24 pages • 48 minutes read
Mark TwainThe War Prayer
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1905A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Flags
Twain writes about “a fluttering wilderness of flags flash[ing] in the sun” and “pastors preaching devotion to flag and country” (Paragraph 1). The repeated motif of flags accentuates the story’s themes concerning nationalism. The image of a “wilderness of flags” suggests the country is lost in a wilderness of nationalism. The flag is an ever-present object, looming over the citizens. The continual references show how inescapable and prevalent jingoistic patriotism is in the lives of the citizens. Soldiers will go to battle “to win for the flag” (Paragraph 2), willing to die and kill for their country. The flag also connects to the story’s theme of religious hypocrisy as it becomes an object of worship. The flag becomes a false idol in the context of a Christian church.
Fire
Twain uses the motif of fire to describe the patriotism and passion of the country as the people prepare for war, writing, “in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism” (Paragraph 1). This passion is ultimately corrosive, connecting to the story’s themes of the Consequences of Nationalism and Corruption in Organized Religion. Another reference to fire emphasizes this point. The stranger’s prayer says, “help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire” (Paragraph 9). Twain reminds readers of fire’s destructive power. A fire that is unchecked and free to burn, such as the fire of patriotism burning in the hearts of the citizens, will soon spread out of control. In this case, the fire consumes the country’s enemies, but it also consumes the souls and individualities of the country’s citizens.
Eyes
Twain refers to the eyes of both the minister and the stranger, and the juxtaposition of these two motifs connects to the story’s themes of fantasy and reality. The narrator describes the minister praying “with shut lids” (Paragraph 4). In other words, the minister has shut his eyes to the truth. This contrasts with the stranger, who enters the church with his eyes open. The narrator says that he looked out at “the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light” (Paragraph 5). The narrator does not say whether the stranger ever closes his eyes, but thematically it seems appropriate for the stranger to pray with his eyes open. Unlike the minister, the stranger is willing to see the truth. The stranger can look past the propaganda and jingoism to see the reality of war.
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