Irony In Mark Twain's Misguided Prayer

The Misguided Prayer War is a dreadful act, the loss of countless lives of ones who wish to bring honor to their name and country; yet, dying in the name of your country is viewed as a noble act. A victory in the game of war is not easily achieved. In order for one to win, one must lose something in return- for some it's their loved ones, for others it's their sense of morality. In Mark Twain’s satire, The War Prayer, Twain goes into detail about the cost of victory and uncovers the immorality hidden within people’s prayers. Throughout this satire, Mark Twain uses irony and ridicule to shed light on what war really is and how victory is obtained. In times of dire stress, people will do anything to gain the help they need. One common choice of action is to pray for

When praying, the people concluded with, “we ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love” (Twain). To summarize the rest of the prayer- they prayed for the safe return of their soldiers and a gruesome death for their foes. After all of that, they explain that all of this is coming from love. The stranger believed it was ironic that they are praying for a victory by death, and are doing so by asking their God, the “Source of Love”. How can they ask for the death of other people’s sons when praying to a ‘loving’ God. They talk about the death of an entire army and then claim it's in ‘the spirit of love’. When reading Mark Twain’s The War Prayer, he makes it satirical through the use of irony and ridicule. Twain accomplishes this by showing the immoral viewpoint of the people and what they truly were praying for. People all around the world are praying for whatever is in their best interest without thinking of the consequences. To wish for the safe passage of one, could mean the arrival of a coffin for another. Don't become blinded by the thirst for