The Sniper

In “The Sniper” Liam O’ Flaherty suggest the horror of war not only by presenting its physical dangers but also by showing its psychological effects. The story takes place in Dublin around the beleaguered Four Courts in the middle of the city where gunfire of heavy guns, machine guns, and rifles break the silence around the sniper because of a civil war that is especially dangerous because the enemy looked similar to yourself. The sniper …

…as the informer are all labeled as the “enemy”. Together he mentioned the word “enemy” over six times. For example when he thinks about lighting his cigarette he refers the people watching as the “enemies”, another when shot his “enemy” across the street. But soon he realizes that the man that he had successfully shot down was then later identified as his very own brother. Thus proving to himself that everyone was not the “enemy”.