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Mark Twain's War Prayer Rhetorical Analysis

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During the early 1900’s, Americans were caught up in the idea of imperialism, or extending their influence to other countries using military force. Mark Twain’s essay, The War Prayer, was written during this time, but argued against the popular philosophy of imperialism. Twain’s essay was too controversial and Harper’s Bazaar believed it was not suited for the public to read, so it went unpublished until after his death and after the idea of imperialism had lost its fervor. Twain’s essay discusses imperialism and its consequences. Twain uses two very different characters, a priest and a stranger, to contrast pro-imperialism and anti-imperialism. Ultimately, Twain’s essay reveals to readers that praying for success in war is also praying for the defeat of another nation. Twain reveals the brutality of imperialism in The War Prayer through effective use of irony, purposeful word choice, and a powerful final sentence.
The War Prayer uses irony to convey Twain’s theme, as it takes place in a church. Members of a town gather every Sunday at church to pray for their soldiers. Their prayers mention their hopes to “drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded,” and “go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.” The prayers of the townspeople wish for no mercy on the enemy, however, they are said in the very place they are taught to love all people, a church. Twain’s setting is ironic because the people pray for destruction in a place of peace. The irony of the setting causes readers to question exactly what the people are praying for. Though it appears they pray for their soldiers’ safety, with closer reading, it becomes apparent they are praying for destruction of another civilization. The setting effectively reveals Twain’s theme, the true brutality of imperialism, as it describes the harsh prayers ironically

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