Authors tend to have writing styles that set them apart from other authors. “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “Reunion” by John Cheever are two short stories, both written by renowned authors, describing a life-changing experience for each author at a young age. It may seem that the two stories are completely different in every way. However, after analyzing the two stories, it becomes clear that they have many things in common. The two stories are similar in terms of motifs and use of dialogue, but they contrast when it comes to the tone of each story. First, the two short stories have two similar motifs. In the stories of Langston Hughes and John Cheever, there is expectation and disappointment. Langston Hughes expects Jesus to come and see the light his aunt told him he would see when he was saved. In Langston Hughes' “Salvation,” he states, “I no longer believed in the existence of Jesus, since he had not come to help me” (643). Hughes is disappointed in the fact that he expected Jesus to come, but he didn't. John Cheever expects to have a good time with his father since he hasn't seen him in a long time. In Reunion, when John Cheever saw his father, he declared: “I was terribly happy to see him again”. The use of the words "terribly happy" shows how excited he is to see his father and how much he hopes to have good times with him, otherwise he wouldn't be so happy. Once he spends time with his father, he feels let down or disappointed because his father is not the person Cheever thought he would be. Although both authors expected something positive to happen, their hopes were quickly deflated, which is why expectation and disappointment are two key themes in both stories. Second, both stories...... middle of article ...... an event unfolds a certain way, but are disappointed when the situation they find themselves in turns out to be different than expected. Both stories use dialogue to provide insight into the characters and why they behave in a certain way. The actions of the characters in “Reunion” are the direct result of the father’s lack of respect for them. In "Salvation", the dialogue helps the reader understand why Westley and Hughes lie about being saved. The tone is the main difference between the two stories. “Reunion” has an awkward tone while “Hi” has a tone of solemnity. The authors use these elements to describe a dramatic experience that happened to them when they were younger. Most authors may have different writing styles or other different elements incorporated into their stories, but they may still have similar elements in each of their individual stories..