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Archivist's Choice
The Sniper
Genre
Historical Fiction
Reading Time
12 Minutes
Key Themes
See below
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During the brutal Irish Civil War, a sniper kills his latest victim, only to discover it is his own brother, revealing the devastating human cost of conflict.
Synopsis
Set during the Irish Civil War, a Republican sniper occupies a rooftop position overlooking O'Connell Bridge in Dublin. After a period of watchful waiting, he takes down an enemy sniper situated on a nearby roof and then a Free State soldier in an armored car. However, his position is compromised, and he is shot in the arm. Feigning death, he devises a cunning ruse to eliminate the opposing sniper who is now targeting him. In a dramatic and tragic turn, upon examining the body of his fallen adversary, he makes a horrifying discovery that underscores the brutal and personal cost of civil war.
Difficulty
Easy
Pacing
Fast
Mood
Tense, grim, ironic, reflective
Plot Summary
A Dublin Rooftop
The story begins on a Dublin rooftop near O'Connell Bridge during the Irish Civil War. A young Republican sniper, gaunt and intense, is introduced. He has been fasting since morning and is now very hungry. He decides to risk lighting a cigarette, even though it might reveal his position to enemy snipers. The match flash briefly lights his face, immediately drawing enemy fire from a Free State sniper on a rooftop across the street. The Republican sniper quickly puts out the match and takes cover, realizing how dangerous his position is. He is in a good spot but also exposed.
The Armored Car
As the sniper watches his surroundings, a Free State army armored car moves down the street, getting his attention. The car stops below him, and a Free State officer comes out of the turret. This creates a new threat, as the car's machine gun could easily target his rooftop. The Republican sniper aims at the officer. He shoots the officer, who falls dead to the street. The armored car, now without its commander, drives on, leaving the sniper with one less immediate threat, but the enemy sniper is still watching him.
The Old Woman Informer
After the armored car leaves, an old woman comes from a side street. She goes to where the Free State officer fell and talks to the armored car's driver, pointing up towards the Republican sniper's position. It is clear she is an informer, telling the enemy where he is. The sniper, seeing the danger she poses, has no choice but to act. He aims and shoots the old woman, killing her instantly. Her body falls to the ground next to the officer, showing the harsh truth of the civil war and the difficult choices people faced.
The Enemy Sniper's Shot
Immediately after the old woman falls, the Free State sniper across the street fires a shot. The bullet hits the Republican sniper in the right forearm, shattering the bone. Intense pain shoots through him, and his rifle clatters to the roof. He quickly moves for cover, realizing his right arm is useless. The injury is serious, and he knows he cannot use his rifle well with his dominant arm. This injury forces him to change his plan and makes his situation even more dangerous. He is now at a big disadvantage, both physically and tactically.
A Deceptive Plan
Despite the severe pain and his injured right arm, the Republican sniper stays calm and focused. He starts to make a plan to outsmart his opponent. He carefully takes off his cap and puts it over the muzzle of his rifle, then slowly raises the rifle, with the cap on top, above the wall. This is a trick to make the enemy sniper think he is showing his head to take another shot. He hopes to draw fire and show the enemy's exact position, even if it means risking his rifle.
The Decoy Works
The Republican sniper's trick works. The enemy sniper across the street sees the cap rise above the wall and immediately falls for it. A shot rings out, and the bullet pierces the cap. The Republican sniper watches the cap fall to the roof, confirming his opponent has fired. More important, the shot reveals the Free State sniper's exact position. The Republican sniper now knows exactly where his enemy is, giving him a key advantage despite his injury. He now has a clear target.
The Kill
With his left arm, the Republican sniper carefully picks up his rifle. He places it on the wall, steadying it as best he can. Despite the difficulty and pain, he aims at the spot where the enemy sniper had fired from. He pulls the trigger. The shot rings out, and he sees a figure fall from the opposite rooftop, landing with a thud on the street below. The enemy sniper is dead. A wave of triumph washes over the Republican sniper, followed almost immediately by deep regret and disgust at the killing.
Descent and Curiosity
After the kill, a strange curiosity takes hold of the Republican sniper. He feels a strong urge to identify the man he has just killed. He carefully lowers himself from the rooftop using a rope, enduring the pain in his arm as he goes down. He lands in an alleyway and then moves through the streets, carefully avoiding any remaining patrols or enemy fire. His need to see his opponent's face overrides his caution and the pain of his wound. He is driven by a deep need to understand who he has just killed in this brutal conflict.
The Shocking Revelation
The Republican sniper finally reaches the body lying in the street. He cautiously approaches, his heart pounding. He turns the body over, and as he looks at the dead Free State sniper's face, a wave of shock and horror washes over him. The face is familiar, impossibly so. It is his own brother. The realization is crushing, turning his earlier triumph into deep despair. The brutal and impersonal nature of war is revealed, as brother has been pitted against brother in the senseless conflict.
Principal Figures
The Republican Sniper
The Protagonist
Starts as a detached, focused killer, but ends as a broken man grappling with the devastating personal cost of war.
The Free State Sniper
The Antagonist
Serves as the antagonist throughout, whose death reveals a shocking personal connection to the protagonist.
The Old Woman
The Supporting
A static character whose brief appearance serves to escalate the danger for the protagonist and demonstrate his ruthlessness.
The Free State Officer
The Supporting
A static character whose quick death illustrates the immediate stakes of the conflict.
The Armored Car Driver
The Supporting
A static background character who contributes to the atmosphere of war and the immediate threat.
Themes & Insights
The Brutality and Dehumanization of War
The story shows the harsh truth of civil war, where people become targets. The sniper's actions, from killing an old woman informer to outsmarting and killing his opponent, are presented with a stark, almost clinical detachment. His physical pain and the mental cost of his actions are clear, but the story emphasizes these brutal acts as necessary for survival in wartime. The final discovery of killing his own brother highlights how war strips away personal connections in the name of conflict.
“There was a flash and a bullet whizzed past his head. He dropped immediately. He had been too careless.”
The Irony and Tragedy of Civil War
A main theme of the story is the bitter irony of civil war, where countrymen, and in this case, brothers, fight each other. The ending reveals that the protagonist has killed his own sibling, a powerful symbol of internal conflict's senseless and destructive nature. This twist changes the story from a tense combat narrative into a tragedy, showing how war can destroy families and communities, leaving behind lasting damage and grief.
“Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother's face.”
Moral Ambiguity and Necessity
The story explores the complex moral side of war, where normal ethical rules blur. The Republican sniper must make morally wrong choices, such as killing an unarmed old woman, to survive strategically. These acts are presented not as evil, but as necessary evils within the war's brutal context. The story does not judge the sniper's actions but shows them as a result of his situation, making the reader confront the difficult decisions soldiers face and the moral gray areas in conflict.
“He took a revolver from his pocket and fired a shot for an instant into the air. Then he let the revolver drop to the roof. He muttered a curse. He had bitten his lip.”
The Psychological Impact of War
Beyond physical injuries, the story looks at the psychological impact war has on those involved. The Republican sniper experiences moments of intense focus, triumph after a kill, followed by deep regret. The final discovery of his victim's identity plunges him into shock and horror. This emotional journey, from fanaticism to revulsion, illustrates the deep psychological wounds caused by combat, suggesting that even survivors carry invisible scars long after the fighting ends.
“The lust of battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse. The sweat stood out in beads on his forehead. Weakened by his wound and the long fast and the reaction of the struggle, he began to gibber to himself.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Foreshadowing
Subtle hints that suggest future events, particularly the final revelation.
While not overt, there are subtle elements of foreshadowing that build tension and prepare the reader for the tragic twist. The initial description of the sniper as having "the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death" hints at the grim realities he faces. The emphasis on the impersonal nature of the conflict, where enemies are simply 'the other side,' implicitly sets up the shock when that 'other side' becomes deeply personal. The story's focus on the sniper's internal state and his growing remorse also subtly prepares for a devastating emotional climax, which is delivered by the final revelation.
Dramatic Irony
The audience knows less than the characters until the shocking climax.
The story masterfully employs dramatic irony in its final moments. Throughout the narrative, the reader, like the Republican sniper, is unaware of the true identity of the enemy sniper. The entire duel is presented as a detached, impersonal conflict between two soldiers. The shock and horror experienced by the protagonist when he discovers he has killed his own brother are mirrored by the reader's own surprise. This shared moment of revelation amplifies the tragic impact, making the reader fully experience the protagonist's despair and the profound irony of the civil war.
Symbolism
Objects and actions represent deeper meanings within the context of war.
Several elements in the story carry symbolic weight. The rooftop setting symbolizes isolation and the detached perspective of a sniper, physically elevated from the conflict yet deeply embroiled in it. The cigarette represents a moment of human weakness and risk-taking amidst extreme danger. The old woman informer symbolizes betrayal and the moral compromises inherent in civil war. Most powerfully, the two snipers, revealed to be brothers, symbolize the self-destructive nature of civil conflict, where the nation is literally fighting against itself, tearing apart its own family.
Reversal
A sudden and unexpected change in the protagonist's fortune or understanding.
The entire narrative builds towards a powerful reversal at the very end. The protagonist, initially exultant after successfully outwitting and killing his enemy, undergoes a complete reversal of emotion and understanding. His triumph turns to profound horror and despair when he discovers the identity of his victim. This sudden shift from victory to tragedy is the story's most impactful moment, fundamentally altering the meaning of all the preceding events and leaving the protagonist (and the reader) with a devastating realization about the true cost of his actions.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
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The Sniper is a short story set during the Irish Civil War. It follows a Republican sniper who kills an enemy sniper, only to discover a shocking personal connection to his victim.
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