The Sniper Summary and Thematic Paragraph

In your own words, summarize this text.

The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty is a story which is set at night in a civil war, where two snipers from the Republicans and Free Stater's sides are trying to kill each other. With the un- delightful darkness, no one can be seen; therefore any sign would reveal where the snipers are hidden. Unfortunately, the snipers are spotted with one lighting his cigarette and the other firing his rifle. One sniper is shot in the arm, but the hardships of war force him to treat his own wound. With the sniper at a risk, as his rifle was dropped when he was shot, he devises a plan to kill the enemy sniper. The success of his plan outcomes with the enemy sniper shot and dead on the ground. The enemy had put up a great fight and the need of the sniper to see the dead body advises him to see who it was. Lastly, with a plot twisting ending he finds out that it was his own brother.

What is the author's message? Provide evidence from the text and explain your thinking.

The author’s message in this short story describes how cruel war can be and how it makes you a different person. This is seen in the story after a long exchange between two snipers, which ends up in one sniper killing his own brother.  The cruelty is seen when the sniper shoots his own brother without knowing that it was his own brother. This is cruel because it describes how a civil war, which is in one region can end up being a war between friends, brothers and family members. The cruelty is also seen as the sniper is forced into treating his own wound and face the pain of the shot. War changes everyone’s minds and makes them a new person because war made that sniper kill his own brother and if he wasn't a fighter he wouldn't have shot his own brother.