Summary
There is a sniper on a roof waiting to fire. While he is waiting he is shot at by an unseen enemy who is on another roof. Since he can’t find the other sniper he decides to shoot an informer he sees on the street below, causing him to be shot in the arm. This leaves him unable to lift his rifle, and therefore unable to use it correctly. He decides that the only way to be rid of the enemy sniper is to get him to become visible. The sniper tricks the enemy into thinking that he is dead, and the enemy stands up, believing he is safe to do so. The sniper kills him and he falls to the street. The sniper decides to go down and see who he had been up against. When he turns over the body of his dead enemy he sees that it was his brother that had been shooting at him.
Context
This story comes from the civil war of Ireland, which occurred from 1921 to 1923. Specifically, it happened during the Battle of Dublin in 1922. This was due to the divide between Republicans and Free Staters because of differences in religion and how the country should be divided. The author of the story was himself a veteran of World War I and had knowledge of how awful war could be. I …show more content…
At the beginning of the story the author’s use of the words “enveloped in darkness”, “fleecy clouds”, and “pale light” allow the reader to picture the scene as if they are actually there. Throughout the story the author uses words like darkness and pain to cause the reader to feel a sensation of fear and urgency as the conflict continues. There is also symbolism in the end of the story when the sniper rolls over the body of his adversary to find he has killed his brother. This symbolizes a nation being ripped apart, as if it were a family. Conflict obviously plays a huge role in this story as the two snipers must kill the other or die trying. This carries the story along to the
There is a sniper on a roof waiting to fire. While he is waiting he is shot at by an unseen enemy who is on another roof. Since he can’t find the other sniper he decides to shoot an informer he sees on the street below, causing him to be shot in the arm. This leaves him unable to lift his rifle, and therefore unable to use it correctly. He decides that the only way to be rid of the enemy sniper is to get him to become visible. The sniper tricks the enemy into thinking that he is dead, and the enemy stands up, believing he is safe to do so. The sniper kills him and he falls to the street. The sniper decides to go down and see who he had been up against. When he turns over the body of his dead enemy he sees that it was his brother that had been shooting at him.
Context
This story comes from the civil war of Ireland, which occurred from 1921 to 1923. Specifically, it happened during the Battle of Dublin in 1922. This was due to the divide between Republicans and Free Staters because of differences in religion and how the country should be divided. The author of the story was himself a veteran of World War I and had knowledge of how awful war could be. I …show more content…
At the beginning of the story the author’s use of the words “enveloped in darkness”, “fleecy clouds”, and “pale light” allow the reader to picture the scene as if they are actually there. Throughout the story the author uses words like darkness and pain to cause the reader to feel a sensation of fear and urgency as the conflict continues. There is also symbolism in the end of the story when the sniper rolls over the body of his adversary to find he has killed his brother. This symbolizes a nation being ripped apart, as if it were a family. Conflict obviously plays a huge role in this story as the two snipers must kill the other or die trying. This carries the story along to the