The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories (Mark Twain)
5
Warning: DO NOT Read This Story Before Sleep!
Dark, mysterious, and terrifying are trivial descriptions of Mark Twain's "The Mysterious Stranger." Twain's cynical outlook on life is reflected in his depiction of human nature as the story advances. Set in 1590 Austrian village of Eseldorf, whose German translation means "stupid village," the reader already feels captivated by this strange etymology. In such a dreamy village with no strict class structure, no one has been taught to challenge authority since there has been none--yet. A handsome mysterious stranger introduces himself to the gullible Theodore and his friends, performing chilling miracles that amaze the kids who now think he is an "angel." And oh, did I forget to mention that this stranger calls himself Satan?
Before engaging in a lengthy discussion of the story's themes, an idea of the author's life is necessary to understand some of the horrid scenes in "The Mysterious Stranger." Mark Twain was not rich. He was one of the three survivors in his family, as his four other siblings died before reaching six years of age. His dad died when he was 11 and his brother in a steamboat accident not 8 years later. Twain's wife died after 34 years of marriage followed by his two dear daughters at their late twenties. In summary, by 1909, Twain was only left with a sister and a melancholic soul that is reflected in his famous writings.
With Twain's life in mind, it becomes clear why many scenes of death and torture exist in this short story. Satan creates humans out of clay but crushes them while announcing, "We angels cannot do bad, for we do not know what it is." It is simply ironic that a heavenly angel would do so, for his actions nullify his assertions. It is these ironies that Twain wants his readers to understand. Many critics have asserted that Twain agrees with Satan but only to a certain extent. We cannot deny our selfishness when we battle over territories and religion, but we must rebuke that we are "worse than animals," as Satan tells the kids.
In these 50 pages, Satan focuses only on three things: proving human's worthlessness, weakness, and immorality. Moral Sense is a major theme in this book, as Satan tries to prove that our possession of it, or our ability to differentiate between what is good and what is bad, is the main cause that we hate, fight, and kill. The irony here, however, is that Satan never discusses the opposite, namely our possession of moral sense as seen in such peace-making people as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mohandas Gandhi.
To entice the reader, Twain uses many elements of Dark Romanticism that fortify his mystical mood of the story. From the opening chapters, we see supernatural elements in Satan's creations. Later on, Twain discusses why we choose to declare war instead of peace, depicting our flaws and selfishness. Since all humans, according to Satan, are imperfect, then they are prone to sinning and falling. As seen in Satan's repetition of our failure in history, there can be no improvement since all we do is worsen. The mystical "miracles"--if you want to call them so--that Satan perform also represent the supernatural and ghostly elements of Dark Romanticism beliefs.
With bizarre and supernatural elements that immediately attract your mind and attention, with Twain's morbid perception of life that renders the story more terrifying, and with your curiosity of unveiling our undeniable flaws presented by Satan, I really believe that this short story is a worthwhile read that will keep you in your seat until you finish it.
