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The Sniper Theme

Decent Essays

The Sniper Liam O’Flaherty’s realistic fiction story, “The Sniper,” takes place in Dublin, Ireland during a civil war. In the story, a Republican Sniper is stuck on a roof with enemy snipers surrounding him. He shoots two enemies down before he is shot in the arm causing his rifle to brake. Now he must find a way to make a hard shot in order to kill the enemy with just a revolver and a hurt arm. By using word choice and sensory details O’Flaherty demonstrates the theme that actions have serious repercussions. Throughout the story the theme that actions have serious consequences is evident. In the moment the sniper is ready and eager to shoot at the enemy. But after the moment is over, the sniper realizes just how awful his actions are. …show more content…

This descriptive sentence, “The lust in battle died in him. He became bitten in remorse” shows how the sniper realizes in this moment the consequences of the actions(3). The author uses the word “lust” to show the sniper is no longer caught up in the fact that this is war and he must defeat the enemy. The phrase “bitten in remorse” is another example of the author using descriptive words to explain how the sniper feels now that he realizes how appalling his actions were. Not only did O’Flaherty use word choice to portray the theme of the story but also sensory details. “The sweat stood out in beads on his forehead”(3). This advances the setting by describing to the reader what the sniper looks like along with how the setting must be hot if he is sweating. The sensory details are also showing the sniper realizing that his actions just killed another man because when the author says “the sweat stood out in beads.” By saying the sniper’s sweat “stood” he dramatizes the idea that the sniper is almost frozen while all the thoughts of the consequences of his actions contemplate in his

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