Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Liam O'Flaherty's "The Sniper" - Ideas and Concepts Within the Story

We are currently reading Liam O'Flaherty's "The Sniper". Within all the stories we read there are great concepts to discuss. These concepts, often dealing with the Human Condition, are often more fun and interesting to talk about than the story itself. Here is an example from "The Sniper".
The Sniper - Ideas and Concepts from Douglas Marolla on Vimeo.
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Aim: How does foreshadowing guide you through the story, "The Sniper"?

Let's analyze each quote. For each quote, give a short explanation (1-3 sentences):

1) "His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death." Explain what this tells you about the Sniper's personality. (10 points)

2) "He had eaten nothing since morning. He had been too excited to eat. He finished the sandwich, and, taking a flask of whiskey from his pocket, he took a short drought. Then he returned the flask to his pocket. He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. It was dangerous." Explain why it is 'dangerous' for him to light a match and smoke a cigarette. (10 points)

3) "Morning must not find him wounded on the roof. The enemy on the opposite roof coverd his escape. He must kill that enemy and he could not use his rifle. He had only a revolver to do it. Then he thought of a plan." What was the Sniper's plan to escape? (10 points)

Here is the story read aloud, if you need it for review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qniva4k947o&t=8s
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Here is a look, if you're interested, into what the early stages of Sniper Training look like in the US Marine Corps. Many of you know that my older brother was a Marine Sniper in FAST Company. This is similar to the training he was put through.

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