The Sniper

The sniper is the story’s protagonist. O’Flaherty gives the reader limited knowledge of his thoughts and emotions and devotes most of the story to his actions. The sniper is on the Republican side of the Irish Civil War. O’Flaherty’s description of him suggests that he has been fighting for a long time—the sniper has “deep and thoughtful” eyes that were “used to looking at death” (Paragraph 2). His actions are deliberate and quick. When he is shot in the arm by an enemy sniper, he treats the wound using a field dressing kit. Because the sniper is accustomed to waging war, his actions are based on risk assessment. He eats a sandwich very quickly only when he feels safe. He risks lighting a cigarette but is aware that the enemy may see the match’s flame.

The opening of the story finds the sniper on a rooftop in Dublin. The reader doesn’t know much about him, including his company or specific duties. When the sniper fatally shoots a woman in the street, he catches the attention of an enemy sniper on the opposite rooftop who is on the side of the Free Staters.