preview

How Does Adam O Flaherty Use Suspense In The Sniper

Decent Essays

In the short story, “The Sniper,” author Adam O’ Flaherty includes the element of surprise to reveal that war causes not only physical risk, but also psychological sufferings. This is true because of many reasons according to the story. Flaherty uses surprise and the element of suspense to show how war affects those involved. In the story, there is a Civil War taking place in Ireland. The war is between the Republicans and the Free Starters. The Republican sniper who is fighting against the Free Starters gets shot several times by a Free Starter sniper. Later on, he deceives the Free Starter sniper into thinking he was dead, but shoots the Free Starter sniper dead. As he went to go look at his enemy, surprisingly and shockingly the dead Free Starter sniper turns out to be his own brother. …show more content…

For example, in the beginning of the story, Flaherty talks about the Republican sniper that lay quietly watching. He uses suspense to describe the republican sniper as quoted, “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.” This quote from the story shows and creates suspense through the sniper’s eyes and how he was so used to looking at death during war. This also affects how a war changes a man or soldier to see or experience sufferings and also can make someone go mad from their normal limits, such as looking at death so often. Another example is the usage of the setting to build up suspense, such as the darkness and fleecy clouds that lay over Dublin during the war. The darkness during the war shows a cold, scary feeling or sadness in the fight of the

Get Access