The War Prayer

Mark Twain’s story can be read as an allegory with the characters acting as stand-ins for ideas. Through this lens, the stranger might represent pacifism or reason, while the church, standing in for society, represents ignorance and popular delusion. The story chiefly functions as social criticism with Twain relying on satire to make his points about the consequences of nationalism, the hypocrisy of organized religion, and the realities of war. He uses hyperbole, a key component of satire, to illustrate the patriotic fervor gripping the country, writing, “in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism” (Paragraph 1). Irony, another component of satire, is exemplified by the church praying, in the name of love, for God to help them kill their enemies. Another example of irony is the church labeling the stranger a lunatic when, in actuality, he speaks the truth.

The story’s social criticism is further evident in its central conflict. On one side is the stranger, while on the other is the church. The stranger, on a mission to effect change, takes a stand for peace.