The sniper short story. Short Story Analysis: The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty 2022-10-16
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The "Sniper" is a short story by Irish writer Liam O'Flaherty, set during the Irish Civil War. The story follows a Republican sniper who is positioned on a rooftop in Dublin, keeping watch for enemy forces.
The story begins with the sniper setting himself up on the roof, carefully selecting his position and checking his rifle. As he waits for his target, he reflects on the events that led him to this point, including the death of his brother in the civil war.
As he waits, he begins to feel the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He is tired and hungry, and the constant threat of death hangs over him. Despite this, he remains focused and determined to complete his mission.
Eventually, the sniper's patience is rewarded when he spots a figure moving across the street below. He takes aim and fires, hitting his target. However, as he prepares to retreat, he is confronted by another sniper on a nearby rooftop.
The two snipers engage in a tense shootout, each trying to get the upper hand. In the end, the Republican sniper is able to outmaneuver his opponent and kill him. As he makes his escape, he is overcome with a sense of relief and triumph.
The "Sniper" is a powerful story about the horrors of war and the psychological toll it can take on those who fight it. It also illustrates the importance of discipline and focus in the face of danger. Overall, it is a thought-provoking and poignant tale that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
The Sniper Summary & Analysis
It may also be significant that the Republican sniper respects the Free State sniper his brother as this suggests that despite both men fighting on opposite sides of the war some soldiers still had a connection of sorts with the other army. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. Then he sank to the roof, dragging his hand with him. He cannot so easily live with his single-minded goal of killing, or the justifications for the war, or even people who wage wars, now that his life is not threatened. The bullet whizzes past the Republican sniper. At the same time an armored car comes down the street, and an old woman comes around the corner and informs the man in the armored car about the Republican sniper.
Once again, the pain the sniper feels does not stop him from managing to effectively and swiftly remove his enemy. He was almost deafened with the report and his arm shook with the recoil. He does not abandon the war, and instead decides to meet the formal demands of soldiery—he will go report to his commander. When he is sure that he killed the other sniper he is very curious who the other sniper was. The sniper makes sure that the cap falls down on the street and he also throws his rifle down. On an evening in June, a Republican sniper is perched on a rooftop near O'Connell Bridge, eating a sandwich.
Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in the army. The wounded Republican sniper then creates a ruse by placing his helmet onto his rifle and barely lifting it above the parapet. He struggled to keep his feet, but he was slowly falling forward as if in a dream. There was not much danger in going through the streets. A paroxysm of pain swept through him. The other man stands up, confident in the death of his opponent, and is then killed. He says of the Sniper, "his eyes had the cold gleam, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.
Short Story Analysis: The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty
The story took place about 1920. The armored car is depicted as a kind of unnatural beast in the city street, again highlighting how war has distorted this world. In the novel, the loss of personal identity in the soldiers lives. The opposing sniper sees his muzzle flash and shoots his arm. Such are the feelings of animosity that both sides in the war have towards each other.
What is the plot of "The Sniper" by Liam O’Flaherty?
He realizes that the old lady is alerting the car's driver to his position and so he kills both the old lady and the British soldiers without remorse. Around the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared. It does, and an enemy sniper, a Free Stater, sends a bullet flying overhead. His numbed reaction to his wound, along with the descriptively powerful portrayal of it, reflects his attempt to deal with his pain first in order to deal with the enemy second: if he lets himself feel the pain, he might get killed and never feel anything again. He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. Which suggests or highlights the intensity of the Irish Civil War. After a few moments he let the rifle drop to the street.
Analysis of “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty: Short Story Summary & Themes
I did find that The Sniper was a nice story to start the school year with, it was quite easy to read. Another main character is the other sniper the only thing that I know about him is that he is the brother of the sniper. The characters in this story are realistic because to them it is the same way, they either shoot one another or be shot. Eulogy Students will examine the theme of remorse by writing a eulogy from the perspective of the sniper. Luring him into a false sense of security. The bullet hits the sniper in his forearm. As he turns the corpse over, he realizes that he has shot his own brother.
The enemy sniper takes the bait, shooting the cap. Such was the strong belief among Republican soldiers for a united Ireland that families were divided and split between opposing sides. It was this difference which led to bloodshed among families. His bullets would never pierce the steel that covered the gray monster. He took a steady aim. He pours an antiseptic over his wound, which is also extremely painful. He ground his teeth to overcome the pain.
The sniper sees what happens and shoots the man in the car and after that he shoots the old lady. He takes a match and lights a cigarette. Where many would have run away after being wounded the sniper remains focused on killing the Free State sniper. He feels some kinship to the dead sniper, and "he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed". Taking the whiskey flask from his pocket, he emptied it a drought. The writer does not mention anything else about his appearance.
Analysis of “The Sniper†by Liam O’Flaherty: Short Story Summary & Themes – Short Story Guide
The sniper slanted the rifle forward. Something that will scar him and Ireland long after the end of the war. He decided to leave the roof now and look for his company commander, to report. Here the sniper proves himself to be an ingenious soldier, one who masters physical pain and outsmart his enemy. Then when the smoke cleared, he peered across and uttered a cry of joy. The Republican sniper then shoots and kills a soldier in a turret on the street below, as well as an older woman who was acting as an informant. .
He then stands up, giving the Republican a clear and easy opportunity to take him down. Then catching the rifle in the middle, the sniper dropped his left hand over the roof and let it hang, lifelessly. An armored car drives over the bridge and an old lady walks up to the car. So, he puts his cap over the muzzle of his gun and raises it into the air. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death. Even though the men respect each other they will still kill in order to win the war and the right to govern Ireland.
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