Liam O’Flaherty's The Sniper

Author Author Liam O’Flaherty Born on August 28, 1898 on the western coast of Ireland. In 1915, he enlisted in the British Army during the First World War Suffered a serious injury two years later in a bomb explosion at Langemarck, Belgium.

Author Author The army discharged him but he later returned to Ireland He joined the IRA (Irish Republican Army) in its campaign to liberate Ireland from British rule. “The Sniper” focuses on this conflict. O'Flaherty's novels focus on the effects of war, revolution, and social upheaval.

General Information General Background 1919, the Irish Republican Army fought for its Independence to liberate Ireland from the British. London agreed in the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to create an Irish Free State. However, the agreement still allowed for British influence in Ireland. The agreement would lead to civil strife within Ireland. What sort of conflict is this??

General Information General Information Once-united Irish fighters were now split into two factions: disgruntled IRA (Irish Republican Army) members supporters of the Free State The short story “The Sniper” focuses on a scene of fighting in Dublin in which an IRA sniper shoots at Free Staters from a rooftop.

Literary Focus Literary Focus Setting "The Sniper" takes place in Ireland's largest city, Dublin, The time is nightfall in June after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The sniper posts himself on a rooftop in central Dublin

Literary Focus: Narrative Point of View 1st Person POV 2nd Person POV 3rd Person Limited 3rd Person Omniscient Narrated by a person IN the story. Uses personal pronouns like “I”, or “me” or “my” A narrator that is OUTSIDE of the story. Uses pronouns like “you” (or implies “you”) Examples: Goosebumps series, and directions written on assignments. A narrator OUTSIDE of the story Uses pronouns like “he”, “she” and “they”. The narrator primarily knows what ONE character thinks & feels A narrator in OUTSIDE of the story Uses pronouns like “he”, “she” and “they” The narrator knows what all the characters are thinking Describe the point of view used by Liam O’Flaherty.

Literary Focus: Irony Example: 3 types of Irony: situational, verbal, dramatic. Example: Jem and Scout are saved by Boo Radley, who had, ironically, been an object of fear and suspicion to them at the beginning of the novel. The author of “The Sniper” chooses to end the story using irony. Can you explain the irony? Situational Irony = when an event or situation occurs that is opposite of what you expected to happen Where an event occurs which is unexpected, in the sense that it is somehow in absurd or mocking opposition to what would be expected or appropriate. Mere coincidence is generally not ironic; neither is mere surprise. 16

Situational Irony in “The Sniper” The bitter irony to the ending of The Sniper lies in the fact that he had killed his own brother. We expected that the person he was fighting against and killed was an “enemy”…not family.

Imagery (Sensory Details) Example: Liam O’Flaherty uses sight and sound imagery in The Sniper. Sound imagery: “Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.” Sight imagery: “His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic.” Language which describes something in detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation, including visual imagery and sound imagery. 18

Imagery (Sound and Sight) Liam O’Flaherty makes very skillfull use of imagery- both sights and sounds. Find and copy examples of sentences that provide sight and sound imagery.

Conflict What is the nature of the conflict in The Sniper? Is there more than one type? Describe.

Analysis Questions 1. After seeing and realizing the dead sniper is his brother, what do you think the IRA sniper is now thinking/wondering/realizing? 2. Find evidence from the story to describe how the sniper was feeling. You should be able to see a transition as you find evidence. PROVE IT! (Copy words, phrases, sentences that show how he was feeling.) 3. Did the sniper have a hard or easy time killing people? Find evidence from the story to support your answer. 4. Would you consider the protagonist in this story to be static/flat (little to no growth or evolution as a character) or dynamic/round (obvious growth and evolution as a character)?

Short Story Analysis Chart Complete your Short Story Analysis Chart for The Sniper. You will have to write small in order to complete each column. You need well-written, detailed answers!! (fit it all in!)

Literary Focus Literary Focus Narrative Point of View Irony and Climax Limited third-person point of view The author gives the thoughts of the IRA sniper but does not present the thoughts of any other character.   The story’s irony and climax occur at the conclusion of the story. The ending fittingly puts in perspective the destructive nature of civil war.

Literary Focus Literary Focus Themes Inhumanity of War Cruelty of War Humans as Pawns which may explain why none of the characters have names The Boundaries of War

Summary and Plot Overview From a rooftop a Republican sniper looms When the sniper emerges to shoot at an informant, he receives gunfire from the opposite roof. The two shooters play a deadly game of cat and mouse trying to kill the other man

Character Analysis Characters Man posted on a roof in Dublin. IRA Sniper: Opposing Sniper: Turret Gunner: Old Woman: Unseen Machine Gunner: Man posted on a roof in Dublin. Enemy gunman posted on a roof across from the IRA sniper. Man shot by the IRA sniper. Informer who betrays the position of the IRA sniper to the turret gunner. Person who fires at the IRA sniper after the latter leaves the roof.