Does Mark Twain Use Satire To Uncover The Hypocrisy Of Man

No Laughing Matter-

Mark Twain’s use of Satire to Uncover the Hypocrisy of Man The human race has always boasted its image as the superior species with the ability to think critically, create masterpieces that outlast themselves, and stand on their own two feet; however, when one peers into the true image of human nature, the reality is far from what is portrayed. From discrimination to hypocrisy, the truth has always been exploited to reinforce the “superior species” narrative. Hypocrisy in particular tends to be the most pervasive human flaw and is also “often allied with moral relativism, the personal belief that the moral [,] ethical [, and scientific] standards of others do not necessarily apply to oneself”. Human Beings, or society more

When talking about hypocrisy in human nature, the conversation would be incomplete without a look into the hypocrisy of religion. Countless acts of cruelty and brutality have been committed in the name of a “loving” God or deity who preaches forgiveness and kindness to all. Religion has been the mask used my human beings for justification of many crimes against fellow humans and has been the cry to war and genocide for centuries. Disturbed about the change the United States underwent from freeing a colonized population to become the aggressors in the Philippines, Mark Twain voiced his reservations in his essay. His essay “utilizes an archetypal figure to vivify the unspoken side of prayer” (Davis), the human cost of the other side. The archetype is embodied as an old wise man claiming that a prayer for victory also entailed a prayer for “destruction for another.” (Davis) Much can be said about the old man’s role and significance in the essay; however, his appearance tells the reader much. He is described as “an aged stranger entered … his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness.” His description is very similar to the stereotypical physical characteristics of a higher being, or even God himself. Twains use of this description of the old man is no coincidence. Due to the old man’s appearance, one could be lead to think that Twain is using a character so physically similar to God to show the reader the real hypocrisy in “confusing the Creator with a destroyer” (Davis). Comparisons can also be made between the old man and Jesus Christ. Just like in the story of Jesus Christ, the man’s warning was ignored and he was branded a lunatic and all but insane. The people of the Church also doubt when the old