Salvation and Talk of the Town
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John Updike's (2001) account of witnessing the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the New Yorker and Langston Hughes' (2008) "Salvation," about a young boy who gets "saved" at a church revival, are both nonfiction because though told in a short story-like manner they are both based on real life or actual events. In John Updike's (2001) reaction to the events of September 11, the author describes the events in a way comparable to a reporter but relies on the tools of fiction to add to the account in a number of ways. For instance, his depiction of television footage of the second plane crashing into the towers reads like pure fiction from his word choice, "where the footage of hellbent airplane, exploding jet fuel, and imploding tower was played and replayed, much rehearsed moments from a nightmare ballet" (Updike, 2001, p. 1). From metaphor and simile to personification, Updike uses the tools of fiction to render a nonfiction story. In a similar manner, Hughes recounts a real event but he uses the tools of fiction like characterization to write his story. He brings Westley to life like a fictional character, "God damn! I'm tired o' sitting here. Let's get up and be saved" (Hughes, 2008, p. 1). This analysis will provide my reaction to these works of nonfiction, included how they relate to my own experience and society and what the respective authors' theme and purpose seem to be. John Updike's approach in reacting to the events o
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Updike provides the story of events most of us are familiar or watched on television, but he adds a deeper level to it by writing the account more like a short story with his own views interjected than a straight report of the day's events would include. In "Salvation," Hughes' use the story of the revival is merely to demonstrate the crisis of faith precipitated in him by it. Hughes waited and waited for a savior that never showed up, dashing his faith that there is a Jesus. Like many individuals who have at one time or another questioned their faith, Hughes fiction-like account of the nonfiction event helps others understand that we all question our faith at times in our existence.
The theme and purpose of Updike's (2001) work seems not only to provide a beautifully written account of the horror of September 11, but also to reaffirm the very values that made it so horrific. As Updike (2001) writes at the end of his piece, his walk around Brooklyn Heights "renewed the impression that, with all its failings, this is a country worth fighting for. Freedom, reflected in the street's diversity and daily ease, felt palpable. It is mankind's elixir, even if a few turn it to poison" (P. 2). In this sense, Updike uses th
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Approximate Word count = 1569
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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