Injustice In Mark Twain's The War Prayer

When we reflect upon the humanity, there are many, many incidents of evilness and injustice revealed through hatred, misunderstanding, fear, and in worse case, negligence. Most likely, when we turn on the news, we hear reports of casualties, deaths, and homicides created by the malicious side of humanity. Furthermore, there are innumerable accounts of this evilness such as wars, crimes, and the Holocaust. Those who believe that humans are good would ponder how another human being or group of human beings could be so vile but it is the inevitable truth that we all, in some aspect, share that blame as well. When we are confounded, as such as now, questioning the moral ethicality of some of the heinous acts we have done in the past and present

The story starts off in a town whose country is going on a war. Everyone in the town was celebrating, “in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drum were beating, the band playing, the toy pistols popping, [and] the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering;” (par.1). Then a prayer service for the young volunteer soldiers was held in a church the next morning, the day before they entered the battlefield. There the minister fervently prayed a verse from the Old Testament: “‘God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!’” (par.3), wishing that God unleashes his wrath against their enemy and allow them their

In O’Henry’s story “The Gift of the Magi” a simple act of human kindness is shown. The story follows a young couple, Della and Jim, who tries to buy their counterpart a meaningful and precious Christmas, sacrificing their beloved possessions. Della, who only had $1.87, sacrifices her luscious, long hair, which would “[shine] like a cascade of brown waters.”(365,par.10), for a fob chain for Jim’s gold watch, while Jim sells his prized watch for a set of luxurious combs that Della always wanted. Though many would see the couple as foolish, Henry himself notes that “Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the wisest.” (367, par.45). He sees that people like Della and Jim, who are willing to sacrifice their beloved possession for each other’s happiness, is the wisest of all gift givers in that they are the most genuine and caring humans out of