The Influence of Religion in Langston Hughes, Jeffrey Renard Allen and Glory Lincoln's Writings

In the story “Salvation” by Langston Hughes religion and the community plays a major role in the choices Hughes made in the church which he went to get “saved”. As for in “Same” by Jeffrey Renard Allen there was a lack of influence from the community when it came to religion. The influence of religion came more from Glory Lincoln’s mother. Hughes and Lincoln both obey the adults around them but both question faith and religion. “My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul. I believed her. I had heard a great many old people say the same thing and it seemed to me they ought to know.”(179) In “Salvation” the community has a big impact on Hughes religious experience when he went to get “saved”. As a result of the community and his aunt’s beliefs and interpretation of being “saved”, which was by hearing, feeling and seeing a light as well as Jesus in your soul. Hughes ends up misinterpreting the meaning of being “saved”. He is under the impression that he is physically going to see, feel and hear Jesus. When Jesus doesn’t present himself to Hughes, but he notices that the rest of the children there with him are getting “saved” and seeing Jesus, he then feels pressured and forced to the point where he feels that he has to lie, please the community and his aunt and give them what they wanted to see. Hughes stands up acting as if he was “saved” and saw the light even though he didn’t actually see or feel anything because he didn’t want to disappoint his aunt and the community, causing him to lose faith and no longer believe in Jesus. As in the story “Same” Lincoln is not pressured to be “saved”. His biggest religious influence is his mother Glory. Lincoln obeys his mother due to fear from her verbal abuse, yet he questioned himself in his room jotting down in his diary all the details of