1. Possible Themes for “The Sniper”
A short story by Liam O’Flaherty

2. Big Ideas War Family Loyalty (to family or government) Military
Life or death
Kill or be killed
Remorse

3. How to derive theme…
*Who is the character in conflict with? *How does the character respond to conflict? *How is conflict resolved? *What does main character learn from conflict?
Theme:
Central idea of the story; usually some truth or insight about life or human behavior.

4. Themes In war, there are no winners.
War reduces human beings to mere objects.
War knows no boundaries.
(age, gender, location, time of day, family ties, etc.)

5. Sometimes, the loyalty to one’s beliefs is stronger than the loyalty to one’s family.
Detachment from humanity is necessary in order for a soldier to do his or her job effectively.
Any others??????