The War Prayer

Mark Twain was the pen name of writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835, Twain spent his early years working as a newspaper editor, printer, prospector, and riverboat pilot. His first book, The Innocents Abroad, was published in 1869 and detailed his travels to Europe and the Holy Land. Throughout his life, Twain was a frequent traveler, both at home and abroad. In addition to several trips to Europe, Twain traveled to Hawaii, Nicaragua, the Caribbean, and India. Twain’s travels exposed him to many cultures, and he witnessed exploitation by imperialist governments. These experiences motivated Twain to serve as vice president of the American Anti-Imperialist League from 1901 until he died in 1910. During these years, Twain wrote “The War Prayer” illustrating the devastating effects of military aggression.

Other events in Twain’s later years might account for the portrayal of hypocrisy and ignorance of the characters in “The War Prayer,” which is considerably bleaker in tone than many of Twain’s earlier works. In 1894, a decade before he wrote “The War Prayer,” Twain filed for bankruptcy. Two years later, Twain’s eldest daughter, Susy, died of meningitis. Around the same time, Twain’s youngest daughter, Jean, was diagnosed with epilepsy.