The Sniper Essay, Liam O'Flaherty
The Sniper Commentary
“The Sniper” by Liam O’ Flaherty is a short story about a sniper, set in the
Irish Civil War. The author uses characterization, symbolism and third person limited point of view to develop the central theme of the horrors of war. The main character in the story is the mysterious Sniper, who is serving active duty in the Irish Civil War for the Republicans. The story opens with the Sniper attempting to eat on a rooftop, when an enemy sniper opens fire on him. He retaliates and manages to take down the enemy sniper and his informant, a frail old woman. During the course of this, his arm is wounded by fire from another Free State sniper. Unable to hold on to his rifle, he draws his revolver and kill the enemy with it, only to find that he has shot his brother.
Using characterization, Liam O’ Flaherty develops the main character in the story and builds a foundation for the other literary devices in the narrative. The author indirectly characterizes the Sniper, showing him to fairly nonchalant. “He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a asmoke. It was dangerous. The flash might be seen in the darkness, and there were enemies watching. He decided to take the risk. Placing a cigarette between his lips he struck a match inhaled the smoke hurriedly and put out the light. Almost immediately a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof. The sniper took another whiff and put out the cigarette”. The Sniper is stone cold in the face of death; he feels his life is worth as much as a puff on a cigarette. His calm in the face of death is shown repeatedly, the author goes so far as to state it implicitly when his facial features are described. “His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of a fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man used to looking at death.” To the Sniper, death is an everyday occurrence, a necessity of war. He has become desensitized to it. Even the
“The Sniper” by Liam O’ Flaherty is a short story about a sniper, set in the
Irish Civil War. The author uses characterization, symbolism and third person limited point of view to develop the central theme of the horrors of war. The main character in the story is the mysterious Sniper, who is serving active duty in the Irish Civil War for the Republicans. The story opens with the Sniper attempting to eat on a rooftop, when an enemy sniper opens fire on him. He retaliates and manages to take down the enemy sniper and his informant, a frail old woman. During the course of this, his arm is wounded by fire from another Free State sniper. Unable to hold on to his rifle, he draws his revolver and kill the enemy with it, only to find that he has shot his brother.
Using characterization, Liam O’ Flaherty develops the main character in the story and builds a foundation for the other literary devices in the narrative. The author indirectly characterizes the Sniper, showing him to fairly nonchalant. “He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a asmoke. It was dangerous. The flash might be seen in the darkness, and there were enemies watching. He decided to take the risk. Placing a cigarette between his lips he struck a match inhaled the smoke hurriedly and put out the light. Almost immediately a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof. The sniper took another whiff and put out the cigarette”. The Sniper is stone cold in the face of death; he feels his life is worth as much as a puff on a cigarette. His calm in the face of death is shown repeatedly, the author goes so far as to state it implicitly when his facial features are described. “His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of a fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man used to looking at death.” To the Sniper, death is an everyday occurrence, a necessity of war. He has become desensitized to it. Even the