Journal #6:

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DateJournal #6
It is believed that if you want anything to outlive you, put it down in writing. Several literary pieces that exist today, and are widely read the world over, were composed many years ago. They have outlived their composers. In this paper, both Erin Murphy and Langston Hughes’ works of art effectively demonstrate how various stylistic devices can be used to create an entertaining, eye-catching, and engaging yet educative piece. They are the authors of ‘White Lies’ and ‘Salvation’ respectively. The two skillfully craft the sentences in their works, bringing out the journals in a great way. As the authors seek to share their experiences through the journals, some notable differences and similarities that make them unique emerge in their pieces.
Both writers are renowned poets and award-winning authors of various literature pieces that have been published in a number of dailies, and shared in different journals. Their style of writing is relatively similar as they use brief sentences and short paragraphs to add emphasis. In general, the two journals narrate the childhood encounters that the authors had to cope with. The underlying subject in this context brings out both of them as victims of circumstances in which they found themselves and could hardly change; they simply conformed. Murphy grows up in an environment that ‘condones’ bullying, while Hughes is bullied into salvation through the influence of his aunt Reed. Even the church minister, instead of guiding him through the journey of salvation, pesters young Hughes “Langston, why don’t you come, why don’t you come and be saved?” (Hughes par.

10). They barely wade through their childhood living a life that they never chose, yet have little or nothing to do to change it. Later on into adulthood, the burden of responsibility and the obligation to change the situation is evident. They both bring it out through the journals.
However, the experiences of these two differ. Precisely, Murphy was not a direct victim as she narrates the ordeal that her schoolmates Arpi and Connie had to go through in their childhood. As a mother, she assumes the burden to address the issue. On the other hand, Hughes, lives with the guilt of being saved, yet ‘not really saved’. Though out his childhood, he lives with the lie, the guilt of deception that he created in the church. Their experiences created a self-inflicted misery, a slavery throughout their childhood. The degree of the guilt, pain, regrets and the overall responsibility to address the issues drive them into writing these journals that come out in simple yet entertaining and informative styles to achieve the purpose.
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston, The Big Sea: An Autobiography. American Century Series. A.A Knopf. 1940