Salvation

In the essay, “Salvation”, Langston Hughes tells the story of seeking salvation. Hughes thesis is that he was waiting for Jesus to come to him in the way that had been described by others but did not happen for him. The purpose of Hughes essay, inform readers not to feel pressured into doing something they feel is not morally right just because someone else expects you to. Hughes tone is of pressure; he was the last one left as the entire congregation prayed for him to come to Jesus. Hughes supports his thesis and purpose by waiting until the very last moment to come to Jesus as the preacher continued to request. The two main ideas that support thesis: his aunt knelt at his knee then cried and he was the last one to come to Jesus. I can relate to the way Hughes felt in essay. At the age of twelve I was baptized, not because I knew Jesus for myself but because it was expected of me by parents. It was many years later before I truly understood the ritual of baptism. To help me understand what the essay was trying to convey, I re-read it several times. At first it wasn’t clear to me the author direction. I also had to look up some words, such as “dire” and “gnarled”. Question for discussion a: I feel Hughes’s purpose in recalling this event is that some events that happen as a child can mold the way you see things as an adult. He now believes there is no Jesus because of that moment he experienced in childhood.