The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty Feature Menu Introducing the Story Literary Focus: Theme and Conflict Reading Skills: Making Predictions

The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty

The Sniper Introducing the Story “War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.” Karl Kraus, Austrian satirist, 1917

The Sniper Introducing the Story A sniper hides on a rooftop. He lights a cigarette, and the flash from the match gives him away to the enemy. Will he get off the rooftop alive? “The Sniper” takes place over a brief period of time, but it is packed with suspense. How do you think the character will react to being under fire and alone? [End of Section]

The Sniper Literary Focus: Theme and Conflict In many stories, the theme, or central idea, is revealed by the way the conflict is resolved. Who is the main character in conflict with? Theme: central idea of the story; usually some truth or insight about life or human behavior How does the character respond to the conflict? How is the conflict resolved? What does the main character learn from the conflict?

The Sniper Literary Focus: Theme and Conflict “The Sniper” focuses on the life-and-death conflict between the sniper and an enemy soldier. As you read, decide what idea about war the writer communicates through the sniper’s experiences. [End of Section]

The Sniper Reading Skills: Making Predictions When you read a suspenseful story like “The Sniper,” you make predictions about what is going to happen. You can base your predictions on clues the writer plants your own experience of life your understanding of how stories work

The Sniper Reading Skills: Making Predictions As you read “The Sniper,” keep these questions in mind to help you make predictions: Will the main character escape the enemy? Will each new action help the main character or create new problems? How will it all end? Look for any clues the writer has given about the outcome of the story. [End of Section]

The Sniper Background This story is set in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1920s, during a time of bitter civil war. On one side were the Republicans; they wanted all of Ireland to become a republic, totally free from British rule. On the other side were the Free Staters; they had compromised with Britain and had agreed to allow the English to continue to rule six counties in the northern province of Ulster.

The Sniper Background

The Sniper Background Like all civil wars, the Troubles in Ireland tore families apart. It pitted children against parents, sister against sister, brother against brother. As the story opens, the writer immediately puts you into the war—high on a Dublin rooftop. [End of Section]

Quickwrite

The Sniper Quickwrite Make the Connection What qualities enable people to perform well when facing heart-pounding fear or stress? Think about your own experiences or those of someone you know, as well as news stories or fiction you’ve read. Then, jot down your thoughts about people taking action when the stakes are high. [End of Section]

Vocabulary

The Sniper Vocabulary Previewing the Vocabulary beleaguered v. used as adj.: surrounded and under attack. ascetic adj.: severe; also, self-disciplined. fanatic n.: person whose extreme devotion to a cause is excessive or unreasonable. ruse n.: trick. silhouetted v. used as adj.: outlined. remorse n.: deep guilt.

The Sniper Vocabulary Vocabulary Activity Fill in the blanks with the correct Word Bank words. beleaguered fanatic ruse silhouetted remorse 1. I tried to trick her, but she didn’t fall for my __________ . 2. The ___________ troops fought off the attack bravely. 3. My sister doesn’t just love opera; she is a __________ . The convict did not apologize or show any __________ . The horse was __________ against the bright sunset. ruse beleaguered fanatic remorse silhouetted [End of Section]

Meet the Writer

The Sniper Meet the Writer Liam O’Flaherty (1896-1984) was born to a large, impoverished family on Inishmore, one of Ireland’s rocky Aran Islands. His father was a farmer and fisherman, and his mother was the descendant of lighthouse builders. O’Flaherty took inspiration from his native Aran Islands, writing frequently about peasant life. More About the Writer [End of Section]