Mark Twain's "Letters From The Earth," p. 307

I have enjoyed the stories by Mark Twain since I was very young. First having them read to me and later enjoying them on my own accord. His dizzying intellect and quick wittiness always manage to keep a light hearted feel in his writing. I recently discovered that there is also a wealth of wisdom available in quotes he wrote. "Letters From The Earth" delivered the same quick wit and sarcasm that any who have read his work before have come to expect, but it did so in a much more abrasive fashion.
In the opening the speaker is a narrator who is casually observing God and the archangels as they attempt to entertain themselves. The tone in the opening seems to me to be matter of fact and indifferent. God says to his angels, "I have a thought. Behold!" Although this occurs early in this work I believe it may be the most significant indicator of the overall message that Mr. Twain was trying to convey. Following the thought the creator mentioned he created the universe. Not because he had always wanted to do so or because he loved mankind or any other reason other than it was a passing thought.
In the next section, "Satan's Letter" the speaker changes from a casual narrator to the voice of Satan. I particularly enjoyed this idea. Having been indoctrinated constantly though out my childhood and since, I thought it was refreshing to hear the other side of the story. Mark Twain paints Satan as the smart ass who was just misunderstood. In Satan's correspondence he explains about man, "He believes the Creator loves him; has passion for him; sits up nights to admire him..." I am sure that this strikes a very dissonant cord for many religious people but I thought it was hilarious. The author is pointing out that the very act of showing humility and worshiping God is evidence of the narcissism of mankind. Every time a person whispers a prayer to god they do so under the assumption that he cares about what they have to say and that the creation of the universe was more than just a passing thought or experiment.
The tone of the Letters seemed to become more and more sarcastic. By letter VII the author favors us with a hymn sang by the microbes inhabiting the impacted colons of the men and women onboard Noah’s ark.

Constipation, O Constipation,
The Joyful sound proclaim
Till man’s remotest entrail
Shall praise it’s Maker’s name

It seems like the author is really upset when he wrote these letters. They seem to be coming from a position of frustration that could only be felt by a person who felt abandoned by their Creator. Of course there is always the possibility that this is just Mark Twain goofing around and ruffling feathers.