Connections: The Sniper

The Sniper follows our protagonist, a Republic sniper on the watch for the enemy. He is seen eating his sandwich and lighting his cigarette afterward, consequently getting shot by the enemy. Throughout the story, a flask of whiskey is mentioned a few times, our protagonist drinking the whiskey in one draft.

Keep in mind, this short story is set in Dublin, Ireland, during the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. Therefore, the small actions the character does and what he eats is greatly affected by the setting of the story. For example, the actions stated previously are a realistic depiction of what a man in Ireland would be consuming - a sandwich and some whiskey. Had the story been set elsewhere - Indonesia, for example, the sniper might have been eating some rice and chicken instead, as a sandwich might not have been considered a "fulfilling meal". Therefore, character and setting are connected in the sense that setting influences the characters' lifestyle.

Moreover, while setting influences the characters' lifestyle, context almost justifies a character's actions. For example, hearing that "the sniper raised his rifle and fired" as soon as he saw "a man's head and shoulders appear" sounds, and is, morally wrong. The context is, however, that it is war. In war, death counts are suddenly brought to the tens and hundreds; it is a fight between two parties, and everyone is told to have no mercy for "the enemy". Overall, context is significant to the story because it helps make sense of a character's actions by providing the storyline with certain circumstances.

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