The Sniper
By
Liam O’Flaherty
Characterization
• Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals
the personality of a character.
• Characterization is revealed through direct
characterization and indirect characterization.
• Direct Characterization tells the audience what the
personality of the character is.
– Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well
mannered and did not disobey their mother.”
– Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the
personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the
girl is “quiet.”
Indirect Characterization
• Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality
of a character.
• There are five different methods of indirect characterization:
– Speech: What does the character say? How does the character
speak?
– Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts
and feelings?
– Effect on others toward the character: What is revealed through the
character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or
behave in reaction to the character?
– Actions: What does the character do? How does the character
behave?
– Looks: What does the character look like? How does the character
dress?
Historical Background
• This story takes place on a rooftop in Dublin, Ireland during the Irish War
of Independence.
• In 1919, the newly formed Irish Republican Army fought to liberate Ireland
from the British. Unable to contain these rebels, the British agreed to
create an Irish Free State. However, the agreement would recognize the
Free State only as a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations. This
agreement allowed the British to maintain ports in Ireland, and required
the Free State to pay part of the debt Britain incurred during the war.
• Not all Irishmen accepted the agreement. Once-united Irish fighters were
now split into two factions–disgruntled IRA members and supporters of
the Free State–and fought a civil war.
• O’Flaherty, himself a member of the IRA, centers his short story on a scene
of fighting in Dublin in which an IRA sniper shoots at Free Staters from a
rooftop.
Assignment
• Write a personal letter from the main character
of The Sniper to his mother explaining what
happened to his brother.
• Pay attention to voice. Really think about what
the character might be feeling and write your
letter accordingly.
• We will begin work on this in class. The letter is
due at the beginning of class tomorrow.