“War does not determine who is right – only who is left. ” This quote was written by Bertrand Russell, a British author, mathematician, and philosopher. This quote explains that in war it does not matter whether or not you do the right thing, but whether or not you know how to survive. This quote relates to Liam O’Flaherty’s short story and Thomas Hardy’s poem. In “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and “The Man He killed” by Thomas Hardy both literary works show similarities and differences by the use of plot, irony, and theme. In the two passages, there were many similarities, but there were also some differences throughout the plot.
For example, in “The Sniper” the main character was a soldier at war who must kill his enemy to survive. “On the rooftop near O’Connell Bridge, a republican sniper lay watching… Pressing his lips together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and fired… Then when the smoke cleared he peered across and uttered a cry of joy. His enemy had been hit”(O’Flaherty 208). This quote explains how the sniper felt a sense of relief as he pulled the trigger killing his enemy escaping the chance of being killed. Similarly, in the poem, Hardy portrayed the main character as a determined man willing to kill in order to survive.
But ranged as infantry/ And staring face to face/I shot at him as he at me! And killed him in my place”(Hardy 5-9). This quote is showing how as the two sides lined up across from each other in battle, he was faced with the decision of whether or not to kill his enemy. Although there were similarities, there were also many differences throughout the plot. For instance, in “The Sniper”, O’Flaherty described how the main character’s curiosity led him to the discovery that he killed his brother. “He wondered did he know him… Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face” (O’Flaherty 208).
This quote proves how war can cause one to do unspeakable things, tearing families apart. On the other hand, in the poem the author described how the two men were strangers. “Had he and I but met/ by some old ancient inn/ we should have sat us down to wet/ right many a nipperkin”(Hardy 1-4). This quote is proving that if they had not met under the present circumstances they may have become friends. All in all, the two literary works share some similar aspects while having their own separate qualities throughout the plot. In the two passages, the use of irony produced similarities yet; There were also some differences.
An example of a similarity is when O’Flaherty explained how the assassin felt remorse as soon as he realized his foe was dead. “He became bitten by remorse. The sweat stood out on his forehead… he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy… he began to gibber to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody'(O’Flaherty 208). This quote is explaining how as soon as the joy and relief faded, the sniper was soon filled with regret and shame. In the poem, Hardy described the similar reaction the main character had after he shot his enemy.
“I shot him dead becaused because he was my foe… e thought he’d ‘list, perhaps,/ off-hand-like-just as I/ was out of work–had sold his traps/ No other reason why”(Hardy 9-10, 13-16). This quote is stating that as he was thinking about the death of his enemy, he realized they were not very different from each other. Even though the passages have some similarities by using irony, the story still have differences. For instance, when O’Flaherty revealed to us the surprising twist that the sniper killed his brother by using situational irony. “Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face”(O’Flaherty 208).
This quote shows how as the sniper turned over the dead body expecting the enemy to be a stranger. The sniper soon discovered that his enemy was his own brother. On the other hand, the way Hardy described the war in his poem was through verbal irony. “Yes; quaint and curious war is” (Hardy 17). This quote is explaining how Hardy described war as sweet and charming, but in reality, war is an ugly and horrible thing. To sum things up, the irony of the writings are very similar with some differences. Throughout the works, they each revealed a similar theme, but also added a unique twist.
For instance, in O’Flaherty’s short story, he created a theme that war is full of pain and suffering. “The sniper looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. The lust of battle died in him. ” This shows that as he was watching his enemy’s lifeless body fall to the ground, the charming image that the sniper had about war faded. In the poem, Hardy described a similar theme to the one O’Flaherty described in his short story. “Just so: my foe of course he was;/ That’s clear enough although”(Hardy 11-12). This quote is showing how the author was doubting whether or not he should have killed his enemy or not.
However, in the short story, the author revealed the main idea that war can tear families apart. “He felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed. He wondered did he know him. Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in the army”(O’Flaherty 208). “You shoot a fellow down/ You’d treat if met where any bar is”(Hardy 18-19). This quote is saying if the two men would have met at a bar they would have bought each other a drink, but since it was a war you had to kill the enemy to survive. Therefore, the themes of the two stories were very similar, but very original at the same time.
In conclusion, throughout the two works, there were some similarities, but there were also many differences. On September 25, 1961, John F. Kennedy made a statement to the United Nations general assembly about how society must stop war before war ends humanity. “Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. ” His enemy could have been one of his closest friends or maybe even a family member who had been turned against due to the war. All in all, “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and “The man he killed” by Thomas Hardy exhibited some similarities and differences through the use of plot, irony, and theme.
