Comparing The Sniper 'And The Man He Killed'

War is an ongoing issue that spreads like a cold. “Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy stated this to the United Nation General Assembly on September 25th, 1961. War results in death and if we continue this useless act of violence, war will soon deplete the human race. The connection between these two stories is that two men are faced with a conflict and they must kill their foes. In Liam O'Flaherty's “The Sniper” and “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy both show similarities and differences in plot, irony, and theme.

There are many similarities in both “The Sniper” and “The Man He Killed”. For example, both of the men were soldiers in war. In the story the assassin

was “On a rooftop near O’Connell Bridge, a republican sniper lay watching” (O’Flaherty 206). This quote shows that the sniper is in his war-zone and waiting to kill his adversary. The soldier had second thoughts, “But ranged as infantry / and staring face to face / I shot at him as he at me / and killed him in his place” (Hardy 5-8). This explains that the soldier is in a face to face combat fighting his enemy. Throughout both stories, there are many comparisons. There were also several differences. For example, in “The Sniper”, the sniper was alone and the soldier in “The Man He Killed” was with many other soldiers in a war-zone. While the assassin was waiting, “Suddenly from the opposite roof a shot rang out and the sniper dropped his rifle with a curse” (O’Flaherty 206). This shows that the sniper is not in a face to face combat. He and his enemy are on different roofs instead. The soldier in Hardy’s poem was in a complete opposite situation. For instance, “And staring face to face” (Hardy 6). In this quote, it shows that in Hardy’s poem, the soldier is in a face to face combat rather than having a parapet to block the enemy's bullets. These are multiple examples that show how the excerpts are both similar and alike.

In both of the readings, there is a large number of differences and similarities involving irony.

In “The Sniper” and “The Man He Killed”, they both felt a feeling of deep remorse following these events. Once he shot the other man, “The sniper looked at his enemy falling and shuttered. The lust of battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse” (O’Flaherty 208). This quote shows that once the sniper shot his enemy, he felt remorse. “You shoot a fellow down / You’d treat if we met where any bar is” (Hardy 18-19). This shows that the soldier was trying to recall if he had once been friends with his enemy whom he had killed in the end. In “The Sniper”, the sniper was related to his enemy whom he had killed. It turned out to be his own brother. “Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face” (O’Flaherty 208). The sniper had no idea that the enemy he was killing was his brother. If he had known, he most likely wouldn’t have shot and same goes for his brother. “Had he and I but met / By some old ancient inn / We should have sat us down to wet / Right many a nipperkin” (Hardy 1-4). In “The Man He Killed”, the soldier had thought that maybe if not for war, he would’ve befriended his enemy. To conclude, both of the stories had many differences and similarities involving

irony.

These readings both had similarities and differences regarding theme also.

The theme for both is that war changes people through lots of pain and suffering. “His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.” The sniper, at first, had felt joyous when he shot his enemy, but once the deed was done, he had felt a strong feeling of remorse which had caused pain and suffering. “He thought he’d enlist perhaps / Offhand like just as I / Was out of work, had sold his traps / No other reason why” (Hardy 13-16). The man could have befriended each and every one of the others, but war turns people against each other and causes great pain and suffering. There are also differences. The sniper joined because a civil war was going on in Dublin, Ireland. The soldier in “The Man He Killed” joined because he had nothing left. “Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms. Republicans and Free Staters were waging a civil war.” Throughout Dublin, it was brother against brother, literally, fighting in a civil war that tore families apart. The next theme is that war can tear friends apart also. “Yes, quaint and curious war is! / You shoot a fellow down / You’d treat if met where any bar is / Or help to half-a-crown” (Hardy 17-20). This shows that war got in the way of a possible friendship and definite peace and

love.

In conclusion, both stories, “The Sniper” and “The Man He Killed”, have many similarities and differences portrayed through plot, irony, and theme. Both stories possess multiple different comparisons and contrasts. War has been changing lives in a negative way for centuries and it causes much pain and suffering.