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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. Toward the end of the story, the sniper feels "remorse" (98). What is he feeling?

2. Why is the sniper eating?

3. Once he is wounded, what makes it difficult for the sniper to achieve his goal?

4. What do the Free Staters want?

5. How does the sniper get off of the rooftop?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the two contrasting descriptions of the sniper given when he is first introduced?

2. How does the sniper react to being shot?

3. How does the sniper fool his enemy?

4. What is the setting of "The Sniper"?

5. In the sentence "Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof," (96), what is being personified and what purpose does the personification of the bullet serve?

6. Describe the wound that the sniper suffers.

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

8. What is the symbolic significance of the O'Connell Bridge and the River Liffey?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain why the ending of "The Sniper" creates dramatic irony.

Essay Topic 2

What is the most reasonable explanation of the sniper's choice to light the cigarette that gives away his position? Provide textual evidence for your claim.

Essay Topic 3

The words "dead" and "deadened" occur repeatedly in the paragraphs about the sniper getting hit with a bullet. Explain the thematic purpose of this repetition.

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This section contains 735 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample