Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's The Sniper'

Submitted By
Words 883
Pages 4
John Adams once said, “Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.” This means that killing in war is most felt when it could have been avoided. Justification for killing in war is a very debated topic. Some deem it as necessary for freedom, but what is necessary about killing another human being? Liam O’Flaherty was a short story writer from the early to mid-1900s. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2015) disclose that his various novels and short stories guided the course for other authors in the literary Irish Renaissance. In his story, “The Sniper,” O’Flaherty stresses the importance of the human feeling soldiers obtain when amidts battle.

“The Sniper” takes place in Dublin, Ireland in the middle of a heated Irish civil war between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Free Staters. An IRA sniper has been …show more content…
So much so that it can take over the daily life of those who have served. According to Helpling.org, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder most commonly diagnosed in war veterans that causes prolonged sadness, anxiety, anxiousness, and frightenment (Smith, Robinson, and Segal, 2015). In “The Sniper,” the IRA sniper overtakes his instinctive human emotions and does what he needs to survive in this battle situation. Many soldiers around the world today have to put everything aside to put their life on the line for their country.

Liam O’Flaherty uses devices such as imagery and symbolism in “The Sniper.” At the beginning of the narrative, the sniper has to make a decision whether or not to light up a cigarette, symbolizing the seriousness of the war and that the sniper has to question every move he makes. Also, when the sniper’s arm is wounded, O’Flaherty uses imagery to symbolize the agony some soldiers endure. The symbol of the enemy sniper’s lifeless body falling towards the concrete creates an analogy that with war, comes the taking of

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's The Sniper'

...Analysis Paper on The Sniper Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them”. These famous words explain that many people forget to remind themselves that individuals have fought for their freedom and risk their lives in order to serve their country. War impacts multiple soldiers whether they are healthy heros of the nation or die attempting to defend our country. All soldiers brave enough to possess the heart and loyalty to a country will always be a hero. From the most advanced Snipers of the world to the most courageous Infantry, war between two countries is always a tragedy. Whether it is a goury war between two countries or a country itself, many soldiers are expected to make split second decisions....

Words: 1308 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Liam O Flaherty's The Sniper

...story “The Sniper” written by Liam O’Flaherty incorporates the realities of war all the way down to its finest details. It also shows its extremities and how an option of simply whether to light a cigarette or not can be the decision whether someone lives or dies. People are fighting in these wars and may not know what they are fighting for or why they are fighting. Cummings (2007) found, “Liam O’Flaherty was born on August 28, 1896, in Inishmore, Ireland.”...

Words: 1346 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's The Sniper'

...What message is Liam O’Flaherty, the author of “The Sniper”, trying to communicate? O’Flaherty is trying to show that war between people in the same territory is bad with the events that happened in “The Sniper”. By showing who he killed when he was in conflict. How he got injured in the battle with the enemy sniper. Also it is showing war is bad by not choosing a side in the story. The writer in “The Sniper” is trying to say that war between people that live in the same territory is bad because of the snipers injury, the killing of the informer, and seeing the enemy sniper he killed. In “The Sniper” O’Flaherty shows war is bad because of the sniper killing the informer. The informer was an old woman who was just trying to help the military on whose side she was on. Neither the sniper or the woman had bad intentions they just wanted to see the side of the war they supported become victorious. The sniper killed the informer so he wouldn’t be killed. “The sniper raised his rifle and fired. The head fell heavily on the turret wall. The woman darted towards the side street. The sniper fired again”(pg 438). This showed that sniper had to kill two people to protect himself. That is a way the author showed that a war between citizens is bad. Another way the author showed war between citizens is bad by the sniper receiving an injury from the enemy...

Words: 551 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Liam O Flaherty's The Sniper

...In the short story , the Sniper , by Liam O’ Flaherty shows us how war is bad , and that it can cause families, neighbors, and friends to be split up upon the divide of the conflict. In the story , there is a rivalry between the republican sniper , who is the main character, and a free-state sniper. The two constantly fight between each other , exchanging shots at each other too. Eventually the republican sniper is in contact with a man who is in an armed vehicle , and a woman , who was an informant.The main character , the republican sniper , was hit in the arm by the enemy. They fire until the republican sniper shoots and kills the free state sniper, who turns out to be his brother. This is to the theme of that war is bad because it divides...

Words: 533 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's The Sniper'

...into the two sides because of their beliefs on the treaty. A man by the name of Liam O’Flaherty abandoned his quest for the priesthood to contribute to the war. He became a...

Words: 1438 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Adversity In Liam O 'Flaherty's The Sniper'

...Adversity is a difficult situation or event. Whether it is getting over heartbreak, or losing a loved one, it is something everybody goes through. “The Sniper,” is a story about a war written by Liam O’Flaherty. “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part II,” by Malcolm Gladwell, is a story about how a boy named Chris Langan got over many difficulties. In “The Sniper,” the main character shoots his enemy and out of curiosity, he goes to check who he hit. He finds out it was his brother, but the author does not say what happens after the main character finds out. Readers can infer that the main character is devastated. Also, in “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part II,” Chris Langan struggles most of his life. He had many difficult situations like college, and where he lived. A quality that someone needs to overcome adversity is to be optimistic....

Words: 295 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's Short Story The Sniper'

...Hannah Wheeler Hensley Honors English 11/Fourth Period 27 January 2017 ?The Sniper? by Liam O?Flaherty Liam O?Flaherty?s first published piece of fiction,?The Sniper?, was a famous short story that was set in June in Dublin. One summer night a young Republican sniper laid upon a roof, awaiting a chance to strike his opponent. O'Flaherty states that ?the Republican and the Free Staters were waging civil war.? The sniper, unnamed, decided to eat a sandwich, drink a little bit of whiskey, and smoke a cigarette while he awaited some action near the O?Connell Bridge. Knowing that the flash of the cigarette could give away his position, he decided to strike the match, and inhale the smoke. As soon as he inhales he immediately puts out the light,...

Words: 651 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Liam O 'Flaherty's Short Story The Sniper'

...story “The Sniper” Liam O’Flaherty, tells readers about war and the hard challenges, how scary it can be, and the hazards that occur. War can be horrifying and cause people to do things that they would not do. Therefore, war will never be good and it can harm a person who is fighting in many ways, impacting his or her mental,emotional, and physical health. War can engage bad behavior, mentally. In the beginning of the story the sniper is on a rooftop eating and he decides to grab a bottle of whiskey from his pocket. “Taking a flask of whiskey from his pocket, he took a short draught” (pg. 406). Drinking during war is dangerous and...

Words: 857 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Sniper By Liam O Flaherty

...Short Story Analysis: “The Sniper” The short story, “The Sniper,” was written by Liam O’ Flaherty in 1923. Liam O’ Flaherty was born on Inishmore Island, which is on the western coast of Ireland, on August 28, 1898. O’ Flaherty enlisted in the British Army as a teenager in 1915 (Cummings, 2007). “The Sniper,” is based on O’ Flaherty’s experiences during the Irish Civil War. He had suffered from a serious injury due to a bomb explosion while at war. After Liam had returned home from war, he was diagnosed with depression (Cummings, 2007). The story begins with Liam O’ Flaherty introducing a young Republican sniper who is anxiously waiting for action on top of a rooftop near O’ Connell Bridge. Hungry since the morning, the sniper took time to eat a sandwich and take a gulp from his flask. When finished eating, the sniper brought out a cigarette to smoke. As soon as he lit it, a bullet shot across the parapet of the roof. The sniper went to look over the parapet to see the enemy sniper, and at that moment, another shot was going over his head. From his view he could see the enemy truck stationed across the bridge in the view of the sniper. After figuring out where the enemy had been, the sniper wanted to shoot at the...

Words: 1399 - Pages: 6