Introducing the Story

Literary Focus: Theme and Conflict

Reading Skills: Making Predictions

The Sniperby Liam O’Flaherty

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The Sniperby Liam O’Flaherty

“War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.”

Karl Kraus, Austrian satirist, 1917

The SniperIntroducing the Story

A sniper hides on a rooftop. He lights a cigarette, and the flash from the match gives him away to the enemy. Will he get off the rooftop alive?

• “The Sniper” takes place over a brief period of time, but it is packed with suspense. How do you think the character will react to being under fire and alone?

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The SniperIntroducing the Story

In many stories, the theme, or central idea, is revealed by the way the conflict is resolved.

Theme:central idea of the story; usually some

truth or insight about life or human

behavior

Who is the main character in conflict with?

How is the conflict resolved?

What does the main character learn from the conflict?

How does the character respond to the conflict?

The SniperLiterary Focus: Theme and Conflict

• “The Sniper” focuses on the life-and-death conflict between the sniper and an enemy soldier.

• As you read, decide what idea about war the writer communicates through the sniper’s experiences.

The SniperLiterary Focus: Theme and Conflict

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When you read a suspenseful story like “The Sniper,” you make predictions about what is going to happen. You can base your predictions on

The SniperReading Skills: Making Predictions

• clues the writer plants

• your own experience of life

• your understanding of how stories work

As you read “The Sniper,” keep these questions in mind to help you make predictions:

• Will the main character escape the enemy?

• Will each new action help the main character or create new problems?

• How will it all end?

Look for any clues the writer has given about the outcome of the story.

The SniperReading Skills: Making Predictions

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