Chris Knox

English 111

Professor Dollieslager

30 November 2016

Salvation

  In 1940 Langston Hughes wrote a story about when he was saved “but not really.” (Hughes) The story starts with a big revival at his aunt’s church that had been going on for weeks. The night came in which it was traditional to have the children of the church saved from sin. His family headed to church were Langston was escorted to the front row to sit with all the other children being saved. His aunt had told him that when he was saved, he would see a light and something would happen to him inside. So Langston sat there waiting for something to happen. Now nearing the end of the night only Langston and another child named Westley were left. Then Westley out of frustration got up and was saved. Langston still sat there waiting for something to happen to him. His aunt and the whole church is now praying for him to be saved. Langston wanted to be saved but still, nothing happened. After noticing that Westley didn’t get in trouble for lying about being saved, Langston decided to stand up and say that he had been saved too. The whole church cheered for him. That night Langston couldn’t stop crying from what his aunt believed was the result of seeing the holy ghost and being saved. The truth was Langston was crying because he couldn’t tell her that he lied to the whole church, and wasn’t saved, and didn’t believe in Jesus anymore. (Hughes)

 

 

 

Works Cited

 Hughes, Langston. “Salvation.” The Center for Fiction. n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

< http://centerforfiction.org/forwriters/the-model-short-story/quotsalvationquot-by-langston-hughes/>.