War is the one situation that has no room for mistakes. The slightest mistake can cost a person his life when in the line of war. War can change people who may have never wanted to harm a person into someone who is willing to live at all cost, even if it means killing. The short 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.” …show more content…
After tending his wound the sniper lay still against the parapet trying to find the will to overcome his pain and everything below lay stationary. He knows he must kill the enemy sniper to escape with his own life. The sniper, all alone, assembles a plan to circumvent his enemy. Taking off his cap, he placed it over his muzzle of the rifle. He then pushed the rifle leisurely over the parapet, until his cap was visible. In an instant a shot was fired and the bullet pierced the center of the cap. The sniper slanted his rifle forward, then catching the middle of the rifle; the sniper dropped his left hand over the rooftop and let it hang lifelessly. The other sniper thinking he had killed his enemy stood and gazed across the street. The Republican Sniper raised his revolver above the edge of the parapet. He fired and his arm shook with the recoil. When the smoke cleared he saw that his enemy was hit and folded over and fell forward; he was …show more content…
The gun fired off a round that whizzed by his head. The sniper was then brought back to reality and began to wonder who the other sniper was. He was curious if he had known the man or if he served with him in the Irish army before the civil war. The sniper went down to the streets to observe the dead man’s corpse. He darted across the street dodging bullets being fired at him. When he finally reached the man’s body and turned it over only to see the face of his own brother. Envision someone being shot, but the person shooting does not know why or who they are shooting. It happens so fast that there is no time to think. Many soldiers are faced with situations where there is no time to think, but only time to react. Liam O’Flaherty shows in “The Sniper” some of the situations that soldiers come across during battle. Many people discourage some of the decisions these brave men make, but no one can justify if they made the right choices or not. Liam O’Flaherty shows what these situations are and how they impact the people in them. War drives people to react in ways they never thought they would. One way people react in war is that they kill without asking questions. Another way is they hesitate and then they are killed. Also, what are some effects to the reaction that is