...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 Twain’s essay was too controversial and Harper’s Bazaar believed it was not suited for the public to read, so it went unpublished until after his death and after the idea of imperialism had lost its fervor.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...
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...The War Prayer by Mark Twain It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fulttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory with stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety’s sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way. Sunday morning came — next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers...
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...The War Prayer Rhetorical Essay During the mid 1900's, Americans were knowledgeable in imperialism, or extending their impact to different nations utilizing military power. Twain's exposition, The War Prayer, was composed amid this time, however contended against the prevalent theory of imperialism. The point made by Mark Twain's "The War-Prayer" is straightforward, even simplistic, that the hidden desire of the yearning for triumph over the foe is the wish that some sort of loss happens to the other in the process, which portrays irony. Twain's clarification on the impact of imperialistic nature in regards to irony, and his word choice, which sets the mood and tone of the text, are key uses of rhetoric used by Twain. Twain's exposition examines imperialism and its results. Twain utilizes two different characters, a stranger and a priest, to differentiate between imperialistic nature and non-imperialistic nature. At last, Twain's exposition shows the audience that petitioning God for achievement in war is likewise appealing to God for the annihilation of another person or country. Twain uncovers the ruthlessness of imperialism in The War Prayer through viable utilization of satire and irony, which implicitly explains the truthful rhetoric behind the text. The War Prayer utilizes irony to pass on Twain's subject, as it happens in a congregation. Individuals from a town assemble each Sunday at chapel to pray to God for their officers and soldiers in war. Their requests to God...
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...Name Instructor Course Date Walmart can be clearly said to be one of the largest retail chain store in the United States. It was established in 1962 by Sam Walton and was incorporated in 1969.Walmart has over 11,000 stores in over twenty countries under a total of sixty five banners. Walmart happens to be the world largest company in terms of revenue as per the findings of Fortune Global 500 list in 2014.It has an employment workforce of an estimated 2,000,000.It is a family-run business owned by the Walton family. The benefactors of Sam Walton hold over 50% of Walmart share through their holdings. Walmart is also recognized the world largest retailer of groceries in the States where they made slightly over 250 Billion dollars in 2009 through their grocery sales. Walmart got its shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972.The company steadily climbed the retail store ladder to emerge as a retail guru in the United States The company operates under the Walmart name in the U.S and their branches in Canada. It operates under the name Asda in the U.k. Walmart also operates a considerable number of warehouses and department stores in almost all parts of North America. One of the aspects that has contributed to the great success of Walmart is through the diversification of their services. This can be seen through the establishment of Walmart Express which is a chain of smaller retail stores which is focused on much smaller towns which cannot accommodate large stores...
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...answer prayers when the prayer is praying with incorrect motives. Thus, according to Baal apologists, Baal’s priest did not lose because Jehovah is mightier; they lost because they prayed with an incorrect motive. Therefore, Baal did not answer their prayers and allowed Elijah to win. Thus, of the multitude who pray for peace, none ask with the correct motive. Of the few who pray for war, at least one asks with the correct motive. Therefore, as we have war instead of peace. Apparently, a desire for war is the correct motive, while a desire for peace is an incorrect motive. 32. Asking from a Selfish Heart. God does not answer prayers of a prayer who prays from a selfish heart. Thus, according...
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...policies of the United States and Great Britain (William D. Howells and Mark Twain 723). In 1905, Mark Twain composed the short story The War Prayer in an effort to open the eyes to patriotic, war-loving people. This term paper will be a close-reading on Twain’s short story The War Prayer. The focus will not be on what was said about this short story by other authors, but rather give an explanation and deeper understanding on its satirical criticism on people’s patriotism and their glorification of war. The First Paragraph “It was a time of great and exalting excitement” (Twain 652). After reading these first nine words in Mark Twain’s The War Prayer one expects the time of “great and exalting excitement” to be one of technological advances or economic strength, or at least having to do with another peaceful connotation. Twain diverts these associations with his satirical competence by writing “The country was up in arms, the war was on . . .” Therefore, a “time of great and exalting excitement” is when this country is at war. The first befuddlement of this statement is quickly resolved, when Twain gives to the reader already an explanation on why this country is indeed so excited to go to war: “The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism, . . .” Patriotism is absurdly exaggerated in The War...
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...Outcome? The outcome of the war: Is it controlled by the actions of mere mortals? Do the gods determine the successes and failures? Is the outcome solely a matter of fate? Some may believe that mortals have free will, but after a quick skim of the Iliad, this belief is clearly shown to be false. Humans are not given control over their destinies; however, if this is true, then what are these destinies controlled by? Fate seems to be the only answer, yet, can fate alone stop a god from changing outcomes for their personal gain? In the Iliad, gods and humans are shown to have a varying degree of control on the outcome of human life and death. The true controller of the outcome of success vs. failure, and life vs. death, will be analyzed with...
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...The War Prayer by Mark Twain It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpouring of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety’s sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way. Sunday morning came — next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers...
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...SYNOPSIS ON THE MOVIE WAR ROOM The movie War Room, filled with heart , humor is a journey that follows Tony and Elizabeth Jordan, your average middle class family, that seemed to have it all together, great jobs, a beautiful daughter, their dream home, but appearances can be deceiving. Their home, their marriage, has become a war zone, and their daughter is collateral damage. Elizabeth is a realtor, and meets a client, Mrs. Clara, after showing the home, Mrs. Clara, an older, wiser woman senses something going on with Elizabeth , Mrs. Clara, invites her the next morning for coffee. Mrs. Clara being a woman of wisdom, asks Elizabeth about her church and prayer life. Elizabeth says she goes to church sometimes and considers her prayer life lukewarm. Liz, basically sets off her relationship with Mrs. Clara, who sees an opportunity to mentor Elizabeth, and meet with her one hour a week. to teach her about prayer and how to pray for her husband. She then agrees, Mrs. Clara tells her that God calls us to pray. not to change people, and that her battle is not with her husband but with the devil who has taken control of her house and her marriage. Mrs. Clara then shows her a closet which she calls “War Room” where she goes to pray daily, she has scriptures, notes posted on the wall of her “War Room” about what to pray for, what situations, and what she needs to pray for. Outside of the closet she has a wall, of Remembrance of Answered Prayers. Meanwhile, Elizabeth...
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...they will recognize how grandiose God is. Through the Kendrick Brothers’ movies, God has a way of displaying his magnificence. In the movie War Room, the primary themes are the importance of a husband and wife’s relationship, prayer, and treating others with kindness and respect. A husband and wife’s marriage has an immense significance. The Bible says in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The movie shows a marriage’s relevance when the husband and wife quarrel, their child becomes dismal. Moreover, in the movie the elderly woman tells the wife that she regrets never reconciling with her husband. At first, the husband shows no regard for their marriage and cheats on his wife until he discovers how essential it and she is in his life....
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...technique used in EACH test. Explain why this technique was important in each text. In the poem Anthem for Doomed Youth, by Wilfred Owen, various language techniques are used, these are important because they help portray the writers key themes. The poem is in the form of a sonnet, it is split between two parts. In both stanzas, Owen focuses on two key themes. The first theme is the horror of war and the terrible conditions facing the soldiers, in contrast, the second theme is the meaningless and lack of religion in response to such horror as seen during the war. Owen uses extremely strong and powerful imagery throughout his poem. In the very first line he asks, ‘What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?’, the connotation implies that in war, millions die with the same significance as cattle which justifies the lack of sounding from the bells. The manner of their deaths is being compared to the mass slaughter of the animals. Owen in appalled by the inhumane deaths these young men experienced. He feels as if they are nameless and faceless - losing their identities in the chaos of war. The use of this simile is important because it helps Owen to create a sense of what is recognized as the helplessness and inhumane treatment the soldiers received. In the second line of his poem he uses personification. Owen describes the ‘monstrous anger of the guns’, giving the guns a powerful, negative connotation. By doing so, the anger is misplaced and transferred into the weapons...
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...such ironies as those produced by transposing a Yankee to King Arthur’s Court). It seems clear when retracing the development of Twain’s style through his career that his use of irony—always one of his key rhetorical devices—becomes increasingly heavy- handed the older and the angrier he became. Huck’s “failure” is innocent; that of the con- gregation in “The War-Prayer” is not. Albert Bigelow Paine quotes Twain as writing on New Year’s Eve 1900-01: A GREETING FROM THE NINETEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY I bring you the stately nation named Christendom, returning, bedraggled, besmirched, and dishonored, from pirate raids in Kiao-Chou, Manchuria, South Africa, and the Phil- ippines, with her soul full of meanness, her pocket full of boodle, and her mouth full of pious hypocrisies. Give her soap and a towel, but hide the looking-glass. (Europe xxxiv) Here, only the adjective “stately” tells us that the intended tone is irony, before Twain starts hammering home his point; and it is precisely the behavior of Christendom in the Philippines that would lead, in 1904-5, to the barely disguised fury that makes “The War- Prayer”’s irony so unsubtle. Unsubtle is not the same as ineffective, of course, but insidi- ousness usually serves irony better. It was still Twain’s only appropriate rhetorical device, however, given that irony is inherently dualistic: it says or implies one thing, it means another; it has a stated (often false) meaning, and a silent (true)...
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...Effects of Religion Your name here Axia College of University of Phoenix Instructor name here Date here Effects of Religion Religion affects the world every day. Some of these effects are small while others are large. One of the affects religion has on society is war. For example: The Palestinians are fighting against the Israelis in what seems like a never-ending war over land and religion: Hitler ordered the killing of Jews because he thought they were enemies based on their faith: And look to the current conflict in the Middle East to confirm that religious differences spark conflict. Another effect that religion has on society is disagreement. Disagreements on abortion, homosexual marriage and prayer in school are argued on a daily basis. Due to religious differences and feeling forced to participate in prayer, court cases have been brought and won restricting prayer in school. A 1992 ruling by The Supreme Court barred clergy-led prayers; and if prayer does happen in school it must be led by students and generally must be silent. For most people, marriage is based on the religious ceremony. Catholics get married by a Priest, Christians get married by a Preacher, and Jews get married by a Rabbi. People who are not Catholic convert religions because the person they want to marry is Catholic and the Priest may not marry a non-Catholic to a Catholic. If the definition of marriage is changed to allow same-sex marriage, some Priests, Preachers, and Rabbis...
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...Prisoners of war in Vietnam were literally surviving hell in the years that they were there. Some prisoners were there for more than six years, and they came back with scars, physically and emotionally, that showed what they had been through. Although they were not treated well in Vietnam, they still managed to have hope in the prisons. Leo Thorsness and the other prisoners of war went through many difficult situations, but were still able to thrive while they were in Vietnam. During their final years in Vietnam, there was a failed rescue mission that made all the prisoners move into one camp, the Hanoi Hilton. All the prisoners got to meet each other since they were staying in one big cell. When the first Sunday came around, everyone decided...
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... The reader is introduced to the horror of war in the first lines of the poem as Owen depicts the poor physical condition of the men.They are facing huge challenges and that they were not the men that they were at first because they were young men who were highly motivated. We cursed through sludge suggests to us how the soldier are off to war this shows that they are cursed and the word sludge suggests to us that they are off to fight in horrendous conditions. Additionally, at the end it shows us that rather being glories young men they turn into this horrible creature because they are being described as old beggars and hags and it shows that they are old before their time and they have got no control over their lives. They can’t walk properly and this tells us that they are very weak because it clearly shows that they are not prepared for it and that they were just brainwashed to go to war to fight for their country which was sweet and glory. Moreover, the soldiers are coughing like an old sick ugly women and this clearly defines how they are feeling and are compared to weak and old. This simile demonstrates how dirty and unhealthy the soldiers appear. The comparison to ‘old beggars’ Coughing like hags is a simile and they are compared to these old ugly women and this shows how weak they have become and that they are affected by the war. We cursed through sludge, This shows that...
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