Letters From the Earth (Mark Twain) pg.307

Letters from the earth are interesting short stories that the devil sends to the archangels Gabriel and Michael. The title that Mark Twain gave to this essay was a good one, but it is hard to predict that these letters were being written by the devil himself. In the opening section of the story, we find out that God created the universe, the earth, and all the animals and humans that exist today. Satan then begins to make negative remarks about what God created and is sent into banishment, which in turn leads him into writing these letters to Gabriel and Michael. Satan’s tone never seems to change throughout all of the letters that he sends, and his tone reflects that of an observer. He constantly observes how humans act, especially how they act towards the Creator. Twain uses many paragraphs in this story, and I also feel that he uses some imagery in his story. For example, there is a passage in the story in which satan tells the archangels that white men will not associate with black men, jews are hated, and that all nations hate each other. For me it was very easy to imagine this, considering the fact that the world went through all this hate in years past. There were a lot of historical and sociological implications in this passage itself since we can relate towards negative acts such as the holocaust, racism, and world wars. It is also very interesting how the devil explains human nature here on earth. For example, satan states how humans will constantly go to church, how they will try to live moral lives, and how they will endure going to church for long periods of time just to be able to get into heaven. Twain uses great imagery here again, because in a way we have seen this when we attend church. In fact, many of us have probably felt the same way. Many of us feel that attending church is a sacrifice in which we sometimes doubt if it is worth it. Satan also makes an ironic point about humans, which in turn forces the reader to think. Sexual intercourse is one of the most enjoyable things that a human being can experience, but it is also something that will not be in heaven. Satan also states that all men want to be in heaven praising and singing to God 24/7. He also finds this to be ironic, considering that a sane man would not enjoy constant singing and worshipping towards God. Letters from Earth make me think about human nature and how we sometimes think that we want something without really knowing if its what we really desire.