Critical analysis of Mark Twain’s “War Prayer”

Instruction:-

Write a critical analysis of Mark Twain’s “War Prayer” using a psychological approach.

Solution

Critical analysis of War Prayer

The War Prayer was written in 1990’s at a time when America was practicing imperialism on the relatively weaker nations. The world knows him as Mark Twain but, this individual was actually born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri but later was relocated (along with his family) to Hannibal, Missouri which happens be adjacent to the Mississippi River. Twain lived in this area prior to the Civil War and as a result was able to experience certain things that will never be forgotten. As stated in his biography, “His youth was typical of life in a fluid, diverse, yet morally exacting community in a chaotic period” (American Literature, 53). With regards to critical approaches to literature, sociological criticism is the most relevant to “War Prayer” by Mark Twain because it focuses on cultural, economic, and political context which are some of the themes in this piece of literature.

The reader’s will be able to better understand the  reading by knowing who the author is, where the author came from, the time period in which the author grew up, the places they’ve lived, their love life and much more. Having these idea’s of all these areas, will give the reader a better understanding, of why the writer is writing. Also, show the message they’re trying to convey, as well as understanding the emotions and feelings associated with the work.The American government was employing heavy military forces to rule over other nations. These targeted nations were also trying to fight back in attempt to resist colonialism. Mark Twain, through The War Prayer, was perceived to be advocating against imperialism. Twain’s thoughts

on imperialism were treated as very controversial, being that he was an American. This was not expected of him. The War Prayer, thus, displays noticeable instances of irony and dilemma.

 In the middle of the pastor’s long prayer, a stranger entered the church, made his way up to the aisle and next to the pastor, and then motioned him away before he began to speak. He begins by stating that he is a messenger from God and continues stating that when they pray to God asking for a blessing in this fight, that they are also invoking a curse on their enemies (American Literature, 58).  Mark Twain has used characters of a priest and a stranger to represent pro- imperialism and anti-imperialism. He reveals a remarkable irony by describing how the church takes part in imperialism. Here, church members gather every Sunday to pray for the success of their soldiers who are on imperialistic mission. In their prayers, the congregation hopes that the soldiers would “go forth from the sweet peace of beloved firesides to smite the foe” (Twain, 73). The congregation does not want mercy for their perceived enemies. While the very church preaches peace and forgiveness, the church members are seen to be doing the opposite.

The War Prayer creates a dilemma for churches today. Should churches pray for the victory of their soldiers in time of war? Should they just keep quiet and let them be killed by their rivals? In as much as Twain does the right thing by discouraging imperialism, he does not readily offer alternatives for the church today. The War Prayer, thus, may only perceived as a mockery of the church in time of war.

Work Cited

Twain, Mark. The War Prayer. New York, NY: Harper &Brothers. 1912. Print

Twain, Mark. “War Prayer.” American Literature from the Civil War to Present Ed. Perkins and Perkins. Create ed. McGraw-Hill, 2015. 53-59. ebook.

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