In the anti-war short history "The Sniper" written by Liam O Flaherty, a Republican sniper embraces his rifle and conceals on the roof top without a sound, waiting to wipe out his enemies. The sniper inadvertently provides away his location when he signals up a cigarette and exposes himself to the enemy sniper on the opposite roof. The two snipers from two conflicting edges then faces one another off via an innovative war; using both their shooting skills and brains. Subsequently, the Republican sniper pulls out an excellent plan and he effectively shoots out a fatal bullet to the enemy sniper. Following the line of life and fatality, the Republican sniper determines to recognize the enemy sniper's face; he gradually turns the deceased body around and discovers himself staring in to the lifeless face of his own brother. Liam O'Flaherty uses his brief tale "The Sniper" to suggest to the visitors that war is an evil obsession that makes brothers switch against brothers and this is intensified throughout the storyline by the clever usage of the setting up, the situation irony and the theme or the moral of the storyline.
The story occurs in Dublin, which city is defined in a way that gives off depressing, suspenseful and pessimistic images; displaying that war is an awful thing. The author dedicates the entire first paragraph to spell it out the setting and demonstrate the atmosphere of the story. For example, "Dublin lay down enveloped in darkness. " The term "darkness" instantly creates a sense of insecurity and puzzle in the readers' minds and the as a suspenseful atmosphere. The phrase "The dim light of the moon shone through fleecy clouds, casting a pale light" transmits a sense of loneliness and depression since moon is often thought as depressed in the high end of the sky. "About the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared. Here and there through the town machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically like dogs barking on lone farm. " With this sentence, the writer identifies Dublin as a dangerous and insecure
city, full of constant assault with the accompaniments of machine guns and rifles. Furthermore, when the Republican drops to the bottom after his personal injury, he leans against a parapet, which can also be described as a protective hurdle that the sniper uses to cover from all the cruelty and brutal encounters of war. All these images show isolation, desolation and the brutality created by the conflict and the images are made by intention showing the readers the identifiable damaging impacts that a war can bring.
The publisher not only uses the adjustments to intensify the evilness of battle; but he also presents several moments of situation irony into the story to help expand describe the downside ramifications of war. For example, when the Republican sniper riskily lights up a cigarette, the light will shine and expose his location on the rooftop. The irony unpredictably occurs when an old lady spy details at the sniper's location to his enemy. That is ironic because nobody expects a vintage and weak sweetheart with trembling thighs would secretly be a spy. This pushes the Republican sniper to wipe out the girl instantly because otherwise, he'll be killed by his enemies. Another ironic situation takes place when the Free-stater soldier arrives at the O'Connell bridge in an armoured vehicle; a tank-like transportation machine, and yet he's killed by the Republican sniper when he peeks out the automobile window with half of his body outside the house. That is ironic since it is surprising that someone would be that imprudent when realizing that there's a sniper observing his every move. Furthermore, from the last sentence of this short tale, "then the sniper turned above the dead boy and investigated his brother's face, " readers are able to identify and find out the conclusion that the Republican sniper has shot and killed his own blood vessels related brother. This is actually the ultimate ironic situation because he unknowingly exterminates his loved one; who is also part of his beloved family. This short tale is cleverly written in a manner that uses irony showing the negative attributes of battle, such as misery, torture and regret, and how it breaks family members apart.
The environment and the situation irony performs an important role in accumulating the discord of "The Sniper, " nevertheless the third person limited point of view plays the major role. For example, by introducing the primary protagonist as "a Republican sniper lay down watching, " readers will connect the Republican sniper to a person they are near to or have ties with; so that it is more painful and stunning for readers in the long run when the fatality of the sniper's brother is disclosed. Since the point of view is limited, the author is not informing the visitors about the thoughts of the Republican sniper when he transforms over the deceased body and recognize that it is his brother. Nevertheless the readers can certainly make up assumptions about how the Republican sniper's emotions will be when he recognizes the face of his brother; thoughts like tears washing his face with a sorrowful laugh. The point of view also enables the readers to follow the Republican sniper throughout the complete tale; feel what he feels to see what he recognizes. "She was directing to the roof covering where in fact the sniper lay. " This makes the viewers realize that due to civil war, the sniper is being forced to kill others to stay alive. Throughout the complete account, O'Flaherty allows the viewers to see the happenings through the eye of the sniper and for that reason viewers will understand the negative influences of war by cleverly using a third person limited perspective.
In conclusion, utilizing the setting, situation irony and the 3rd person limited perspective, "The Sniper" can suggest to the viewers the negative effects of war, more specifically civil war. They destroy young families and make brothers flip against brothers. This anti-war report truly expresses the Arthur's frame of mind about how warfare is a universal catastrophe that makes the world into a sadder place with assault and killing constantly taking place.
