"The War Prayer" Opinion

University:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Course:
21L.450 | Literature and Ethical Values
Academic year:

2022
Views:

173

Pages:

2
Author:

Hayden Sablo

When we think of war, our heads usually go straight to the good side of it the massive parades, the loud drums, and the flags waving in the wind. It’s easy to get caught up in that version of patriotism, but Mark Twain’s "The War Prayer" looks right past that to show the ugly reality of death and pain. Twain actually wrote this during the Philippine American War, but he was so worried about the public’s reaction that he didn't let it be published until after he died. He knew that telling people their heroism was actually a request for homicide wouldn't go over well while people were still in a fighting mood. His main point is simple but harsh: you can’t pray for a win in war without also praying for a massacre. In the beginning of the story, the town is gripped by a patriotic feeling . Everyone is focused on the bands playing and the excitement, acting like war is just one big party. This kind of hype is actually dangerous because it stops people from thinking for themselves they just follow the crowd. It’s very similar to how fake news and newspapers during the Spanish American War tricked people into wanting a fight without understanding the consequences. At eighteen, these are the guys being sent to the front lines, yet the people back home are treating it like a parade instead of a funeral. Everything changes when a Stranger walks into the church and drops the truth every prayer for success has a dark side. He tells the people that when they ask God for victory, they are secretly asking to "tear their soldiers to bloody shreds" and leave children homeless. Twain uses this to take away the polite language people use to talk about war. He’s forcing the town and the reader to admit that winning is the exact same thing as killing. You can’t have the medal without the carnage, and Twain wants us to feel the weight of that . The ending is pretty depressing. Instead of realizing they were wrong, the townspeople just call the Stranger a lunatic and ignore him. This shows Twain’s cynical view of humanity he didn't think people would ever actually fix this problem because they don't want to. The real tragedy isn’t just that war is brutal it’s that people would rather believe a lie that makes them feel like "the good guys" than face the truth about the violence they are supporting. It’s easier to call the truth teller crazy than it is to admit you’ve been praying for the destruction of other human beings. Twain, Mark. "The War Prayer." The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain, edited by Charles Neider, Doubleday, 1957, pp. 582-585. Paine, Albert Bigelow. Mark Twain: A Biography. Harper & Brothers, 1912. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/files/119/119-h/119-h.htm. "Yellow Journalism." PBS: Crucible of Empire, 1999, www.pbs.org/crucible/journalism.html. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.

"The War Prayer" Opinion

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