Phil Klay's 'Prayers In The Furnace'

As the war progressed, the American public came to view the the war—and by default, the soldiers themselves—in a negative light. An article by Pew Research Center presents the differing attitudes during the Iraq War in its first five years. Initially, the war is viewed in a positive way, with 72% of those polled in favor of using military force and 88% describing the war as “going well” (Pew). However, the subsequent years show a shift in popular opinion, with only 38% of those polled in 2007 in favor of the use of military force in Iraq (Pew). Whether this is due to the rapid increase in deaths, the lack of “Weapons of Mass Destruction”, or just a general hatred of the Bush Administration, the public grew to detest this war that cost so much.

As the war continued for years—with no end in sight—troop morale grew low, with many questioning the necessity of the war. Phil Klay, a Marine who served in Iraq, and his short story “Prayers in the Furnace” focuses on the existential futility of a soldiers life. The story centers on a chaplain, who struggles with providing spiritual guidance to the soldiers after they lose members of their platoon. The chaplain hears from soldiers who question the war and their place in the war, as they reckon with the realities of Iraq. One of the protagonists, Sgt. Rodriguez, discusses with the chaplain the award system for killing civilians. Each squad gets a hatch mark every time they kill an Iraqi, and his squad hasn’t been doing well: “Attacks fall off. Our squad’s stats fall off...Staff Sergeant gave us shit for it” (Klay 136). In Klay’s eyes, the US Army in Iraq has a particular brutalistic nature, as it is killing Iraqis for no reason other than a hierarchical system and bragging rights. Moreover, Sgt. Rodriguez appears to have been damaged mentally from the senseless slaughter, as he explains that “firefights are fucking scary” (Klay 136). The toll of serving in Iraq has psychologically damaged Rodriguez, considering the futile nature of the war following the successful invasion. From another perspective, Peter van Agtmael’s series “Bathroom Graffiti” showcases graffiti from various bathroom stalls in military bases in Iraq. A prolific photographer in Iraq, van Agtmael’s photos allow the viewer to attempt to understand the psychological realities of the troops overseas. The graffitti is often negative and cynical in its nature, with themes of anger, desperation, and despair. Existential thought is often found in the graffiti, with one explaining that “only the dead have seen the end of war” (van Agtmael). Sometimes, there is also a political tilt to the graffitti, with