1. Choose a short story which explores an important theme.
By referring to appropriate techniques, show how the author has
explored this theme.
·'face of a student' - charaterisation, more quotes from
same bit
·truck - word choice, imagery, more quotes from the same
bit
·shriek - include both killings, word choice, imagery,
sentence structure
·shoots other sniper - word choice, sentence structure,
tension
·discovers it's his brother - tone, climax

2. The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty - Textual Analysis Questions
1. a) Identify readers who you think would enjoy this text,
suggesting a key theme that they would be interested in.
b) With close reference to the text, give evidence for your view.
2. ‘His face was the face of a student … used to looking at death.’
How does O’Flaherty establish the character of the sniper, right
from his first description?
3) Explain why the sniper is unsure whether or not to smoke a
cigarette.
4) How is the armoured car described? Quote two expressions and
explain their effect.
5) ‘The turret opened. … fell with a shriek into the gutter.’
Quote one aspect the language used here and discuss its effect.
6) Explain the steps the sniper takes to kill the enemy sniper.
7) ‘The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver … his arm
shook with the recoil.’
How does O’Flaherty generate suspense in this paragraph using:
i)
word choice
ii)
sentence structure?
Give specific examples and explain their use.
8) ‘His enemy had been hit. …. Then it lay still.’
Quote one example of language used here and discus how it
contributes to the description of the action.
9) a) From the following, pick the phrase which best describes th e
sniper’s reaction to his enemy’s death.
i)
Relieved
ii)
Triumphant
iii)
Dejected
iv)
Confused
v)
Guilty
b) Quote an expression which helped you make your choice.
10) How successful do you think the story was at illustrating the
bitter and brutal nature of civil war? Support your answer with
detailed evidence from the text.

3. 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.
'the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death' - experienced
with seeing a lot of death
'
face of a student' - young
His eyes 'were deep and thoughtful' - not naturally a killer
'cold gleam of the fanatic'

4. Technique - characterisation
Quote Analysis
'the face of a student' - young and intelligent
'cold gleam' - lacks emotion
'fanatic' - suggests obsessed with something
eyes 'were deep and thoughtful' - aware of what he is doing and wh
'the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death' - been fighting fo
a long time already.
Theme - By showing a young intelligent man in such a state,
O'Flaherty shows how civil war can change and damage people

5. Technique - imagery and word choice
Quote
Analysis
'dull panting'
- (imagery) compares it
to
a large,
possible dangerous
animal
'grey monster'
- (word choice/imagery)
big
and frightening
'advanced slowly' - creates tension and
makes it appear
menacing
'enemy car'
- (word choice) shows it
is
against the sniper
and that
apparently
everything is on
one
side or the other
'bullets would never pierce the steel' - strong
and
invincible
Theme - Shows how frightening, tense and
serious a society involved in a civil war becomes

6. Quote one example of language used here and discuss how it
contributes to the description of the action.
His enemy had been hit. He was reeling over the parapet
in his death agony. He struggled to keep his feet, but he
was slowly falling forward as if in a dream. The rifle fell
from his grasp, hit the parapet, fell over, bounded off the
pole of a barber's shop beneath and then clattered on the
pavement.
Then the dying man on the roof crumpled up and fell
forward. The body turned over and over in space and hit
the ground with a dull thud. Then it lay still.
'death agony' - emphasises pain of his death. It was
not instant and painless.
'struggled' - lack of control
'clattered' - onomatopoeia, harsh sound
'dull thud' - onomatopoeia, 'dull' meaningless, no real
feeling or respect for the dead soldier
'grasp'
- connotations of panic and desperation
'crumpled' - like a worthless bit of paper or litter

7. Technique - word choice
Quote
Analysis
'death agony' - emphasises pain of his death. It was
not instant and painless.
'struggled' - lack of control
'clattered' - onomatopoeia, harsh sound
'dull thud' - onomatopoeia, 'dull' meaningless, no real
feeling or respect for the dead soldier
'grasp'
- connotations of panic and desperation
'crumpled' - like a worthless bit of paper or litter
Theme - shows violence and lack of glamour of death in war

8. The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver
above the edge of the parapet. The distance was about
fifty yards--a hard shot in the dim light, and his right arm
was paining him like a thousand devils. He took a steady
aim. His hand trembled with eagerness. Pressing his lips
together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and
fired. He was almost deafened with the report and his
arm shook with the recoil.
'trembled' - suggested nervous or scared
'eagerness'
'shook' 'deafened'
Relatively short sentences. Describe the sniper's actions.
Building up to the final shot.

9. Techniques - word choice and sentence structure.
Quote
Analysis
'trembled'
- suggested nervous or
scared
'eagerness'
- suggests anticipation
'shook'
- violent movement
contrasts
the slow
build up
'deafened'
- violent reaction contrasts
the
slow build up
Relatively short sentences. Describe the sniper's
actions. Building up to the final shot. Makes the reader
wait for the climax.

10. The turret opened. A man's head and shoulders
appeared, looking toward the sniper. The sniper raised
his rifle and fired. The head fell heavily on the turret wall.
The woman darted toward the side street. The sniper
fired again. The woman whirled round and fell with a
shriek into the gutter.
'shriek'
'whirled'
(WC) connotations of wounded animal
(WC) connotations of dramatic,
uncontrolled
movement
lots of short sentences, describing the stages of the killing, ,
creates tension leading up to the climax of the killings

11. Technique - word choice and sentence structure
Quote
Analysis
'shriek'
(WC) connotations of wounded
animal
'whirled'
(WC) connotations of dramatic,
uncontrolled
movement
Evidence and Analysis
lots of short sentences, describing the stages of the
killing, , creates tension leading up to the climax of the
killings

12. Just then an armoured car came across the bridge
and advanced slowly up the street. It stopped on the
opposite side of the street, fifty yards ahead. The
sniper could hear the dull panting of the motor. His
heart beat faster. It was an enemy car. He wanted to
fire, but he knew it was useless. His bullets would
never pierce the steel that covered the gray monster.
dull panting
grey monster
advanced slowly
enemy car
bullets would never pierce the steel that covered

13. The sniper looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. 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 summer day of fasting and watching on
the roof, he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his
dead enemy. His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to
himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.
He looked at the smoking revolver in his hand, and with an
oath he hurled it to the roof at his feet. The revolver went off
with a concussion and the bullet whizzed past the sniper's
head. He was frightened back to his senses by the shock. His
nerves steadied. The cloud of fear scattered from his mind and
he laughed.

14. Technique - characterisation
Quote
he '..looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. The lust of
battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse.'
Analysis
when the adrenalin goes, the sniper faces the reality of what he
has done
Quote
revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy. '
Analysis
'revolted' - word choice, shows disgust
'shattered mass' - the body is no longer recognisably human
'gibber' - connotations of madness
'cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.' - angry at
the whole situation

15. The sniper darted across the street. A machine gun tore
up the ground around him with a hail of bullets, but he
escaped. He threw himself face downward beside the
corpse. The machine gun stopped.
Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked
into his brother's face.
'darted' - (wc) quick, sneaking, in danger, scared
'a hail of bullets' - (metaphor[imagery]) lots, hail is
unpleasant and painful
'tore' - (wc/im) shows how violent the bullets are as the rip
the ground as if it's paper

16. Technique - imagery and word choice
Quote
'darted'
scared
'a hail of bullets'
'tore'
bullets
ground as if it's
Analysis
- (wc) quick, sneaking, in danger,
- (metaphor[imagery]) lots, hail is
unpleasant and painful
- (wc/im) shows how violent the
are as the rip the
paper
Theme - The fact the sniper is still being attacked shows there
is no end to the horror and danger in a civil war

17. Technique - climax, sentence structure
Quote 'Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his
brother's face.'
Analysis - (ss) one-sentence paragraph for greater impact. (tone)
matter of fact and blunt tone making the fact painfully obvious.
(symbolism) shows how close the opposing sides are. The sniper killing
his brother symbolises how the nation is destroying itself.
Theme - Shows how divisive, brutal and destructive civil war is.

18. Introduction
Paragraph 1 - Setting - guns, armoured car etc
Paragraph 2 - Killing of the old woman and armoured car
driver
Paragraph 3 - Tension of killing the other sniper
Paragraph 4 - The sniper’s reaction to the killing
Paragraph 5 - climax - dead brother
Conclusion

19. Topic Sentences - include them, mention techniques, don't
quote
'O'Flaherty uses characterisation to show the brutal effects
of civil war.'
Don't dump quotes on the page then write about them.
The writer describes the sniper having 'the face of a
student'.
Use joining words

20. Joining Words
and
however
so
in the same way
but
because
although
on the other hand

21. Topic sentence - general, no quotes
O'Flaherty uses characterisation to show the brutal
effects of civil war. The writer describes the sniper having
'the face of a student'. This shows that he is a young
man, possible recently out of school. Also, the writer
describes the sniper having a 'cold gleam' in his eyes.
This shows he his focused and lacks emotion. In the
same way, O'Flaherty portrays the sniper as being a
'fanatic'. This shows he is obsessed. In this way,
O'Flaherty shows how civil war can change and damage
people.
Quotes nicely blended in
Joining words
Link back to the question