Langston Hughes Analysis

After reading through the test a second time, a few conclusions can be made. First, Langston Hughes seems to be very serious about the story he is telling. One way we know this to be true is because of its personal nature. Hughes purposely includes his first name. Not only does he just give his name, the word “Langston” is a paragraph of its own. The vivid details of this experience also show the severity of Hughes’ story. He shares personal feelings that describe the thoughts of his twelve-year-old. These thoughts include, “But I was really crying because I couldn't bear to tell her that I had lied, that I had deceived everybody in the church, that I hadn't seen Jesus, and that now I didn't believe there was a Jesus anymore, since he didn't

Another conclusion that can be made after reading this is that Langston lost his faith as a result of this experience. Hughes states his expectations, “My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside!” He mentions that he has heard many other respected adults in his church make the same comments, so his expectations are only solidified. With such set in stone expectations, it was going to take a lot for Hughes to get up off of that bench. Throughout the story, we can see his faith shaking undoubtedly. Towards the beginning of the revival, Hughes is waiting to physically see Jesus. His faith remains strong, he says, “Still I kept waiting to see Jesus.” Hughes italicized the word “see” to once again enforce the expectations he had. His faith first begins to fade when another child, Westley says, “God damn! I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved.” Hughes is shocked because he knows Westley did not see Jesus and had also taken his name in vain. When Westley is not punished for lying in the temple or taking Jesus’ name in vain, Hughes begins to wonder if he should lie