The War Prayer Irony

In every American war combined, about 1.2 million soldiers have died fighting in battle. Many look past the effects and consequences that going to war can lead to and every soldier is assumed to be a hero. Others believe that killing anybody, whether they are innocent or on a battlefield, is in no way honorable. Writers who protest war use imagery, irony, and structure to explain the negative effects of battle.

War has always existed. Although the purpose of war varies, the outcome is the same; many lives are changed and ruined. War is often used to gain power, resources, and land, but it disregards the lives of those fighting the fight. Martin Luther King stated, “The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.” In three selections, “Medevac Missions,” “A Journey Taken with my Son,” and “At Lowe’s Home Improvement Center,” readers come to understand the truths of wars’ impact on the lives of those surrounding the soldier. Their friends change, their physical and psychological states change, but the hardest truth is adjusting to life back at home. Soldiers experience many life changes during active

The topic of war is hard to imagine from the perspective of one who hasn't experienced it. Literature makes it accessible for the reader to explore the themes of war. Owen and Remarque both dipcik what war was like for one who has never gone through it. Men in both All Quiet on the Western Front and “Dulce Et Decorum” experience betrayal of youth, horrors of war and feelings of camaraderie.

Wars are often glorified in tone to give praise and respect for those on the battlefields. There is an overall understanding that there are sacrifices needed in order to accomplish a larger goal. Excluded from this understanding is the realization that the effects of war

“War is hell, but that’s not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” (80)

He gives many examples of the unspoken words of all the victory prayers. Twain writes, “O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst.” The realism here comes from how terrible the aftermath of war really is. People die, wives lose husbands, children lose homes and it effects

“War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; makes you dead.” (80).

War is a horrible and devastating event that hurts many people in many ways. This something many people have to cope with. Authors are among those who have to cope with war as well. Many people cope different ways but authors cope by protesting war. To do this authors use imagery, irony, and structure.

Twain’s essay discusses imperialism and its consequences. Twain uses two very different characters, a priest and a stranger, to contrast pro-imperialism and anti-imperialism. Ultimately, Twain’s essay reveals to readers that praying for success in war is also

Often times war is depicted in a victorious, triumphant manner when in reality war is chaotic; full of destruction and death. In Stephen Crane’s “A Mystery of Heroism” and Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge,” we witness the harsh reality of the war and the common human reaction to the havoc. Fred Collins simply wants water, but the well is on the other side of the battlefield. Peyton Farquhar, a loyal civilian to the South, just wanted to help in the war but instead was hanged for his good-intentioned attempt to destroy the bridge to help the Confederates. Ambrose Bierce and Stephen Crane wrote “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” and “A Mystery of Heroism” to show the natural human condition in adverse situations.

In "The War Prayer", shows the effect of war on the people. This text has seemed to effect people in a bad way. There is man who people have believed to have gone mad or what Twaine wrote as "lunatic". He claims to have a message from the Almighty God and has to deliever it to the people of the church. Twain wrote " Bless our arms, grant us with victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!", shows that he wants them to win. He tells the whole church about the message he has received until he finishes with what he has to say. The church didnt believe in what he has to say because " It was believed afterwards, that man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said". They didnt believe him. The effect of war caused him to go crazy and believe in what God had told him.

Sameul L. Clemmons,also known as Mark Twain wrote a short story titled, "The War Prayer." In which he talked about a battle soon to be faught, presumably the Spanish/American War. I really liked this essay because of how it relates to today's world and the battles that are faced daily. This short story had a very strong syntax but it was understandable if I payed attention when I read. The imagery was so strong that I could imagine everything that there was a movie playing in my mind. There is such a strong message to be taken from this essay that it is almost too hard to find the words to describe how it affected me. From this essay I have gathered that even though I pray for the self-gain I feel I should be blessed with I am also taking

War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a

He does so by repeating the phrase “Help us” in the final prayer from the stranger. He uses phrases such as, “Help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds,” and “Help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded.” Twain emphasises the self-centered ideals of the church members by revealing that their prayers to win the war are in fact prayers to annihilate the enemy. He uses horrible examples including images of slaughtering the enemy, torturing the enemy, destroying families of the enemy, and even widowing and orphaning the enemy. Through this Twain cements the idea that one must consider the ramifications of war before supporting it blindly.

In the opening paragraph of the preacher’s prayer the action of the congregation are described, “The packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest of their hearts.” Here, the tone used in the literature shows how enthusiasm the audience is feeling towards the Preacher’s prayer. The prayer really explores the heroic representation that war has on a country, rather than the negative and realistic results that come from war. However, the congregation is not aware of the zealous nationalism that they are creating for themselves before their husbands, brothers and sons head off to fight in the war. Over and over again the Preacher’s prayer shows the importance of patriotism to his congregation.