The War Prayer

Components of satire include hyperbole, irony, and juxtaposition, all of which are present in “The War Prayer.” Twain exaggerates the country’s nationalism when he writes that “in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism” (Paragraph 1), and both the minister’s prayer and the stranger’s prayer are full of irony. The minister asks the “ever-merciful and benignant Father” to help the country’s soldiers “to crush the foe” (Paragraph 3), an oxymoronic statement in which readers see the incongruity of the minister’s words even if the minister and churchgoers do not. The story’s ending borders on tragic irony, with the church labeling the stranger a lunatic even when he is the sanest of any character in the text. While humor is often a component of satire, Twain avoids the use of it here, suggesting the topic is no laughing matter.

Repetition is most prevalent in the stranger’s prayer with the continuous use of “help us” (Paragraph 9). This repetition emphasizes the importance of the stranger’s words, which contain the crux of Twain’s message. The words are a plea, drawing attention to the fact the church has prayed for God to help them kill their enemies, set fire to their homes, orphan their children, widow their wives, and cast the survivors out of their homes and turn them into refugees. Each time the stranger says “help us” it is a reminder that the church has asked these things of God. Twain thereby highlights the church’s hypocrisy.