Salvation by Langston Hughes Was Essay

They conform to religious convention and display actions that are just that; actions without any sincere faith to support them. For many, there is little distinction between a public display of faith and its sincere manifestation in the heart. It is this dichotomy that Langston learns about on his "conversion" day. He learns that, to satisfy the public, it is required that an insincere of faith should be displayed.

As mentioned above, the story is timeless in terms of how religious ardour is viewed by the masses. Many regard a certain display of faith as a necessary measure of a person's value, regardless of whether this faith is sincere or not. For many, faith has become a matter of catering for public expectation. Langston's aunt and all the other church members were ecstatic when he finally succumbed to their expectations and pretended to be converted. However, their ecstasy was his disappointment, as he sincerely wished for the religious feeling they professed to have.

I feel Hughes's work is extremely effective, especially in today's world, where television evangelism has become a booming industry.It is very difficult today to distinguish between the sincere desire of evangelists to help others build their faith and a drive to simply make money from this venture. Many are emotionally charged by the displays of apparent zeal that these evangelists effect. However, for me, many of them seem to simply cater to a public expectation of faith rather than themselves having a sincere sense of faith.

The most poignant part of the work is the end, where the young Hughes weeps with disappointment. Even at this point, the aunt is unwilling or unable to fathom the depth of the young boy's disappointment. She convinces herself that his new-found "faith" causes the tears. This is the core of the self-deception at the heart of the young boy's disappointment.

Source Cited:

Hughes, Langston. "Salvation." Retrieved from: http://www.spiritwatch.org/firelangsave.htm.....