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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. At what time of day does the story begin?

2. What is the sniper drinking?

3. What do the Republicans want?

4. What is the only description given of the old woman?

5. Why is the sniper eating?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. How does the sniper react to being shot?

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

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

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

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

Analyze the symbolic value of the description of setting in the story's opening paragraph.

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Explain the symbolic significance of the sniper's bullet injury and his treatment of it. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your claim.

(see the answer keys)

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