To the Person Sitting in Darkness

To the Person Sitting in Darkness is a 1901 essay by American author Mark Twain. It is a satirical attack on Western imperialism, as manifested in the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Boer War. The essay is written in the form of an open letter to the "Person Sitting in Darkness," a representative of the colonized peoples who were subjected to Western imperialism. Twain begins by describing the benefits that the West claims to bring to the colonized peoples, such as Christianity, civilization, and commerce. He then proceeds to deconstruct these claims, exposing the hypocrisy and brutality of Western imperialism. Twain argues that the West's true motives in colonizing other peoples are greed and lust for power. He points out that the West has exploited the colonized peoples for their resources, enslaved them, and committed atrocities against them. Twain's essay is a powerful indictment of Western imperialism. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of colonialism, the Philippine–American War, or Mark Twain's work.