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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. When he finally gets a clear shot at his enemy, what is the protagonist feeling?

2. After he is wounded, the sniper feels a "paroxysm" of pain. What kind of pain is he feeling?

3. What bridge is near the sniper's position?

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

5. Why does the enemy sniper stand up and expose his position?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the sniper react to being shot?

3. What striking contrast is there in the description that opens the story with the description that closes the first paragraph?

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

5. Who are the Republicans at war with, and what does this opposition believe?

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

7. What is the sniper drinking, and what evidence does the reader have that it is affecting his judgement?

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

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

10. 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?

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

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.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 715 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample