Why We Avoid the Truth - "salvation" by Langston Hughes and "the Ways We Lie" by Stephanie Ericsson

Why We Avoid the Truth:

"Salvation" by Langston Hughes and "The Ways We Lie" by Stephanie Ericsson

Why do we lie? Is lying like a reflex? Do we tell lie after lie every day, not even realizing what it is we are doing? Many people believe that the main reason we lie is to avoid a confrontation or argument. However, I believe we life for protection. We lie to protect ourselves (from being hurt), others from being hurt, and our interests. By examining these reasons we can gain insights into the reasons for why people avoid telling the truth.

We can see several of these reasons in Langston Hughes's essay, "Salvation." In it, Hughes discusses how he lied about religion to his family. In Salvation, Hughes loves his Aunt Reed, and she is very religious. She loves God with all her heart and tells Hughes of the day she was saved by Christ. Hughes believed her. One day in church Hughes and all the other children were placed on the mourner's bench, so they could be saved. The preacher then preached, and said prayers. As he was saying his words children would rise up and yell that they were saved. As Hughes says "The preacher sang a song about the ninety and nine safe in the fold but the one little lamb left out in the cold. Won't you come to Jesus? Young lambs come! Then little girls jumped up and went to Jesus (180)." Then old people came around the children and prayed, and the church kept singing. This whole time Hughes is still waiting to see Jesus. Then it was finally only Hughes and one other boy left. The little boy got tired of sitting and said "God damn I'm tired of sitting here. Lets get up and be saved. So he got up and was saved. (180)." Then Hughes was the last child left to be saved. Hughes's Aunt then came by him, and prayed and cried for him to be saved. Hughes was waiting to see Jesus. The preacher then asked why he didn't want to come to Jesus. Hughes finally decided to get up. As Hughes rise the churched burst out in cheers. That night Hughes cried in his bed, all night. Hughes Aunt said "He is crying because he saw the Holy Ghost and Jesus had come into his life. (181)." But the real reason Hughes was crying was because he lied and deceived everybody in the church. Hughes now no longer believed in Jesus cause he didn't come to help him and lied to everyone that he did.

Hughes lied about being saved to protect himself, and his aunt's feelings. Hughes lied so that way he would be protected by Jesus and the church even if he himself didn't physically see Jesus. As Hughes says "Now it was getting late. I felt ashamed for making everyone wait so long. . . . God had not struck Westley dead for taking in vain or for lying, so I got up (181)." Hughes lied to spare his aunt's feelings. He loved his aunt with all his heart. His aunt was so excited about when she saved. As Hughes says "My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! And you can see, hear, and feel Jesus! (179)." Hughes would have been ashamed if he let her down. As Hughes was the last child left waiting to be saved his aunt came