Pain And Suffering In 'The Sniper'

“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy articulated this idea at the United Nation General Assembly on September 25, 1961. In other words, Kennedy is saying that war can take total control over a man’s actions and perspective when faced with the supremacy on the battlefield, resulting in the destruction of mankind. This quote sums up the struggle of many soldiers when they’re faced with the uncertainty of battle. In the short story “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and the poem “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy, the authors depict this concept that war is full of horror and suffering. War can change people and combat can turn friend against friend or brother against brother. Thus,

For instance, “Taking the whiskey flask from his pocket, he emptied it in a draught. He felt reckless under the influence of spirit” (O’Flaherty 208). This shows that war is full of pain and suffering which conveys the main idea. Secondly, “But ranged as infantry, and staring face to face / I shot at him as he at me / And killed him in his place” (Hardy). This shows the central idea of war tearing people apart when faced with an unknown adversary. In addition, differences would be, “The Republican sniper smiled and he lifted his revolver above the edge of the parapet” (O’Flaherty 207). This shows war tears families apart, the man was eager for his kill, however, it happened to be a family member who was placed on the other side of the battle. Lastly, “Had he and I but met / By some old ancient inn / We should have sat us down to wet / Right many nipperkin!” (Hardy). This shows that war tears people apart. If the two men weren’t fighting on opposite sides, they could’ve been friends. Hence, the short story “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and the poem “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy, portray similarities and differences using the literary device of