The main point of “Salvation” is to show the readers Hughes experience of being saved. Being saved is supposed to be a great time where you except Christ into your life, but it was quite the opposite for Hughes. In fact, the first two lines of this story contradict each other, “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.” (Hughes 299). Not only was this event different from the usual, he was not able to comprehend it until years later. Hughes wrote about this event once he comprehended it because he wants people to understand how salvation conflicted him, his experience of salvation, and how such pressure on a child can be detrimental when they do not fully understand what is going on. Hughes is writing this story
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With most children, nine times out of ten, will not be able to understand the meaning of or true reason for salvation. “General exposure to religion when you are young is not a bad thing, as long as you are also offered the tools to question it. Hughes did not have that option - if he had not stood up, or if he stood up and walked way - that would be the end of him. Unfortunately, that is not just "a sign of the times", and that there are many children who are rejected by their friends and families for a lack of faith.” (Rodin). In this story, salvation is being pushed onto these young children by who were just told it was a great thing to do. “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. So I sat there calmly in the hot, crowded church, waiting for Jesus to come to me.” (Hughes 299). Langston knew nothing about being saved except for what his aunt told him, so he expected to literally see Jesus. Kid after kid went to the alter crying, weeping for joy, while Hughes was left sitting with Westley. He wanted so badly to see God so he could could with all the other kids. He felt like he was the “one little lamb left out in the cold” (Hughes 299) that the preacher was talking about. Hughes already felt pressured to see God and be saved, and even more stress was added when the preacher talked of them coming to the mourners’ bench. Then, “Finally all the young people had gone to the alter and were saved, but one boy and me.” (Hughes 299). Westley said to me, “[Gosh dang!] I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved. So he got up and was saved.” (Hughes 300). When he saw that “God
With most children, nine times out of ten, will not be able to understand the meaning of or true reason for salvation. “General exposure to religion when you are young is not a bad thing, as long as you are also offered the tools to question it. Hughes did not have that option - if he had not stood up, or if he stood up and walked way - that would be the end of him. Unfortunately, that is not just "a sign of the times", and that there are many children who are rejected by their friends and families for a lack of faith.” (Rodin). In this story, salvation is being pushed onto these young children by who were just told it was a great thing to do. “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. So I sat there calmly in the hot, crowded church, waiting for Jesus to come to me.” (Hughes 299). Langston knew nothing about being saved except for what his aunt told him, so he expected to literally see Jesus. Kid after kid went to the alter crying, weeping for joy, while Hughes was left sitting with Westley. He wanted so badly to see God so he could could with all the other kids. He felt like he was the “one little lamb left out in the cold” (Hughes 299) that the preacher was talking about. Hughes already felt pressured to see God and be saved, and even more stress was added when the preacher talked of them coming to the mourners’ bench. Then, “Finally all the young people had gone to the alter and were saved, but one boy and me.” (Hughes 299). Westley said to me, “[Gosh dang!] I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved. So he got up and was saved.” (Hughes 300). When he saw that “God