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Analysis Of The War Prayer By Mark Twain

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Mark Twain is known as the one of the most influential and prolific writers of our time. Many literary greats who followed him such as William Faulkner declared him the father of American Literature and the most celebrated humorist and realist of all. Twain used his life experiences growing up as a child along with his experiences as a river boat captain in Missouri to help shape his writings. His uncanny ability to use language of the common man in specific regions of the country, connected readers honestly with his characters. The War Prayer published in 1905, was a particularly sobering and controversial piece which offered a scathing indictment of war in general, but quite likely the Philippine-American War specifically. Twain was also known for his satirical writings relative to race and culture, but it is the “War Prayer” that is one of the more powerful pieces that represents Twain’s fervid anti-war position. Samuel Clemens propensity to draw on his own experiences started early in writing when he adopted the name Mark Twain presumably to connect back one of his most positive first experiences in life when he was a riverboat captain; “mark twain” of course signifying a safe depth for riverboat operation on the river. Twain was well traveled and encountered diverse and unique people in various parts of the country. He was also exposed to many of the issues that were facing society at the time. America was being transformed and a lot of this change came

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