The Sniper The Sniper Liam O’Flaherty

“The Sniper” Bellringer Make the Connection: Under Pressure 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.

“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 Irish Republicans (IRA); 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 Two Irelands Orange (Northern)= Protestant Part of United Kingdom (Britain) Green (Southern)= Republic of Ireland Catholic Independent from Britain

Conflict in Ireland today

Setting of “The Sniper”

“The Sniper” Meet the Author: Liam O’Flaherty Liam O’Flaherty (1896-1984) was born to a large, poor family on Inishmore, one of Ireland’s rocky Aran Islands. As a young man in his 20s, he witnessed and participated in the Irish Civil War. O’Flaherty took inspiration from his experiences, writing frequently about the political conflicts in Ireland. Irish Civil War Video

Elements of Plot

Plot There are 5 elements of plot that form the plot of a story When you hear the word plot, how would you define it?

Plot The timeline of events that make up a story (like a short story, fiction novel, plays, etc.) There are 5 pieces to the plot of a story:

Exposition (Piece #1) Background information that introduces the conflict of the story Provides the reader with information that is helpful to understanding the story Setting – the time and place that a story occurs

Rising Action (Piece #2) The first main events of the current story (after the background information is given) that happen before the climax

Climax (Piece #3) The turning point that leads to the outcome of the conflict The highest point of tension

Falling Action (Piece #4) Events that happen after the climax The story is beginning to come to a close and begin to resolve conflicts

Resolution (Piece #5) The point when the outcome of the conflict is known; the conflict has been resolved

Plot Development Chart

Now, let’s practice! Using the plot development chart on the bottom of your note sheet, you will practice identifying elements of plot in a children’s story that you know well (think Disney movies, fairy tales, fables, etc.). You and your partner need to choose a story, complete the chart, and be prepared to share your chart with the class!