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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the context in which it is used in "The Sniper," how is "draught" (96) pronounced?

2. What is the first physical sensation the sniper feels in the place where he has been shot?

3. When the sniper turns over the body of his enemy, whom does he discover it to be?

4. What is the sniper eating?

5. Once his enemy has died, the sniper begins to "gibber" (98). What is he doing?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the reader first encounters the sniper, what is he doing, and why?

2. What motivates the sniper to get himself back under control?

3. What causes the sniper to suddenly lose his enthusiasm for the battle?

4. How does the enemy sniper manage to shoot the protagonist?

5. What problem is created by the sniper's wound?

6. Who is the protagonist of "The Sniper" and what is he fighting for?

7. How does the sniper fool his enemy?

8. Describe the wound that the sniper suffers.

9. What happens as a result of the Republican sniper's ruse?

10. What risk does the sniper take at the beginning of the story, and what are the consequences?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Whiskey is sometimes disparagingly referred to as "Irish Courage." Justify the presence of the detail of the whiskey in "The Sniper," where space is at such a premium.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the last line of the story "The Sniper." Be sure to include a discussion of the layers of meaning in the word "brother" and to explain how this line impacts the overall meaning of the story.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the use of the River Liffey as a symbol in "The Sniper." Describe how it appears in the story, background information on the river, and how these two elements combine to create meaning.

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This section contains 687 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample