“The Sniper” By Liam O’Flaherty

Pre-reading notes The Writer and his Historical Connection

Meet the Writer Liam O’Flaherty (1896-1984) Born to a large, poor family on Inishmore, one of Ireland’s rocky Aran Islands. He took inspiration from the peasant life of the Aran Islands in his writing.

Background This story is set in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1920s, during a time of civil war. Republicans: desired all of Ireland to be totally free from British rule. Free Staters: desired compromise with Britain. The Irish Civil war tore families apart: child against parent, sister against sister, and brother against brother.

Background https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ayLHPLROg As you watch, add information to your notes. Listen for the WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? and WHY? that are addressed in this short clip.

Post-reading notes Literary Elements

Plot Diagram Working with a partner, you will create two plot diagrams for Liam O’Flaherty’s “The Sniper.” You will create two because there are two possible climatic moments. Your two plot diagrams will demonstrate the two different points in the story which could be considered the climax, as well as the four remaining plot points.

Setting Setting: the place and time that a story takes place The setting of “The Sniper” is Dublin, Ireland, in the 1920s, during a time of civil war.

Protagonist and Antagonist Protagonist: main character, often hero of the story The protagonist of “The Sniper” is the Republican sniper. Antagonist: character against the protagonist, often villain of the story The antagonist of “The Sniper” is the Free Stater sniper.

Conflict Conflict: struggle between opposing forces. Man vs. Man: the struggle exists between the Republican sniper and the Free Stater sniper.

Narrator and Point of View Narrator: the "voice" that speaks or tells a story The narrator of “The Sniper” is an outsider—someone not in the story. Third person limited: restricted to one character and observes only what he sees, hears, feels, or does. The narrator is restricted to the Republican sniper and observes only what he sees, hears, feels, or does.

Mood Mood: the atmosphere of a literary work intended to evoke a certain emotion or feeling from the reader. The mood of “The Sniper” is nervous and suspenseful. For example, when the Republican sniper is shot and he has to make a plan so that he can both live and kill the Free Stater sniper on the opposite rooftop, the reader is anxious to see what will happen next.

Tone Tone: the attitude a writer takes toward the reader, a subject, or character. The tone of “The Sniper” is straightforward and informative due to the fact that he tells the story without bias and without passing judgment.

Surprise Ending and Irony Surprise ending: the reader doesn’t expect the ending, but it is still both logical and believable. The ending of “The Sniper” is a surprise ending because the reader doesn’t expect the enemy to his brother, but because it is a civil war, it is believable that two brothers be fighting each other. Situational irony: an event occurs that contradicts the expectations of the reader. The irony of “The Sniper” is situational because neither the reader nor the Republican sniper expects the two snipers to be brothers fighting against each other.

Figurative Language Simile: a comparison of two unlike things that uses the word “like” or “as” “Machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.” Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as” “Around the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared.” Personification: attributing human characteristics to something nonhuman. “The sniper could hear the dull panting of the motor” 3rd period

Theme Theme: central idea of a piece of literature, sometimes called the moral of the story, or the lesson One of the possible themes of “The Sniper” is that war has no boundaries.