In Langston Hughes's poem "Salvation," the speaker recalls being taken to a revival meeting by his aunt when he was a young boy. At the meeting, the preacher declares that those who do not feel Jesus in their hearts will be cast into the fires of hell. The speaker becomes overwhelmed with fear and decides to "accept Jesus" in order to avoid damnation. However, as he stands up to be "saved," he realizes that he has not actually experienced a true spiritual conversion.
The poem explores the theme of false piety and the pressure to conform to religious expectations. The speaker's aunt and the preacher both encourage him to "pretend" to have a religious experience in order to fit in with the other believers. However, the speaker recognizes that his decision to "accept Jesus" is not genuine and that he has not truly been saved.
The poem also touches on the theme of childhood innocence and the loss of that innocence as one grows older. The speaker's decision to "accept Jesus" is driven by a fear of hell and a desire to please his aunt and the preacher, rather than a true understanding of the religious message. As he grows older, the speaker becomes disillusioned with this shallow understanding of faith and the pressure to conform to societal expectations.
Overall, "Salvation" is a thought-provoking and poignant exploration of the complexities of faith and the dangers of superficial religiosity. Hughes's use of vivid imagery and vivid language helps to convey the speaker's feelings of fear, confusion, and ultimately, disillusionment.
Salvation is a short narrative essay written by Langston Hughes in which the author reflects on his experience of being "saved" at a revival meeting when he was younger.
The essay begins with Hughes describing his Auntie Reed, who took him to the revival meeting when he was 13 years old. Hughes had heard about the concept of salvation before, but he didn't really understand what it meant or why it was so important to his aunt and other members of the African American community.
At the revival meeting, the preacher gave a passionate sermon about the importance of being saved and how it was the only way to achieve eternal life in heaven. Hughes began to feel the weight of this message and the fear of going to hell if he didn't accept Jesus as his savior. As the preacher continued to speak, Hughes began to feel an intense pressure to make a decision.
Finally, Hughes made the decision to "get saved" and walked down to the altar to be prayed over by the preacher. However, as he was being prayed over, Hughes realized that he didn't actually feel any different. In fact, he began to feel like a fraud and that he had simply gone along with the crowd in order to fit in.
Hughes ends the essay by reflecting on how his experience of being "saved" didn't actually change his life in any significant way. He concludes that true salvation is not something that can be achieved through a single moment or decision, but rather it is a process that requires ongoing effort and commitment.
Overall, Hughes' essay "Salvation" serves as a poignant reflection on the complexities and ambiguities of faith and religious experience. Through his personal narrative, Hughes illustrates the tension between external pressure to conform to societal expectations and the inner struggle to truly understand and embrace one's own beliefs.
