Reaction Paper to Two Short Stories: “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “On Going Home” by Joan Didion Essay

Introduction

Authors use short non-fiction stories to convey unique messages of events, incidents, or emotions. This paper revolves around two short stories namely Salvation by Langston Hughes and On Going Home by Joan Didion. Further, it provides a summary of strategies utilized by the writers in conveying their ideas along with a detailed description of how I personally relate to the themes presented therein.

Moreover, it gives a detailed explanation of the purposes of the two short stories based on their themes pointing out how the two authors employ aspect of imaginations and nonfiction in their stories.

“Salvation” by Langston Hughes

Strategies Used

Salvation is a unique and a must-read chef-d-oeuvre where the author Langston Hughes uses remarkable strategies to convey the aspect of irony. The writer uses irony to imply that, even if a person is in dire need of something, it is not easy for him/her to acquire it. Hughes attended the church ready to become a believer.

However, she left it entirely opposite of what she expected out of it. As Langston undergoes numerous tribulations and trials in a bid to receive salvation, she gradually distances herself from Jesus. This follows because she waited to see Jesus before her day of salvation. However, this never happened. Due to social pressure from the gathering at the church coupled with that of her aunt who vehemently pushes her towards salvation, Langston lies to the church concerning her salvation.

The writer draws the reader into irony by establishing a unique precedent that a person’s life can be a nightmare when he/she least expects such.

As a young boy, Langston experienced a difficult situation in the church. Group pressure and desire to please her own aunt forced her to do something that was against her judgment. The irony shows how the church congregation aimed at bringing Hughes’s closer to Christ. However, it did the opposite by making her hold the belief that God did not exist.

Moreover, Langston uses vivid description and concrete details in this short story. The detailed description of her aunt, the preacher, and the church aids in keeping the momentum rolling, thus, making story vivid and easy to master.

For instance, the reader can easily picture unique images of “old women with jet-black faces and braided hair; and old men having work-gnarled hands” (Sylvan, William & Burto, 2010, p.351) who were praying and singing in the church. In addition, another detailed description that provides a vivid picture of the condition of the church that Langston attended appears in the description of the “hot, crowded Church” (Sylvan, William& Burto, 2010, p.351).

The Purpose of the Story

The intended purpose of Langston’s story is to express the feeling Langston has concerning this paramount stage of her life. After the experience in her teenage years, Langston was able to understand what happened in that event when she grew up. The theme of the story is to describe how Langston’s experience of being “saved” only caused disappointment in her life. In addition, it resulted to Langston lying to her church members, thus, developing the ‘guilt feeling’ associated with doing so.

The “saving” of Langston eventually results to her loss of believe and faith in Jesus. To the reader, this conveys the detrimental effect that can result from the actions of an adult who imposes certain believes on a child. The teenager who does not comprehend what is happening at that time must feel emotionally and socially affected. Langston cries of the feeling of guilt because of lying. He eventually stops believing in Jesus.

“On Going Home” by Joan Didion

Strategies Used

On Going Home, a fascinating masterpiece by Joan Didion, describes the author’s trips to her family home tabling all the distinct emotions she undergoes during her visits. The writer employs diverse strategies in conveying the key theme of her story: convection and diversity in the home place.

The writer uses metaphors to provide clear descriptions on the experiences encountered during her visits especially when accompanied by her husband. Her family discusses things to which her husband does not relate.

This makes the husband uneasy, as he cannot understand what all the stories entail. As the writer reckons, the family exclusively talks about people they know to have gone mental hospitals ((Sylvan, William & Burto, 2010, p.620). The ways of her family do not correlate with those of her husband. This makes her husband uncomfortable.

The writer also employs imagery to convey the situation of her home. For instance, she says, “We live in dusty houses filled with mementos” (Sylvan, William & Burto, 2010, p.620). This provides a vivid picture the condition of her home. In addition, the writer utilizes detailed descriptions to bring out the sense of family and home.

Through this strategy, the writer recreates a unique feeling that someone gets when reminiscing about excellent times he/she shared in a place. A reflective thought of being able to pass the same feeling to somebody else develops, as it is evident when the writer wishes the same environment for her daughter.

The Purpose of the Story

Joan’s story expresses the theme of convection and diversity of the ‘home’. It shows how the writer is at unique crossroads. The evident scenarios no longer fulfill Joan in her family home. However, she is unable to let go of it to embrace a different life that her husband advocates.

She has a compelling desire of creating a semblance of her old home for her own daughter. The writer appreciates many benefits gained from growing up in the same way she grew up. Unfortunately, she is unable to express these sentiments to her husband, despite the fact that she wants to avail the same to her daughter.

The writer sees family life as a source of drama and tension. She laments, “Marriage is a classical betrayal” (Sylvan, William & Burto, 2010, p.620). The confusion seems to overwhelm the writer in deciding what is best for her own daughter dealing with both her family and her husband. This depicts the crossroads the author is in, all brought by the home and family.

What makes each of the two stories nonfiction

The “Salvation” by Langston Hughes is a nonfiction story because it conveys personal accounts encountered by Langston. The writer uses her personal experiences in telling a unique story that incorporates true events in her teenage life. The story touches on the early teenage years of Langston and her experiences when in church together with her aunt.

The writer has incorporated clarity, directness, and simplicity that are paramount traits in any nonfiction work. Through the detailed descriptions of the true scenario of her life, the writer conveys how she reluctantly achieved salvation through lying to the whole gathering at the church. The assertions made in this story describe reality of Langston’s early life.

The author uses explanatory writing techniques in explaining the conditions at the church. This technique improves the understanding of the reader on the many ideas behind the story. In addition, the writer presents a balanced and coherent argument, which appeals to the audience, as the story is true and intriguing.

On the other hand, On Going Home by Joan Didion qualifies as nonfiction because it describes the real life scenarios of the writer’s life. The writer uses imagery to explain about the family home by depicting how things have remained the same in her home. The cause of disagreement in this story is the differences between writers’ family ways and her husband’s ways.

The writer seems confused because the two homes pose a great challenge in her way of doing things. Direct provisions of vital information by the writer, further, entrench the notion that this work is nonfiction. The author comments about her family, her daughter, and her husband in a vivid manner. The story embodies historical practices of the writer’s home in a clear and perfect manner.

The essence of imagination in writing and reading nonfiction

Some nonfiction stories may include imaginative elements to a small extent. However, inclusion of any open falsehood discredits nonfiction work. Thus, the writer should utilize imagination with caution to avoid discrediting his or her work as nonfiction. Imagination required when writing and reading nonfiction aids in making the work unique.

Elements of imagination aid in providing a detailed description as the story unfolds. Through imagination, one can show comprehensive and unique scenarios, which improve the quality of his or her work. Clear and concise fashion requires a fair deal of imaginations.

Conclusion

The two short stories are unique and exceptionally detailed. They present remarkable nonfiction works, which utilize unique techniques in disseminating ideas in vivid manners. The writers are able to convey their messages to readers in comprehensive ways, which make the understanding of the short stories easy. These stories provide vital lessons in people’s lives. Any literature fanatic will regard them as informative pieces of work.

Reference

Sylvan, B., William, E., & Burto, W. (2010). Literature for Composition Essays, Stories, Poems, and Plays. New York: Longman Publishing Group.