The Reader and Hughes Essay Example for Free

The Reader and Hughes Essay The first statement is an irony because young Langston said he was saved when in actual fact he was not saved . He only pretended to be saved so that he could save more trouble. The purpose of writing â€Å"Salvation† is to show the difference in the way of thinking between the young and old generation. Also to clarify the misconception of the older generation that the younger generation can easily comprehend and read in depth meaning to what they are told. This is shown when Hughes and his aunt have different thought about what is expected of â€Å"Salvation† . †And I kept waiting serenely for Jesus, waiting ,waiting waiting but he did not come†. Literally Hughes was expecting to see Jesus and he was expecting him to come to him. On the other hand his aunt (the older generation) thought Hughes was crying because he saw God. Another purpose is to show the irony of life, when others believe you have done something because you have experience the feeling when in actual fact you did it to save the day. † So I decided that maybe to save further trouble, Id better lie, too, and say that Jesus had come, and get up and be saved . So I got up†. Langston loses his faith because of Auntie Reed. She tells him that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to your insides! Langston took this literally, expecting to actually see a light and to feel something happening in his body. When he doesnt see or feel anything after hes saved, Langston gives up on believing in Jesus because he believed his aunts descriptions of salvation. His confusion worsens when Westley gets saved because he knows Westley didnt experience anything such as a light and is lying. Abdulwahab 2 Langston goes up to be saved only because he doesnt want to disappoint the adults, and they are all telling him to come up and be saved. That night, Langston cries because he lied, showing he is a good Christian because he believes the commandment about lying. His aunt misreads his tears and tells her husband hes crying because hes experienced the Holy Ghost and seen Jesus. The story reflects how adults dont realize or understand how children think, especially when it concerns a concept as difficult as faith. Auntie Reed expects Langston to accept what she says because shes the adult, and hes a child. She never explains that Biblical stories are a useful guide for how to live ones life . Langston assumes that all his readers are familiar and well acquainted with a charismatic church . † preaching, singing, praying, and shouting†. Hughes chose narration because it was his way of really putting down his feelings and emotions just the way he experienced them . This added to the credibility of the story and the effect that it would have on the reader ,based on criticism coupled with the act that this dealt with a very argumentative topic â€Å"religion†. Hughes also applies the use signal transitions ,:going on thirteen† â€Å"for weeks† ,†then just before†,† for days ahead† and many others . This signal transition are used through out the essay mainly at the time of â€Å"Salvation†. Irony is the only thing that keeps life interesting. The process analysis of the understanding of how a revival meeting works is critical to the essay. Without this piece of information a reader who is not known with such things would not be able to connect with Hughes due to the lack of knowledge of such an event. The reader has to be acquainted with the material that he is reading to gain a sort of relationship with the author. The fact that Hughes did lay out the process set a ground for the reader to connect to the story. Hughes’s language shows that he was writing the essay as if he were still a child holding on to the feelings and thoughts of that time. The effect of the sentences and the beginnings of the sentence with the word â€Å"And†, emphasize Abdulwahab 3 the idea of this being a child . this allows the reader to truly feel as if the child were telling the story. The dialogue and the details of the sound recreate the story of the event in the readers mind . This way the reader is able to put himself in Hughes shoes and get to feel the pressure that was being put into the situation. Works cited : 1 http://www. enotes. com/revolt-mother 2 AMYCARRILLI’S BLOG.