Comparing Religion In 'Salvation And The Lottery'

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Religion is the pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. The concept of religion is distant because it is intangible, one cannot physically handle or prove the existence of a “supreme” power. The levels of faith vary within society, which accounts for people’s influence on others. Religion is one of the most challenging topics to discuss because of the sacredness of one’s faith. While both “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “The Lottery” by Chris Abani, shows how adults pressure younger generations to conform to their beliefs, Hughes created the effect of “life-changing” as Abani has the effect of “life-threatening”. Moreover, society impacts children, specifically adults; whom by their decisions creates effects ranging from one…show more content…
Abani’s aunt as well controlled his actions by snapping at him to spit at the “incandescent figure” (200) by “rapping me on the head with her knuckles” (200). In their society in Nigeria, Abani is expected to follow the older generation’s decisions without an opinion, which as a result, causes the younger generation to follow their footsteps by conforming to the adult’s beliefs. On the other hand, in “Salvation”, the author, Langston Hughes was pushed into attending “a special meeting for children” (203) by his Auntie Reed at her church. Hughes, at the age of thirteen, was persuaded by his aunt into being “saved from sin” (203) by having Jesus in his life. The church kept pushing Hughes to make a choice of salvation, which he did not know if he was ready to commit to. He was centered at the alter by his aunt whole congregation which prompted him to conform with the intention of taking the attention of the church away rather than the idea of being “saved”. Hughes admitted that he was “not really saved” (203) but rather wanted the church to just leave him be. Personally, I had an instance like this when I was nine, at my

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