In most people's lives, there comes a point in time where their perception changes abruptly; a single moment in their life when they come to a sudden realization. In Langston Hughes' "Salvation", contrary to all expectations, a young Hughes is not saved by Jesus, but is saved from his own innocence.

"Salvation" is the story of a young boy who has an experience of revelation. While attending a church revival, he comes to the sudden realization that Jesus will not physically come save him.

In the first three sentences of the essay, the speaker adopts a very childlike style. He makes use of simple words and keeps the sentences short, similar in style to that of an early aged teenager. But since the text is written in the past tense and the narrator mentions that he was "going on thirteen" (181), we know the speaker is now older. After reading a little further, we find that the style becomes more complex, with a more select choice of words and longer sentences.

The innocence shown by the young boy at the beginning of the story can be attributed to many factors, the main reason being his Auntie Reed. She goes on talking for days about the big revival. Just like any other kid would, Hughes listens and believes word-for-word what his aunt tells him: "She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul." (181) This naivete is characteristic of youths of that age group. After all, he "heard a great many old people say the same thing" (181) and it seemed to him "they ought to know" (181). With all the hype and anticipation surrounding this event, Hughes is certain something is bound to happen. His disappointment is manifested when he does not literally see Jesus. From what he has been told, Hughes is expecting to see a human incarnation of Jesus. He is actually more than just expecting to see him; he badly wants to be saved! Seeing Westley give up so carelessly, triggers an awkward feeling inside of Hughes. The thought that Jesus is not going to show up after all is starting

Some common words found in the essay are:
Langston Hughes', Hughes' Salvation, Auntie Reed, Hughes Jesus, Langston Hughes, Saved Innocence, Jesus Jesus, Seeing Westley, Sylvan Barnet, York Longman, langston hughes', words sentences, salvation story, sudden realization,
Approximate Word count = 692
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)