saved by Jesus she was telling him everything that he wanted to hear and he liked the sound of it, so that’s when he started to have faith in Jesus. When he entered the church his mood and also his belief changed as the night went on. He saw that everyone was getting saved besides him and the young boy named Westly. He thought lying about being saved was going to benefit him, but it ended up backfiring him. guilt and fear started to take over him he felt bad about what he did and he was scared to mention what he did because he was going to be viewed as the bad guy in the church so all he can do is cry.
Daily Archives: February 11, 2022
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In the story “Salvation” the author begins open minded and hopeful to the possibility of being truly saved. There seems to be some curiosity and optimism behind the white light coming and lifting the spirits of everyone around him. While watching his peers become these great beings from the love of god he patiently waits for his turn but it never comes. By the end of the story, the older self / version of the author has completely lost hope. He let go of the idea that one day he would be saved and is shamed into lying and pretending that he believes in a higher spirit who helps him realize that he is actually all alone. How could Jesus come for everyone but him? How could the one person he shared this lingering suspense with lie to the world just to fit in? Compared to the beginning the author slowly and surely comes to terms with the fact that he has lost hope and feels abandoned by everyone around him including God. Realizing the hard truths about life itself.
In the beginning of “Salvation”, 12-year-old Langston attends a special meeting for the youth at his church and he is looking forward to being saved by Jesus, as promised by his aunt and the elders of his community. Young Langston seems to be eager to have this experience and doesn’t doubt the event will happen just as they have described it to him, as he expresses having trust in them for being wise due to their age. It then becomes apparent to young Langston, after he is the last child waiting to see Jesus, that it is not going to happen for him. He expresses feeling shame and guilt that everyone in the church is waiting and praying hard for his salvation, in vain, and eventually decides to lie that Jesus had come to him. The irony is that he was anxious for Jesus to be with him always and to join everyone else in the church who had all been saved, but he ended up feeling all alone. He describes the loneliness of spending what was supposed to be such a powerful, happy night crying alone in bed and not even being able to share the truth with his aunt.
After reading the story “The handsomest Drowned Man in the world.” I noticed that he made a big change for these vilagers after they seen him get washed up to shore. When the people realized what kind of person he was they decided to make a big change for themselves. They noticed that the man was different he had different features from the vilagers they noticed how tall he was they noticed how attractive he was and also his strength. Esteban brung positive energy to the village. I feel like the professor chose this story for the class to read is because one it is a very interesting story, and two I feel like she showing us how having power and being a great person can make a dramatic change in the world. Esteban was on of those people. he was able to make the community change their lives for the better.
We know by the language and perspective of the narrator that “Salvation” is a coming-of-age story told by an adult looking back on a painful childhood experience, which results in an epiphany. In what ways is the young narrator different from the way he was at the beginning of the story? In the short story “Salvation,” it is told from a first-person point of view as if it is taking place the same moment. Hughes wants to show how a huge event in his childhood has changed his life forever. He wanted to show what and who changed his life. His experience of being saved only caused him to be disappointed in himself. He lied to the church, to Jesus, and to his aunt and this created a feeling of guilt. He pretended to be saved and that led him to lose his faith in Jesus because he felt nothing as the others felt saved. He is different now because he learns and shows us how the pressure an adult can have on a child, can cause so much damage to the one who is not aware of what is exactly going on. As a child Hughes only got up because he became impatient for waiting on Jesus to come to him and save him. He felt that since he was the last one left, the whole church was waiting on him to be saved. He lied also because he saw God did not punish Westley for lying. This affected him after when he realizes what he had done, and it resulted in his belief that Jesus does not exist because he did not help him. Hughes salvation was not what he was expecting to be and as an adult he realizes that it is all up to the person […]
The young narrator of “Salvation” has gone through an epiphany and matured by the end of the story. He started off expectant, having been told by his aunt and elders about how Jesus coming into one’s life felt, and he was anticipating the rapturous picture that these trusted, wise adults had painted for him. However, by the end he is jaded with how his expectations were dashed, and ashamed of his lies. He is guilty for lying, exacerbated by the joy that came upon the room when “the last lamb was bought into the fold.” There is some dramatic irony involved, in which the room’s exuberance directly contrasts the fact that the narrator lied about seeing Jesus. The boy felt pressured by the congregation, and lied to please them, lest he keep “holding everything up so long.” It is a lesson on what can happen when trying to induce children into organized religion at such young ages.
The short story Salvation is written by Langston Hughes, and the answer to the question what the difference between the narrator at the beginning of the story and the end of the story is is that he loses his faith and gains a bit of wisdom on the way. At first, he truly believed in Jesus, and he was told about all the wonderful things that would happen if he just accepted Jesus into his heart. He was told by his aunt that salvation would mean he would see and hear Jesus in his soul. This was repeated by many people who were older than him and that reinforced his belief as these many people couldn’t possibly be lying to him. Unfortunately for him, later in the story, after a lengthy attempt by the preacher and the church to bring him to Jesus, Jesus never came. Most of the children had already stood up and were saved except for him and Westley. Westley decided that enough was enough and stood up and was saved even though Langston knew that Westley didn’t see Jesus. This left him alone at the end and under great pressure, he decided to stand up even though he never saw Jesus just to get it over with. This is the point where he changes from being a believer to losing his faith. He is also wiser as he learns that adults lie and that something that is often repeated does not make it any more true.
In the short story, Salvation, by Langston Hughes, the narrator introduces his readers to a painful and life-altering memory about religion. The story begins with young Langston being promised a new beginning, a closer relationship to God, Jesus and his faith. He mirrors the excitement of the adults around him as he looks forward to stepping into this new, pure and enlightened stage of his life along his peers and friends. However, during the actual ceremony where Jesus was supposed to come to him, Langston is left confused and disappointed. He suddenly questions his faith and starts wondering if everyone around him is only faking their piety as well. He feels ashamed of having to lie in order to bring relief to his community and to be accepted and praised by his people. His disappointment pains him to the core. Langston was allowed to gain a new understanding of the world around him through this experience, therefore his coming-of-age was successful, however it is far from what he hoped for. He is now doubtful, confused and, by growing unsure of his faith, lost.
I believe the professor selected Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story “The Most Handsome Dead Man” as the first story. to state that a truly great person has the ability to influence others, to inspire them to be better, and to motivate them to strive for greatness. Perhaps the professor hopes that we, as students, will be able to stimulate and inspire one another throughout the semester. In the story Esteban, the Drowned Man, represents an overwhelming event. With his body washed up on the beach, the villagers saw Esteban and his magnificent features, they were blown away. His features inadvertently encourage the locals to congregate, brightening up their otherwise boring lives. It also demonstrates the impact a person can have on those who admire him or her, which manifests as a desire for self-improvement.
