19 pages • 38 minutes read
Liam O'FlahertyThe Sniper
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1923A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does the third-person point of view contribute to the development of the story? How would the story change if O’Flaherty wrote from the sniper’s first-person point of view?
O’Flaherty writes that his protagonist cries joyfully after hitting his target; however, after he sees the enemy sniper fall, his bloodlust ceases. What do you think brings about this sudden change in the protagonist? How does his transformation foreshadow the tragic revelation at the story’s end?
What role does warfare play in “The Sniper”? How does the setting of warfare relate to O’Flaherty’s development of characters?
The author does not name any of his characters, not even the titular protagonist. Why do you think O’Flaherty does this, and what effect does it have on the story’s tone?
The events of “The Sniper” take place within the span of a few hours in Dublin. How does O’Flaherty describe Dublin, and to what extent is the city itself a character ?
The Irish Civil War was fought between the Republicans and Free Staters. Does O’Flaherty suggest a preference for one party over the other? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
The enemy sniper is the third of the protagonist’s victims but the only one whose face the protagonist wishes to see. Why does the protagonist feel compelled to witness his victim’s face in this instance?
What sort of figurative language (e.g., metaphor, personification, etc.) does O’Flaherty employ in “The Sniper”? How does this narrative style contribute to the story’s tone?
The major recognition scene (occasionally referred to in literature by the Greek word anagnorisis) takes place in the story’s final sentence. Afterward, we don’t know what happens to the sniper or how he processes the information. Why do you think O’Flaherty ends his story so abruptly? How does it leave the reader feeling? Do you consider the story finished or unfinished? Explain your opinion with evidence from the text.
