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Ismael Martinez

Professor

English 112

09/25/2019

Salvation of Hughes

“Salvation” is a short story in which the author, Langston Hughes discovers how he does

not believe in Jesus. This story is written in the first person by Langston himself in order to

create an emotional connection between the author and reader, and to better understand his

feelings towards the Holy Ghost. The setting takes place at a church revival where Langston

Hughes amongst the other “sinners” are brought to the front of the congregation in an attempt to

be saved (Hughes 1). This paper will focus primarily on Langston’s religious upbringing and

how this forced connection in fact brought him further away from Jesus

During the revival Langston is reminded that weeks prior to this event, his aunt discusses

how she was saved and her feelings towards it. In the story Langston aunt told him “when you

were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside” (Hughes 1) . As to what

happens inside is explained when Langston’s aunt said, “you could see and hear and feel Jesus in

your soul” (Hughes 1). Langston 12, at the time thought only to believe what was told to because

he didn’t know any better.

In the text, the preacher calls out to Langston and the other sinners and says, “wont you

come? Wont you come to Jesus? Young lambs, wont you come?” (Hughes 2). It’s the 1st time

they are referred to as something other than “sinners” in the story. As to why the preacher called
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Langston and the others on the mourner’s bench “lambs” isn’t made clear to the reader. The

influence the preacher had on the was shown directly after when Langston stated “ the little girls

cried. And some of them jumped up and went to Jesus right away” (Hughes 2). As one can tell

there’s some kind of pressure that is building up in the church. Langston expresses that how

everyone in the church “ came and knelt around us and prayed” (Hughes 2). Langston describes

what group of people surrounded them, “ old women with jet-black faces and braided hair, old

men with work-gnarled hands” (Hughes 2). This is an accurate illustration of how most

churches were back then. Throughout the story there is more pressure that is being presented.

Langston said, “ still I kept waiting to see Jesus” (Hughes 2). Langston saw some of the

“ sinners” on the bench get up after the preacher talked the 1st time. Suddenly there’s a turn when

“ finally all the young people had gone to the altar and were saved”(Hughes). Langston and

another boy were they only two that were left on the mourner’s bench. To explain that he was a

“rounders” son is irrelevant to the story unless explained in detail why that was important. The

other boys name was Westley. The church saw that it was Langston and Westley left and

suddenly went a surrounded them once again. The immense pressure Langston and Westley felt

had to be a lot due to what happened next. Westley whispered to Langston “ God damn! I’m

tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved” (Hughes 2). Something that sticks out is when

Westley said, “let’s get up and be saved”(Hughes 2). As if to refer to both Langston and Westley

were supposed to get up together. But Langston felt nothing and as a result didn’t get up with

Westley.

Langston being the only one left on the mourner’s bench, his aunt was the 1st to her knees

praying for him to be saved. As Langston aunt does this, the whole congregation gathered around

her and sang songs. The pressure that Langston must deal with now had him questioning himself.
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Langston in the text said, “ And I kept waiting serenely for Jesus, waiting, waiting- but he didn’t

come” ( Hughes 2). At this moment Langston is expecting something to happen. The preacher

once again speaks to Langston and says “ why don’t you come? Why don’t you come and be

saved? Oh, lamb of God! Why don’t you come?” (Hughes 2). Langston starts to notice how late

it was and he was left, to be saved.

The narrator refers to when Westley got up and got saved who was now “ sitting proudly

on the platform, swinging his knickerbockerd legs and grinning down at me” (Hughes 2).

Langston stated that “ God had not struck Westley dead for taking his name in vain or lying in

the temple” (Hughes 2). Langston given that facts did what he thought was best for the church

even though he wasn’t ready. “So, he got up” (Hughes). Everyone in high praise that Langston

was getting saved and nobody left as a sinner.

Langston went back and felt like “ big boy” (Hughes 3). Langston cried that night alone,

but his aunt heard. She leaned over and said to his uncle “ I was crying because the Holy Ghost

had come into my life, and I had seen Jesus” (Hughes 3). The aunt made this assumption based

off what see felt and not what Langston felt. Langston cried not because he felt the Holy Ghost,

but that Jesus Langston now because of all that now did believe in Jesus anymore.
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Work Cited

“Thread: Salvation - A Short Essay by Langston Hughes.” Literature Network Forums RSS,

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?67465-Salvation-A-short-

essay-by-Langston-Hughes.