Rhetorical Techniques and the Critique of Religion in "The Big Sea" Anonymous 11th Grade

Langston Hughes provides several types of rhetorical strategies in Salvation in order to achieve his purpose. Hughes was an African American writer living during the Harlem Renaissance, a period of emphasis on African American art, literature, and music. In addition to being an author, Hughes was also a poet and a playwright. In Salvation, Hughes describes how society pressures him with certain expectations. He expresses several rhetorical devices, such as imagery, diction, and irony, in order to demonstrate that it is impossible to force someone else to behave or think a certain way. Ultimately, everyone will have to make their own choices.

Throughout the anecdote, Hughes utilizes imagery to engage the reader. For example, he states, “A great many old people came and knelt around us and prayed, old women with jet-black faces and braided hair, old men with work-gnarled hands… And the whole building rocked with prayer and song.” The author includes this quote near the beginning of the passage to allow the reader to visualize a typical church meeting. The reader also feels as if he or she is personally acquainted with the congregation due to the vivid details. In addition, the author portrays the church revival as dramatic,...