Liam O Flaherty The Sniper Analysis
Thinking of People
Liam O’Flaherty ends the story, “The Sniper”, with “Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face” (par. 27). This morphs the story into something so much more than a tale about a war. Some people get so caught up in the negativity of life and their world; then, they become so hostile and do not realize the pain they inflict on others, until it is too late. Even if someone forgives another person, they still hold onto the memory. In the case of this sniper, this moment must haunt him forever.
Unfortunately, when a country views an opinion or lack of a compromise to be more important than the people themselves and kills each other in a war to determine what view wins, then one must conclude they live in a world that forgot the nature of how to love. The anger and irrational thoughts become so overwhelming that it leaves very little room for logic. In such dire circumstances, two brothers end up playing a real game of war and the outcome ends so tragically that the author does not even try to describe the feelings of the brother that lived.
Ironically, the readers relate to the ordinary surroundings throughout the story. For example, at the beginning of the story, the author describes a summer night as: “The long June twilight …show more content…
faded into the night” (par. 1). Normally, during this time, two brothers spend time together outside with their families, fishing, hunting or just talking. However, these brothers spend this night trying to kill each other without even knowing it. In addition, the war zones the author describes sound like communities when he talks about areas such as: “around the beleaguered Four Courts” and “near O’Connell Bridge” (par. 1 & 2). This shows the readers that the people fighting are one in the same.
The ending of the story could just as easily be about two siblings fighting, not in an actual war, but over an everyday struggle or just a minor conflict, that may not lead to death, but make them forget how much they care about each other.
As in war, especially a civil war, the conflict becomes more important than the person or persons. Differences of opinion cause people and families to argue, rather than accept the simple possibility that people’s view of life vary depending on circumstances and experiences. While it may be hard to compromise, the alternative brings frustration, pain and hurtful words. In rare cases, it may end in a war between people that knew and grew up with each
other.
Liam O’Flaherty ends the story, “The Sniper”, with “Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face” (par. 27). This morphs the story into something so much more than a tale about a war. Some people get so caught up in the negativity of life and their world; then, they become so hostile and do not realize the pain they inflict on others, until it is too late. Even if someone forgives another person, they still hold onto the memory. In the case of this sniper, this moment must haunt him forever.
Unfortunately, when a country views an opinion or lack of a compromise to be more important than the people themselves and kills each other in a war to determine what view wins, then one must conclude they live in a world that forgot the nature of how to love. The anger and irrational thoughts become so overwhelming that it leaves very little room for logic. In such dire circumstances, two brothers end up playing a real game of war and the outcome ends so tragically that the author does not even try to describe the feelings of the brother that lived.
Ironically, the readers relate to the ordinary surroundings throughout the story. For example, at the beginning of the story, the author describes a summer night as: “The long June twilight …show more content…
faded into the night” (par. 1). Normally, during this time, two brothers spend time together outside with their families, fishing, hunting or just talking. However, these brothers spend this night trying to kill each other without even knowing it. In addition, the war zones the author describes sound like communities when he talks about areas such as: “around the beleaguered Four Courts” and “near O’Connell Bridge” (par. 1 & 2). This shows the readers that the people fighting are one in the same.
The ending of the story could just as easily be about two siblings fighting, not in an actual war, but over an everyday struggle or just a minor conflict, that may not lead to death, but make them forget how much they care about each other.
As in war, especially a civil war, the conflict becomes more important than the person or persons. Differences of opinion cause people and families to argue, rather than accept the simple possibility that people’s view of life vary depending on circumstances and experiences. While it may be hard to compromise, the alternative brings frustration, pain and hurtful words. In rare cases, it may end in a war between people that knew and grew up with each
other.