Student Question
What instances of foreshadowing appear in "The Sniper"?
Quick answer:
In "The Sniper," the revelation of the protagonist's relationship to the other sniper is foreshadowed by the remorse he feels after having killed the man, as well as by his realization that he may, even, know the man's identity.
In a work of literature, foreshadowing refers to some indication of an event that is yet to happen. Although the narrator tells us that the sniper has "the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death" and that he is something of a "fanatic" for his cause, when he sees the body of his enemy falling from the rooftop opposite his own, he shudders. The narrator says that, in this moment, the "lust of battle" dies in the young sniper and that he feels "bitten by remorse." In fact, the sight of his enemy's broken body is revolting to him, and his teeth begin to chatter as with fear or cold. The sniper curses the world and throws his own revolver to the ground at his feet. This foreshadows the protagonist 's future disillusionment with war—else why should the sight of this enemy's dead body produce such...
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a unique effect on him? These details foreshadow the personal relationship he has with the man he has shot and killed.
Likewise, the protagonist's "sudden curiosity" to learn the identity of the sniper he killed and his realization that he might have known him further foreshadow that he does, in fact, know the other sniper. He feels so compelled to see the other sniper's face that he risks being shot and killed just to get to the man's body, as a "machine gun [tears] up the ground around him" as he makes his way to the corpse. These details foreshadow that he does know the other sniper and that he needs to see the man's face in order to understand their connection.
What are three examples of foreshadowing in "The Sniper"?
The suggestion of forthcoming events, or foreshadowing, usually comes at the beginning of a narrative, and such is the case in "The Sniper." Oddly enough, though, there is also an instance of foreshadowing near the end of this short story.
A frequent example of foreshadowing, the weather, begins the narrative:
Dublin lay enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and the dark waters of the Liffey.
That there is moonlight shining through clouds indicates that at times there is only a little light and at times there is complete darkness. Because of this lack of any real light, there is foreshadowing that something might happen in this darkness of the night. As it turns out, the sniper's draw upon his cigarette causes the tobacco to flare, alerting the enemy sniper, who aims at this light that is so glaringly apparent in the darkness. He then is able to shoot the Republican sniper in the arm.
Two other examples of foreshadowing occur with the mention of the sniper's deciding to take the risk of smoking a cigarette. That he risks getting shot for a few "whiffs" of a cigarette suggests that the sniper is inclined to act impetuously or do dangerous things. In fact, he commits two dangerous actions. First of all, after he is shot because of lighting a cigarette, the sniper undertakes another risky ruse by putting his helmet on his rifle and drawing fire so that he can appear to fall from the roof of his building. Because the other sniper then believes his enemy is dead, the Republican sniper stands up to look down at his foe on the ground. Such an action by the other sniper allows the wounded one a clean shot, and his risk of drawing fire pays off as he kills his enemy.
Secondly, after he kills the enemy sniper and feels safe, the Republican sniper is disgusted by the whole business of shooting to kill his countrymen, and he irrationally commits an action that involves another risk.
Cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody . . . He looked at the smoking revolver in his hand, and with an oath he hurled it to the roof at his feet.
When he rashly throws the loaded revolver, the gun goes off, and the bullet nearly strikes him in the head. Again the sniper's impetuous and risky act puts his life in danger.
The disgust that the sniper feels with the civil war in Ireland also foreshadows the terrible and tragic feelings that the sniper must experience later when he realizes that, because of this war, he has slaughtered his own brother.