Orwell and Langston – Shooting an Elephant and Salvation Essay Example

to gain a small sentiment of approval from the unnerving crowd; “I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool”[pg. 91]. Orwell`s character is a unique person that wants to gain a second of attention and for that he gives up something that he thinks that is correct, not shooting an elephant, for a small grade of approval. In another example, Langston Hughes in “Salvation” shows us how a small little boy, under the pressure of the congregation lies about seeing God and in the process looses faith in Him. Langston Hughes presents to us the story of a small little boy at the age of thirteen that goes to see his aunt in Louisiana.

His aunt is really excited about him joining the church community: “my aunt spoke of it days ahead”. With his aunt at the church, young Hughes gets sat in the front of the church and with the entire congregation looking at him and the other kids that were getting ready to be saved. One by one they all experience God and His divine touch up to the point where only Hughes is left sitting on the bench. After some more time, he decides that he would rather loose his belief in God and lie about his presence than to keep everyone else waiting and looking at him.

He lies and gets up and moves to the “saved” side. By lying and pleasing the society, we find out the effect that this has on the congregation: “the whole room broke in a sea of shouting, as they saw me rise”[pg. 181]. Although different, both experiences show how we adapt and how, especially

under pressure, we would do anything to fit in and be accepted by society, whether it is shooting an elephant or lying about seeing God; in Orwell`s case shooting an elephant to gain a small approval and in Hughes`s case lying about seeing God in order to become part of the congregation and to follow an ancient model