Analysis Of Salvation By Langston Hughes

An Analysis of Salvation by Langston Hughes: A Journey into Faith, Deception, and Self-Discovery

Langston Hughes, a titan of the Harlem Renaissance, crafted narratives that resonated deeply with the African American experience. His autobiographical short story, "Salvation," offers a poignant exploration of faith, societal pressure, and the complexities of childhood innocence. This in-depth analysis delves into the nuances of Hughes's prose, examining the themes of religious hypocrisy, the weight of expectation, and the ultimate journey towards self-awareness that unfolds within this seemingly simple tale. We will unpack the symbolism, explore the narrative structure, and ultimately understand the lasting impact of this powerful story on readers even today. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of "Salvation," exploring its literary merit and enduring relevance within the context of faith, identity, and the African American experience.

The Power of Expectation: Societal Pressure and Religious Hypocrisy

"Salvation" vividly portrays the overwhelming pressure young Langston faces within his religious community. The revival meeting, far from being a sanctuary of spiritual awakening, becomes a crucible of expectation and performance. The adults, fervent in their faith, expect a dramatic public conversion from the children, transforming the experience from one of personal spiritual seeking into a social performance. This pressure is not overtly malicious; it stems from a deeply ingrained belief system that equates public confession with genuine faith. Hughes masterfully highlights the hypocrisy inherent in this system, where outward displays of religiosity overshadow genuine inner transformation. The adults, eager for visible demonstrations of faith, fail to recognize the genuine struggles and doubts of a young, impressionable boy. This creates a stark contrast between the outward show of piety and the inner turmoil of a child grappling with the complexities of faith.

The Weight of Deception: A Child's Struggle with Authenticity

The core conflict in "Salvation" centers on young Langston's lie. He pretends to see Jesus, driven not by genuine spiritual enlightenment but by the overwhelming pressure to conform to the expectations of his community. This deception is not a simple act of dishonesty; it's a desperate attempt to escape the intense pressure and avoid the shame of being different. Hughes powerfully depicts the internal struggle of a child torn between his desire for acceptance and his own genuine doubts. The act of lying becomes a profound commentary on the suffocating nature of societal expectations and the immense pressure placed on individuals, especially children, to conform to established norms, even if it means compromising their own authenticity. The lie is not just a childhood transgression; it’s a symbolic act representing the larger societal pressures that force individuals to compromise their truth.

Symbolism and Imagery: Unveiling Deeper Meanings

Hughes masterfully employs symbolism throughout "Salvation" to enhance the narrative's impact. The revival meeting itself serves as a potent symbol of both the power and the potential pitfalls of religious fervor. The imagery of the dark church, the fervent prayers, and the emotional intensity of the gathering create a palpable atmosphere of expectation and intensity. The absence of Jesus, both literally and metaphorically, becomes crucial. Langston's inability to "see" Jesus represents his lack of genuine spiritual understanding and the hollowness of the expectations placed upon him. The tears shed, not out of religious ecstasy but out of a desperate need for acceptance, further illustrate the emotional turmoil and the weight of societal pressure he carries. The imagery contributes to the powerful and lasting impression the story leaves on the reader.

Narrative Structure and Point of View: The Power of Retrospective Reflection

The story's narrative structure is integral to its impact. Told from the perspective of an adult reflecting on his childhood experience, the narrative provides a nuanced understanding of the complexities of faith and the lasting impact of childhood experiences. The retrospective point of view allows Hughes to highlight the irony and the self-awareness gained through the passage of time. The reader witnesses the child's naivete and the adult's understanding of the complexities of that experience, creating a layer of emotional depth that elevates the story beyond a simple anecdote. The structure underscores the evolving understanding of faith and the ongoing journey towards self-discovery.

The Lasting Impact: Loss of Innocence and the Search for Identity

"Salvation" is not merely a story about a religious experience; it's a coming-of-age narrative that explores the loss of innocence and the subsequent search for identity. Young Langston's lie marks a turning point, signifying a disillusionment with the adult world and the expectations it places upon him. The narrative's conclusion leaves the reader with a sense of ambiguity, highlighting the ongoing struggle for self-discovery and the complexities of faith in the face of societal pressures. The experience fosters a profound sense of self-awareness, triggering a critical examination of religious faith and the societal pressures that can shape personal beliefs. This makes the story resonate deeply with readers from diverse backgrounds and across generations.

eBook Outline: An Analysis of Salvation by Langston Hughes

Title: An In-Depth Analysis of Langston Hughes' "Salvation"

I. Introduction:
Hook: Engaging opening that captures the reader's attention.
Overview: Briefly introduces Langston Hughes and "Salvation," outlining the article's scope and purpose.
Thesis statement: States the central argument of the analysis.

II. The Power of Expectation:
Explores the societal pressures and religious hypocrisy depicted in the story.
Analyzes the expectations placed upon young Langston and the consequences of conforming.

III. The Weight of Deception:
Examines Langston's lie and its significance.
Discusses the internal struggle and the impact of societal pressure on authenticity.

IV. Symbolism and Imagery:
Analyzes the use of symbolism and imagery throughout the story.
Interprets the significance of key symbols, such as the revival meeting, the absence of Jesus, and Langston's tears.

V. Narrative Structure and Point of View:
Discusses the impact of the retrospective narrative structure.
Explores the effectiveness of the adult narrator's perspective.

VI. The Lasting Impact:
Examines the themes of loss of innocence and the search for identity.
Analyzes the story's enduring relevance and its impact on readers.


VII. Conclusion:
Summarizes the key arguments and insights.
Offers concluding thoughts on the lasting power of "Salvation."

Detailed Explanation of Each Outline Point:

(Each point above is already extensively explained in the preceding sections of this article.)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the central theme of "Salvation" by Langston Hughes? The central theme explores the complexities of faith, the pressures of societal expectations, and the struggle for authenticity in the face of religious hypocrisy.

2. What is the significance of Langston's lie in the story? The lie represents a desperate attempt to conform to societal pressure, highlighting the conflict between individual conscience and the desire for acceptance.

3. How does the story use symbolism? The revival meeting, the absence of Jesus, and Langston's tears all serve as powerful symbols representing the themes of religious expectation, authenticity, and the weight of societal pressure.

4. What is the impact of the narrative's retrospective point of view? The adult narrator's perspective allows for a nuanced understanding of the events and highlights the lasting impact of childhood experiences.

5. How does "Salvation" reflect the African American experience? The story reflects the pressures faced by African Americans within religious communities and the complexities of faith within a specific social and cultural context.

6. What is the significance of the story's ending? The ambiguous ending highlights the ongoing nature of self-discovery and the complexities of faith.

7. What is the literary significance of "Salvation"? "Salvation" is a powerful and insightful coming-of-age story that uses vivid imagery and symbolism to explore universal themes of faith, identity, and societal pressure.

8. Why is "Salvation" still relevant today? The themes of societal pressure, authenticity, and the complexities of faith continue to resonate with readers across generations and cultures.

9. Where can I find "Salvation" by Langston Hughes? The story is widely available online and in numerous anthologies of Langston Hughes' work.

Related Articles:

1. Langston Hughes' Life and Works: A biographical overview of Hughes's life and literary contributions.

2. The Harlem Renaissance and its Impact on Literature: An exploration of the cultural movement and its influence on Hughes's writing.

3. Themes of Faith and Doubt in Langston Hughes' Poetry: An analysis of faith as explored through Hughes's poetic works.

4. The Use of Symbolism in Langston Hughes' Short Stories: A comparative analysis of symbolism across his short fiction.

5. A Comparative Analysis of "Salvation" and other Hughes' Autobiographical Works: A comparison of "Salvation" with other autobiographical pieces by Hughes.

6. The Role of Religion in African American Literature: An overview of the significance of religion in the works of African American writers.

7. Coming-of-Age Narratives in 20th Century American Literature: A broader contextualization of "Salvation" within the genre of coming-of-age stories.

8. The Impact of Societal Pressure on Identity Formation: An exploration of how societal expectations shape individual identity.

9. Literary Criticism of Langston Hughes' "Salvation": A review of various critical interpretations of the story.


  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Big Sea Langston Hughes, 2022-08-01 DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of The Big Sea by Langston Hughes. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Langston's Salvation Wallace D. Best, 2019-02-01 Winner of the 2018 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Textual Studies, presented by the American Academy of Religion 2018 Outstanding Academic Title, given by Choice Magazine A new perspective on the role of religion in the work of Langston Hughes Langston's Salvation offers a fascinating exploration into the religious thought of Langston Hughes. Known for his poetry, plays, and social activism, the importance of religion in Hughes’ work has historically been ignored or dismissed. This book puts this aspect of Hughes work front and center, placing it into the wider context of twentieth-century American and African American religious cultures. Best brings to life the religious orientation of Hughes work, illuminating how this powerful figure helped to expand the definition of African American religion during this time. Best argues that contrary to popular perception, Hughes was neither an avowed atheist nor unconcerned with religious matters. He demonstrates that Hughes’ religious writing helps to situate him and other black writers as important participants in a broader national discussion about race and religion in America. Through a rigorous analysis that includes attention to Hughes’s unpublished religious poems, Langston’s Salvation reveals new insights into Hughes’s body of work, and demonstrates that while Hughes is seen as one of the most important voices of the Harlem Renaissance, his writing also needs to be understood within the context of twentieth-century American religious liberalism and of the larger modernist movement. Combining historical and literary analyses with biographical explorations of Langston Hughes as a writer and individual, Langston’s Salvation opens a space to read Langston Hughes’ writing religiously, in order to fully understand the writer and the world he inhabited.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Langston Hughes: Short Stories Langston Hughes, 1997-08-15 Stories capturing “the vibrancy of Harlem life, the passions of ordinary black people, and the indignities of everyday racism” by “a great American writer” (Kirkus Reviews). This collection of forty-seven stories written between 1919 and 1963—the most comprehensive available—showcases Langston Hughes’s literary blossoming and the development of his personal and artistic concerns in the decades that preceded the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Many of the stories assembled here have long been out of print, and others never before collected. These poignant, witty, angry, and deeply poetic stories demonstrate Hughes’s uncanny gift for elucidating the most vexing questions of American race relations and human nature in general. “[Hughes’s fiction] manifests his ‘wonder at the world.’ As these stories reveal, that wonder has lost little of its shine.” —The Cleveland Plain Dealer
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Salvation on Sand Mountain Dennis Covington, 2010-02 For Dennis Covington, what began as a journalistic assignment - covering the trial of an Alabama preacher convicted of attempting to murder his wife with poisonous snakes - would evolve into a headlong plunge into a bizarre, mysterious, and ultimately irresistible world of unshakable faith: the world of holiness snake handling, where people drink strychnine, speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick, and, some claim, raise the dead. Set in the heart of Appalachia, Salvation on Sand Mountain is Covington's unsurpassed and chillingly captivating exploration of the nature, power, and extremity of faith - an exploration that gradually turns inward, until Covington finds himself taking up the snakes. University.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Discussions in History and Theology (Routledge Revivals) George P. Fisher, 2015-06-18 First published in 1880, this is a fascinating collection of essays by the nineteenth-century theologian and historian George P. Fisher, arranged into three key classifications. The first group comprises papers that relate to the history, polity and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church, with a particular focus on how the religion of ancient Rome reappears in the characteristic features of Latin Christianity. The second group of essays relates to the New England theology that was pioneered by Jonathan Edwards and entailed important modifications to the philosophy of Calvinism. Unitarianism is also discussed in detail, which is the subject of a paper on Channing, who was regarded as the most prominent representative of the movement in America. The third set of essays explores Theism and Christian evidences, with papers presenting analyses of rationalistic theory, Atheism, and the intellectual and spiritual career of the Apostle Paul. A fascinating and comprehensive collection, this important reissue will be of particular value to students interested in the interplay between history and Christian theology.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Ways of White Folks Langston Hughes, 2011-09-07 A collection of vibrant and incisive short stories depicting the sometimes humorous, but more often tragic interactions between Black people and white people in America in the 1920s and ‘30s. One of the most important writers to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes may be best known as a poet, but these stories showcase his talent as a lively storyteller. His work blends elements of blues and jazz, speech and song, into a triumphant and wholly original idiom. Stories included in this collection: Cora Unashamed Slave on the Block Home Passing A Good Job Gone Rejuvenation Through Joy The Blues I'm Playing Red-Headed Baby Poor Little Black Fellow Little Dog Berry Mother and Child One Christmas Eve Father and Son
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Not Without Laughter Langston Hughes, 2012-03-05 Poet Langston Hughes' only novel, a coming-of-age tale that unfolds amid an African American family in rural Kansas, explores the dilemmas of life in a racially divided society.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Thank You, M'am Langston Hughes, 2014-08 When a young boy named Roger tries to steal the purse of a woman named Luella, he is just looking for money to buy stylish new shoes. After she grabs him by the collar and drags him back to her home, he's sure that he is in deep trouble. Instead, Roger is soon left speechless by her kindness and generosity.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Selected Poems of Langston Hughes Langston Hughes, 1990-09-12 Langston Hughes electrified readers and launched a renaissance in Black writing in America—the poems in this collection were chosen by Hughes himself shortly before his death and represent stunning work from his entire career. The poems Hughes wrote celebrated the experience of invisible men and women: of slaves who rushed the boots of Washington; of musicians on Lenox Avenue; of the poor and the lovesick; of losers in the raffle of night. They conveyed that experience in a voice that blended the spoken with the sung, that turned poetic lines into the phrases of jazz and blues, and that ripped through the curtain separating high from popular culture. They spanned the range from the lyric to the polemic, ringing out wonder and pain and terror—and the marrow of the bone of life. The collection includes The Negro Speaks of Rivers, The Weary Blues, Still Here, Song for a Dark Girl, Montage of a Dream Deferred, and Refugee in America. It gives us a poet of extraordinary range, directness, and stylistic virtuosity.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Cross and the Lynching Tree James H. Cone, 2011 A landmark in the conversation about race and religion in America. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. Acts 10:39 The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and black death, the cross symbolizes divine power and black life God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus, hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the lynching era. In a work that spans social history, theology, and cultural studies, Cone explores the message of the spirituals and the power of the blues; the passion and of Emmet Till and the engaged vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he invokes the spirits of Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ida B. Well, and the witness of black artists, writers, preachers, and fighters for justice. And he remembers the victims, especially the 5,000 who perished during the lynching period. Through their witness he contemplates the greatest challenge of any Christian theology to explain how life can be made meaningful in the face of death and injustice.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Call Me Hope Gretchen Olson, 2009-09-26 As 11-year-old Hope struggles to live under the pressures of her verbally abusive mother, she's tempted to run away but instead chooses resilience. She creates a secret safe haven and an innovative point system (giving herself points for every bad thing her mother says to her); finds comfort and inspiration from Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl; and gains a support team. Ultimately, Hope is able to confront her mother about her hurtful words and help her begin to change.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: In Contempt Christopher Darden, 2016-03-18 #1 New York Times Bestseller. For more than a year, Christopher Darden argued tirelessly for the prosecution, giving voice to the victims in the 0.J. Simpson murder trial. In Contempt is an unflinching look at what the television cameras could not show: behind-the-scenes meetings, the deteriorating relationships between the defense and prosecution teams, the taunting, baiting, and pushing matches between Darden and Simpson, the intimate relationship between Darden and Marcia Clark, and the candid factors behind Darden's controversial decision for Simpson to try on the infamous glove, and much more. Out of the sensational frenzy of the trial of the century comes this haunting memoir of duty, justice, and the powerful undertow of American racism. A stunning masterpiece told with brutal honesty and courage.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Weary Blues Langston Hughes, 2022-01-31 Immediately celebrated as a tour de force upon its release, Langston Hughes's first published collection of poems still offers a powerful reflection of the Black experience. From The Weary Blues to Dream Variation, Hughes writes clearly and colorfully, and his words remain prophetic.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry, 2011-11-02 Never before, in the entire history of the American theater, has so much of the truth of Black people's lives been seen on the stage, observed James Baldwin shortly before A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway in 1959. This edition presents the fully restored, uncut version of Hansberry's landmark work with an introduction by Robert Nemiroff. Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning drama about the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of Black America—and changed American theater forever. The play's title comes from a line in Langston Hughes's poem Harlem, which warns that a dream deferred might dry up/like a raisin in the sun. The events of every passing year add resonance to A Raisin in the Sun, said The New York Times. It is as if history is conspiring to make the play a classic.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: More Than a Carpenter JOSH. MCDOWELL, Sean McDowell, 2024-08-20 He thought Christianity was a sham. Then it changed his life. Skeptic Josh McDowell thought Christians were out of their minds. He ridiculed and insulted them, then decided to combat them with his own thorough research to disprove the claims of Jesus Christ. To his surprise, he discovered that the evidence suggested exactly the opposite--that Jesus, instead of being simply a first-century Hebrew carpenter, truly was the God he claimed to be. Josh went on to write the inspirational work on Christian apologetics, More Than a Carpenter, which has sold over 15 million copies. In this revised and updated edition, with over 15 million copies in print since its original publication, More Than a Carpenter has changed countless lives. Now, in this revised and updated edition, Josh is joined by his son, Sean, as they tackle the questions that today's generation continues to ask: Can I be spiritual without believing in God? How can I make sure that my life counts for something? Is it really possible to know anything for sure about God or Jesus? This edition is an accessible read for seekers and a great evangelism tool.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Blankets Craig Thompson, 2023-07-03 Blankets is the story of a young man coming of age and finding the confidence to express his creative voice. Craig Thompson's poignant graphic memoir plays out against the backdrop of a Midwestern winterscape: finely-hewn linework draws together a portrait of small town life, a rigorously fundamentalist Christian childhood, and a lonely, emotionally mixed-up adolescence. Under an engulfing blanket of snow, Craig and Raina fall in love at winter church camp, revealing to one another their struggles with faith and their dreams of escape. Over time though, their personal demons resurface and their relationship falls apart. It's a universal story, and Thompson's vibrant brushstrokes and unique page designs make the familiar heartbreaking all over again. This groundbreaking graphic novel, winner of two Eisner and three Harvey Awards, is an eloquent portrait of adolescent yearning; first love (and first heartache); faith in crisis; and the process of moving beyond all of that. Beautifully rendered in pen and ink, Thompson has created a love story that lasts.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Mule-Bone Zora Neale Hurston, 2020-05-19 This story begins in Eatonville, Florida, on a Saturday afternoon with Jim and Dave fighting for Daisy's affection. An argument breaks out between two men, and Jim picks up a hock bone from a mule and knocks Dave out. Because of that Jim gets arrested and is held for trial in Joe Clarke's barn. When the trial begins the townspeople are divided along religious lines: Jim's Methodist supporters sit on one side of the church, Dave's Baptist supporters on the other. The issue to be decided at the trial is whether or not Jim has committed a crime.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Blacker the Berry Wallace Thurman, 2008-01-01 A source of controversy upon its 1929 publication, this novel was the first to openly address color prejudice among black Americans. The author, an active member of the Harlem Renaissance, offers insightful reflections of the era's mood and spirit in an enduringly relevant examination of racial, sexual, and cultural identity.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Story of the Good Little Boy Mark Twain, 2020-09-28
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Brutal Imagination PA Cornelius Eady, 2001-01-15 Finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry Brutal Imagination is the work of a poet at the peak of his considerable powers, confronting a crucial subject: the black man in America. “A hymn to all the sons this country has stolen from her African-American families.”—The Village Voice This poetry collection explores the vision of the black man in white imagination, as well as the black family and the barriers of color, class, and caste that tear it apart. These two main themes showcase Cornelius Eady’s range: his deft wit, inventiveness, and skillfully targeted anger, and the way in which he combines the subtle with the charged, street idiom with elegant inversions, harsh images with the sweetly ordinary. Includes poems that inspired the libretto for Eady’s music-drama Running Man, a 1999 Pulitzer Prize finalist.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Big Sea Langston Hughes, 2015-03-02 Introduction by Arnold Rampersad. Langston Hughes, born in 1902, came of age early in the 1920s. In The Big Sea he recounts those memorable years in the two great playgrounds of the decade--Harlem and Paris. In Paris he was a cook and waiter in nightclubs. He knew the musicians and dancers, the drunks and dope fiends. In Harlem he was a rising young poet--at the center of the Harlem Renaissance. Arnold Rampersad writes in his incisive new introduction to The Big Sea, an American classic: This is American writing at its best--simpler than Hemingway; as simple and direct as that of another Missouri-born writer...Mark Twain.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry, 2016-11-01 A Raisin in the Sun reflects Lorraine Hansberry's childhood experiences in segregated Chicago. This electrifying masterpiece has enthralled audiences and has been heaped with critical accolades. The play that changed American theatre forever - The New York Times. Edition Description
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Juvie Three Gordon Korman, 2013-02-01 Gecko doesn't want to go back to Juvenile Detention, but trouble somehow always finds him... Graham Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car for a robbery he didn't even know was going down. But that doesn't keep him out of Juvie — the worst place he has ever been. It's a place where its inmates, some convicted teenage killers, could easily write an encyclopedia on how to inflict pain. Thankfully, do-gooder Douglas Healy shows up, giving Gecko a chance to swap the slammer for a halfway house lived in by two other young criminals. There are just three crucial conditions — the three boys must stay in school and out of trouble, all while staying on Social Services' good side. Or else it's back to Juvie for all of them. But Terence seems bent on getting himself into trouble — the boys catch him sneaking down the fire escape, off to pull another heist. If only their fight hadn't gotten physical and Healy hadn't wound up in the hospital with amnesia. If only Gecko wasn't falling for a girl whose dad's best friend was the Deputy Police chief. And that's just the beginning of their problems. One thing's for certain: if the boys are found out, their second chance will be their last...
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Five Plays by Langston Hughes Langston Hughes, 1963-01-22 Five plays representing Hughes' dramatic writing over a period of forty years.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Message in the Bottle Walker Percy, 1975-01 In Message in the Bottle, Walker Percy offers insights on such varied yet interconnected subjects as symbolic reasoning, the origins of mankind, Helen Keller, Semioticism, and the incredible Delta Factor. Confronting difficult philosophical questions with a novelist's eye, Percy rewards us again and again with his keen insights into the way that language possesses all of us.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: If You Want to Know what We are Carlos Bulosan, 1983
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Night Sky with Exit Wounds Ocean Vuong, 2016-05-23 Winner of the 2016 Whiting Award One of Publishers Weekly's Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2016 One of Lit Hub's 10 must-read poetry collections for April “Reading Vuong is like watching a fish move: he manages the varied currents of English with muscled intuition. His poems are by turns graceful and wonderstruck. His lines are both long and short, his pose narrative and lyric, his diction formal and insouciant. From the outside, Vuong has fashioned a poetry of inclusion.”—The New Yorker Night Sky with Exit Wounds establishes Vuong as a fierce new talent to be reckoned with...This book is a masterpiece that captures, with elegance, the raw sorrows and joys of human existence.—Buzzfeed's Most Exciting New Books of 2016 This original, sprightly wordsmith of tumbling pulsing phrases pushes poetry to a new level...A stunning introduction to a young poet who writes with both assurance and vulnerability. Visceral, tender and lyrical, fleet and agile, these poems unflinchingly face the legacies of violence and cultural displacement but they also assume a position of wonder before the world.”—2016 Whiting Award citation Night Sky with Exit Wounds is the kind of book that soon becomes worn with love. You will want to crease every page to come back to it, to underline every other line because each word resonates with power.—LitHub Vuong’s powerful voice explores passion, violence, history, identity—all with a tremendous humanity.—Slate “In his impressive debut collection, Vuong, a 2014 Ruth Lilly fellow, writes beauty into—and culls from—individual, familial, and historical traumas. Vuong exists as both observer and observed throughout the book as he explores deeply personal themes such as poverty, depression, queer sexuality, domestic abuse, and the various forms of violence inflicted on his family during the Vietnam War. Poems float and strike in equal measure as the poet strives to transform pain into clarity. Managing this balance becomes the crux of the collection, as when he writes, ‘Your father is only your father/ until one of you forgets. Like how the spine/ won’t remember its wings/ no matter how many times our knees/ kiss the pavement.’”—Publishers Weekly What a treasure [Ocean Vuong] is to us. What a perfume he's crushed and rendered of his heart and soul. What a gift this book is.—Li-Young Lee Torso of Air Suppose you do change your life. & the body is more than a portion of night—sealed with bruises. Suppose you woke & found your shadow replaced by a black wolf. The boy, beautiful & gone. So you take the knife to the wall instead. You carve & carve until a coin of light appears & you get to look in, at last, on happiness. The eye staring back from the other side— waiting. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Ocean Vuong attended Brooklyn College. He is the author of two chapbooks as well as a full-length collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds. A 2014 Ruth Lilly Fellow and winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, Ocean Vuong lives in New York City, New York.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Dear and Glorious Physician Taylor Caldwell, 1959 The story of Lucanus, a great doctor in ancient Greece, and how he came to write of his experiences with Christ
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Stories from the Tube Matthew Sharpe, 1998 The debut of a startlingly original literary voice, in the tradition of Robert Olen Butler's Tabloid Dreams--this collection of ten short stories was inspired by television commercials.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Yellow Woman Leslie Marmon Silko, 1993 Ambiguous and unsettling, Silko's Yellow Woman explores one woman's desires and changes--her need to open herself to a richer sensuality. Walking away from her everyday identity as daughter, wife and mother, she takes possession of transgressive feelings and desires by recognizing them in the stories she has heard, by blurring the boundaries between herself and the Yellow Woman of myth.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Nepantla Christopher Soto, 2018 The first major literary anthology for queer poets of color in the United States In 2014, Christopher Soto and Lambda Literary Foundation founded the online journal Nepantla, with the mission to nurture, celebrate, and preserve diversity within the queer poetry community, including contributions as diverse in style and form, as the experiences of QPOC in the United States. Now, Nepantla will appear for the first time in print as a survey of poetry by queer poets of color throughout U.S. history, including literary legends such as Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, June Jordan, Ai, and Pat Parker alongside contemporaries such as Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, Danez Smith, Joshua Jennifer Espinoza, Robin Coste Lewis, Joy Harjo, Richard Blanco, Erika L. Sánchez, Jericho Brown, Carl Phillips, Tommy Pico, Eduardo C. Corral, Chen Chen, and more!
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Nothing is Terrible Matthew Sharpe, 2000 Jane Eyre on acid: a hip, hallucinatory, and hilarious coming-of-age novel bythe author of Stories from the Tube.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Garden Party Katherine Mansfield, 1922
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: No Man Is an Island John Donne, 1988 This meditative prose conveys the essence of the human place in the world -- past and present.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Writer's Presence Donald McQuade, Robert Atwan, 2009-01-10 The readings in The Writer’s Presence are selected exclusively for the quality of the writing. Editors Donald McQuade of the University of California, Berkeley, and Robert Atwan, Series Editor of The Best American Essays scoured hundreds of essays in search of teachable readings with strong voices and clear points of view. The result is a blend of classic pieces by favorites like James Baldwin, Annie Dillard, and Amy Tan; and fresh pieces by rising stars like Michael Pollan, Geeta Kothari, James McBride, and Daniel Harris. The voices in The Writer’s Presence represent different communities, time periods, levels of difficulty, and fields of study, and the topics intersect in intriguing and nuanced ways, giving students the opportunity to think critically and develop their own voices. Organized by type of writing and with minimal apparatus, The Writer’s Presence gives instructors unsurpassed teaching flexibility. With so many exceptional readings and so many ways to teach them, the possibilities are endless.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Norton Reader Melissa A. Goldthwaite, Joseph Bizup, John C. Brereton, Anne E. Fernald, Linda H. Peterson, 2016-11 THIS TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE 2016 MLA UPDATE. The classic reader that has introduced millions of students to the essay as a genre--available in a concise edition.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: Invisible Man Ralph Ellison, 2014 The invisible man is the unnamed narrator of this impassioned novel of black lives in 1940s America. Embittered by a country which treats him as a non-being he retreats to an underground cell.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: My Own Boswell Mohammed Hidayatullah, 2002 Autobiography of the author, former vice-president and chief justice of India.
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: SONNY S BLUES James Baldwin, George Kirby, 1970
  analysis of salvation by langston hughes: The Sleeping Father Matthew Sharpe, 2004 At a Halloween party that neither Bernie or his two children really want to be at, Bernie collapses and falls into a coma bought on by the accidental combination of two anti-depressants. He emerges from the coma to find his son Chris, the perpetual smart-ass, and his daughter Cathy, a Jewish teen turned self-martyred Catholic, stumbling headlong toward trauma-induced maturity. His ex-wife, his nurse, his nurses's father and his son's best friend are also drawn into the bizarre, frustrating and touching world that surrounds the job of rehabilitating Bernie. THE SLEEPING FATHER is about the loss of innocence, the disorientating experience of a second childhood and the nature of love and meaning. But most of all it's about the Schwartzs, a singular American family, making their way the best way they know how.