"Salvation" by Langston Hughes

     Langston Hughes not only is the author of this essay, but he is also the speaker. "Salvation" is about a point in Hughes' life where he experienced a situation that dramatically changed his perception on divine faith. Hughes's is an African American poet, playwright, fiction writer, essayist, and autobiographer. He is best known for being a major influence in the Harlem Renaissance, a time where African American literature, art, music, and scholarship flourished. The occasion for "Salvation" is the period of time when Hughes was a twelve year old child attending church. However, that day was not the ordinary "church day", because it was going to impact a group of children in a way they had never experienced before. That day was the time when the children of that African American community, were going to experience their first connection with Jesus. This was a very special occasion because, according to Hughes', "My aunt told me that you were saved... hear and feel Jesus in your soul."(179) Hughes' tone starts off with expectancy and then confusion. From the accounts of many old people, including his own aunt, Hughes's was expectant that his connection with Jesus would occur almost immediately, just how it had occurred with the other children in the church. He became confused however, when all the children, except for himself and one other boy, had gone to the alter, claiming that they had seen Jesus. He was overcome with sadness and hopelessness as he became the only child that did not establish a connection with Him. Deciding to save the rest of the congregation from further delay and to save himself from embarrassment, he decided to lie and pretend that he had been saved. Hughes's tone switched to guilt towards the end of the story because he felt he had deceived the church and could not bear to tell the truth to his aunt. The fact that Jesus did not appear to come save him from his misery caused Hughes to lose his faith in the existence of God and Jesus.