19 pages • 38 minutes read
Liam O'FlahertyThe Sniper
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1923A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a one-year struggle that began in June 1922 and concluded in May 1923. It took place in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Irish War of Independence, also called the Anglo-Irish War, fought between Britain and Ireland between 1919-1921. The Anglo-Irish War was the culmination of a series of uprisings that fought for Irish home-rule. The uprisings took place during the 19th century, after Ireland formally became a part of Great Britain in 1901.
As a result of the Irish War of Independence, Ireland enjoyed a de facto independence: the majority (and southern portion) of Ireland’s geography became the “Irish Free State” within the British Empire; the British monarch remained head of state. This was not sufficient for much of Ireland’s southern and rural population. Their experience with famine, most notoriously the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-19th century, convinced them that the British monarchy had not taken responsibility for the Irish people. The aftermath of the War of Independence left the population embroiled in bitter conflict.
The Irish National Army, called “Free Staters,” favored the existing union with Britain. This faction was especially strong in cities such as Dublin, the setting of “The Sniper.” Meanwhile, the Irish Republican Army, called “Republicans,” favored a free Irish Republic. This faction controlled most of the rural areas. In June 1922, during which the story is set, the Free Staters won an important parliamentary election. After the events depicted in “The Sniper,” the Irish Republican Army undertook increasingly brutal guerrilla tactics, including assassinating Free State politicians and burning private property. The war concluded on May 24, 1923, in favor of the Free Staters, who enjoyed the material support of Britain. To this day, Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom; the major political parties in Ireland are directly descended from the Free Staters and Republicans.
The brutality of the Irish Civil War cannot be overstated. It claimed an estimated 2,000 lives in one year. Like many civil wars, this conflict pitted families and friends against each other, even brother against brother—as seen in this story’s surprise ending. It also claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians, such as the old woman who informs on the protagonist.
The Effects of War
O’Flaherty paints a landscape that showcases war’s effects on both places and people. He creates an atmosphere of unease by shifting our expectations. First, the street (usually a locus for civic engagement) is dark and desolate. People are standing atop buildings instead of inside of them, and the armored car is the only vehicle seen on the street during the events of the story. The sniper, is a battle-hardened individual. He eats a sandwich while taking his position atop a roof with his trademark rifle. Eating is normally a social activity, engaged in at leisure and in the company of friends. Owing to the circumstances of the war, the sniper is forced to eat alone and quickly.
The sniper experiences a rapid shift of emotions. Initially, he is joyful when hitting his target, the enemy sniper. He then expresses deep remorse. He will be forced to live with what he has done. O’Flaherty gives the sniper just enough empathy to ensure his eternal suffering. The story ends abruptly and robs the reader of any sense of closure, just as—we can assume—the sniper will feel no closure.
Isolation
The setting of “The Sniper” is war-torn Ireland and the universe that O’Flaherty creates is a one in which an individual must be willing to kill, or else be killed himself. Indeed, in O’Flaherty’s nearly dystopian universe, even helping one’s friends poses a serious risk. The individual is isolated and alone. In the sniper’s case, he is alone both physically—such as on a rooftop—and emotionally, when realizing he’s killed his brother.
The presence of an enemy sniper heightens our sense of the protagonist’s isolation. Here is another individual with the same vocation, in the same situation, in the same city, with even the same blood. Despite all their commonalities, they will never emotionally connect. Instead, the protagonist will kill him. And even after he has killed him, the protagonist desires familiarity and connection. He wants to see who the enemy sniper is: “He wondered did he know him” (Paragraph 24).
Isolation is also manifest in the desolate, deserted city landscape: “Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms” (Paragraph 1). O’Flaherty doesn’t describe any people except for the two snipers, the old woman, and the individuals in the armored car. Owing to the dangers attending the civil war, individuals are forced into isolation—either on a rooftop or behind an armored vehicle. The only unprotected individual—the old woman—is killed quickly.
