Final answer:
Twain's "The War Prayer" offers a critical view on war and patriotism, arguing that prayers for victory also wish harm upon others. The message transcends time, applying not just to the Civil War but to all wars, and shows the lasting relevance of questioning the consequences of warfare.
Step-by-step explanation:
The thesis of Mark Twain's "The War Prayer" is a denunciation of war's true nature and the unrecognized consequences of patriotic fervor. Twain exposes the duality of praying for victory in war, highlighting that such prayers also call for the suffering and death of the enemy. The townspeople's reaction to the prophet in the story was one of shock and rejection; they failed to understand or accept the grim reality behind their own prayers. The story's message was controversial because it criticized the blind patriotism and romanticism of war, which many people found unsettling.
Twain's story is not limited to the context of the Civil War or his own time; the themes present in "The War Prayer" are universally applicable to any war. The critical perspective on the glorification of warfare and the moral implications of wishing harm upon others have enduring relevance.