'Figurative Language In Langston Hughes Salvation'

“In fact, all writing is an attempt to transform ideas into words, thus giving order and meaning to life” (The Longman Reader, 13). Moreover, The Longman Reader reveals, “You might also have noted that figurative language, energetic verbs, and varied sentence patterns contribute to the essay’s descriptive power” (The Longman Reader, 83). Good writing communicates emotion to the reader, evokes figurative language, and uses reoccurring themes. These strategies are exemplified in stories such as: Maya Angelou “Sister Flowers,” Gordon Parks “Flavio’s Home,” George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant,” Virginia Woolf “The Death of The Moth,” Langston Hughes “Salvation,” and many more short stories. First of all, good writing effectively conveys emotion to the reader, who is then able to comprehend the emotive state in which the character is in or is experiencing.
My dear child, why don’t you come to Jesus? Jesus is waiting for you. He wants you to be. Why don’t you come? Sister Reed, what is this child’s name?” (“Salvation”, The Longman Reader, 161). Here, the anxiety of the state of affairs is conveyed by the minister’s repeated injunctions on the little boy. He expects him to come forward, or at least this is the way the child perceives things to be. Once the child had come forth: “Suddenly the whole room broke into a sea of shouting, as they saw me rise. Waves of rejoicing swept the place. Women leap in the air. My aunt threw her arms around me. The minister took me by the hand and led me to the platform” (“Salvation”, The Longman Reader, 161). The reader is able to encounter the anxious and joyful dichotomy of this scene vicariously through the author’s writing. The author does this by meticulously choosing her