"Salvation" by Langston Hughes

Walter Bowne reads this great essay from Langston Hughes. Notice
his use of dramatically short sentences and his effective use of
ethos and pathos, and how much emotion we feel toward him, and
the irony of the end. Also, take notice of extended metaphors
like "sea of shouting" and "waves of rejoicing." The essay
contains a ton of vivid description to make the reader or
listening feel like we're in that church with him: "jet black
faces " and "work knarled hands." It also has a very effective
"hook" at the beginning: It's an antithesis: I was saved, but not
really. "It happened like this." It's a great set-up for what
will happen, and the story has a frame: it's all about the church
scene, and the consequence of this scene, and the irony that he
was supposed to be close to Jesus but could not believe in Jesus
anymore because He did not come to save him. This true story
reveals many ironies and subtle humor: Adults work in a symbolic
world and young people live in "reality." Adults use words like
"see" and kids take that word very literally. The essay also has
brilliant dialogue that reveals the personality of Westley and
the earnestness of the preacher and Sister Reed. Essays like this
work on our own expereince with religion and the rough
intersections between the kid world and the adult world. We
wonder: when has something like this happened to me? What can I
learn from Hughes' experience? Should I, too, pressure my own
chidlren to attend church? Should I be more atuned to the
"literal" world of children? What is my relationship with
God?