The Sniper Essay

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The Effects of War

The sacrifice in war is heavy. You may enter with a healthy body but in return, leave with a damaged one; both inside and out. The author, Liam O’Flaherty, examines this claim in his book “The Sniper”. While showing the physical and psychological dangers of war O’Flaherty reveals the impact war has on a soldier. A soldier in who goes to war sacrifices both their bodies and mind in warfare.
O’Flaherty suggests the horror of war by presenting its physical dangers. In “The Sniper” the author uses the story to depict the possible injuries from war. In the text, the author states “The sniper lay for a long time nursing his wounded arm and planning escape.” Republican Sniper …show more content…

Through “The Sniper” the author provided evidence of the act you are never safe in war. “The sniper darted across the street. A machine gun tore up the ground around him with a hail of bullets”. You are never safe in war all the sniper was doing was walking across the street and he was met with machine gun fire showing that walking down a street isn’t safe. The author uses pieces of text to remind the reader how war can break strong bonds. In the text, it states “When the sniper reached the laneway on the street level, he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed…...Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face.”. The war had separated the Republican sniper with his brother and the brother ,because of this war that separated the two they had meet in a gruesome way and leaving the Republican Sniper killing his brother and losing him forever by his own hand of brotherhood. Also in the story, the sniper shows that the nation as a whole is hurt when the text, says “Republicans and Free Staters were waging civil war.” This statement in the introduction of the story tells the reader that the nation is split in two and does two sides are killing each other in a war thus separating the two further away than they were before. The author also shows he wants the reader to understand the sacrifices you give up in war. The privileges you may seem as casual might not be the same in war. For example in the story the author puts “He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. It was dangerous.” The author tells the reader that it was dangerous to do an activity he enjoys because of the war he can not perform this activity and he might be seen and killed for his decision. “The Sniper” demonstrates the psychological dangers of war and describes in the text the effect it has on the Republican Sniper

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