The Sniper
Ms. Regan
Honors English 1
February 22, 2014
“The Sniper”
War can either tear friends and family apart or bring them close together. In “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty, the sniper faces a surprise after deciding to go look at the enemy sniper. In the end of the story, it explains how the enemy sniper was the shooter’s brother. The theme of “The Sniper” is that war changes people and separates families because the sniper shot his own brother, and was mentally effected throughout the story.
The author describes two different sides of the story. In “The Sniper” it was describing the war between the Republicans and Free Staters. On one side were the Republicans, they wanted all of Ireland to become a republic, totally free from British rule. On the other side were the Free Staters, who had compromised with Britain and agreed to allow the English to continue to rule the six countries. For example, in the text it said that like dogs barking on lone farms, the Republicans and Free Staters were waging civil war. “Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night” (O’Flaherty 212). This quote represents the tension in between the Republicans and the Free Staters. The author’s diction is very effective throughout the story because it helps us envision the scene and how it felt when the sniper shot his brother.
The cruelty of the war is implied throughout the story by the action of the young sniper. Though he had been used to look at death, he later becomes bitter and disgusted looking at the people he has killed, especially his brother forced by the cruelty of the war. A numerous number of women, children, and the elderly were killed in this civil war. For example, in the story it said that the reason he joined the war might be, because of his youth and “the cold gleam of the fanatic on his eyes” (O’Flaherty 212). “There was no pain—just a deadened sensation, as if the arm had been cut off” (O’Flaherty 213). This
Honors English 1
February 22, 2014
“The Sniper”
War can either tear friends and family apart or bring them close together. In “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty, the sniper faces a surprise after deciding to go look at the enemy sniper. In the end of the story, it explains how the enemy sniper was the shooter’s brother. The theme of “The Sniper” is that war changes people and separates families because the sniper shot his own brother, and was mentally effected throughout the story.
The author describes two different sides of the story. In “The Sniper” it was describing the war between the Republicans and Free Staters. On one side were the Republicans, they wanted all of Ireland to become a republic, totally free from British rule. On the other side were the Free Staters, who had compromised with Britain and agreed to allow the English to continue to rule the six countries. For example, in the text it said that like dogs barking on lone farms, the Republicans and Free Staters were waging civil war. “Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night” (O’Flaherty 212). This quote represents the tension in between the Republicans and the Free Staters. The author’s diction is very effective throughout the story because it helps us envision the scene and how it felt when the sniper shot his brother.
The cruelty of the war is implied throughout the story by the action of the young sniper. Though he had been used to look at death, he later becomes bitter and disgusted looking at the people he has killed, especially his brother forced by the cruelty of the war. A numerous number of women, children, and the elderly were killed in this civil war. For example, in the story it said that the reason he joined the war might be, because of his youth and “the cold gleam of the fanatic on his eyes” (O’Flaherty 212). “There was no pain—just a deadened sensation, as if the arm had been cut off” (O’Flaherty 213). This
Cited: O’Flaherty, Liam “The Sniper” Element of Literature Third Course. Austin Texas: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.