The Sniper

“The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty Summary

 

            The short story “The Sniper” is about Republicans and Free Staters who are  engaged in civil war in the city of Dublin near O’Connell Bridge . A young boy, Republican sniper, lays on the roof top waiting and searching for the enemy.

 

It’s the evening of June and sniper hasn’t eaten anything and desperately wants to light a cigarette and finally risks the chance of being seen and lights the cigarette .Instantly ,a bullet hits the wall near him. He then put out the cigarette and looked over the parapet, where another bullet flashed over his head and he flattens himself against the roof.   

An armed car stops near O’Connell Bridge just close and below to snipers position. Sniper wanted to fire at the enemy car but knew that his bullet would not penetrate its strong exterior. An old women points towards snipers way and he realizes that she is an informer. When a man came out of the turret, sniper shoots, the man falls on the turret wall. He then shoots the woman who attempted to escape and fell into the gutter. Suddenly from the opposite side of the roof bullet hits sniper.

 

Sniper quickly rips open his sleeve with a knife and applies a bottle of iodine on top of the wound. Sniper knows he need to do something quickly in order to kill the enemy on the opposite side of the roof and thinks of a plan .Taking his rifle which he now can’t use because of his wounded arm, he places his cap on top of the muzzle and places it on top of the parapet. A shot knocks down his hat to the ground and sniper places his arm lifelessly over the parapet holding his riffle.

 

The enemy now thinks that sniper is dead, relaxes and stands over the roof. The Republican Sniper aims at the enemy with his revolver and shoots. The enemy stumbles over the parapet and falls to his death. Sniper began to curse the war, himself, and everyone else. He drains his whiskey flask all at once.

 

Sniper leaves the roof and out of curiosity wants to see the enemy who he shot. He goes beside the dead body of his enemy and turns him over, he finds himself staring at his brother’s face.

 

Authors Message

 

In the short story, “The Sniper”,  the author indicated the idea of cruelty and irrational behavior of war. When Sniper is killing his enemies, he seems to find joy through the process. This kind of behavior is irrational and brought out by the civil war happening at the current time. The reason he joined the war also shows the cruelty of war because of his youth and “the cold gleam of the fanatic on his eyes.” As a young man being a part of such irrational behavior also proves that war is cruel. War also has brought out his irrational behavior and changed his perspective on certain people who he now claims are his enemies. This story goes on and the moods of sniper also change from feeling strong lust for war to remorseful. It shows the cruelty of war itself and irrational behavior.