Mark Twain suffered through many of the horrors of the Civil Wars to the racial-religious unrest that was known in the late 1800s. Twain reflects on these times and writes his humorous philosophical essay ‘The Lowest Animal. Twain uses macabre imagery, while laughing throughout the essay. Twain’s writings reverse Darwinism’s common belief that humans are lower than animals. This makes it easier for humanitarians and philosophers to agree with Twain. Twain’s essay on many social issues facing mankind is satirical, but there are large portions of it that contain macabre and gruesome imagery.
Twain asserts that “he is only animal that loves himself as his neighbor, and cuts his throat when his theology doesn’t align with his.” Twain states that people place their beliefs before their neighbor and will kill him if they disagree. Twain says that there is no acre of ground anywhere on the earth that isn’t in the ownership of the rightful owner. It means that humankind “robs” for the pleasure of owning valuables that it does not own. Twain creates a disgusting feeling through his macabre imagery. This is because he shows how humans can engage in brutal acts that are not consistent with their ideals or desires. Twain is a comedian who addresses important social issues and has a lot of fun writing. He is a distinct individual in his country and proudly wears his national flag. He also keeps many uniformed assassins at his disposal at great expense to grab the slices of other countries and keep them from getting his. Twain curts his lips at the thought patriotism is and the blind followers of the ideal patriotism. Twain said that patriotic people will support their country regardless of how good or bad it is. His record is like a madman. His intelligence is a strong point. He sets himself, with his record behind him, as the head of the bunch. However, by his own standards, he’s the bottom one. Twain laughs when Twain points out the problems humanity faces. Twain mocks man’s brutality, selfishness, and ignorance, claiming that humans are the lowest of all animals. Twain creates anger in people and makes them aware of the effects patriotism has on their lives.
