Fighting to the death against your own family members over political conflict seems unfathomable, but it is a fact of history. The Irish Civil War began when the Irish had to decide whether to accept partial freedom from Britain or fight to become a republic. After fighting against Britain, the Irish army split and fought against each other. During civil wars, such as the Irish Civil War, countries are torn apart and find themselves in combat with their other halves. We often forget the families and soldiers who were victims of civil wars. Most families are able to cling to each other for support; however, in some cases, families separate and even fight on opposing sides. This characteristic of dedication to a war personally affecting citizens appears in Liam O'Flaherty's "The Sniper," a short story about an Irish Civil War sniper fighting on the Republican side. During the night, his fierceness in combat demonstrates his inexperience in matters of war; however, his calm actions and quick response juxtapose this, indicating that he is completely logical. Although the Sniper is excited about the fight at the beginning of the story, he later finds himself dismayed by the horrific nature of his own actions. The Republican sniper in "The Sniper" describes how fanatical dedication in the Civil War affects soldiers personally because the character is no longer able to perceive people as anything other than allies or enemies, loses control of his emotions and kills his own brother. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay From the start, the sniper's fiery violence disrupts his ability to understand that his actions harm real people, not just enemies. After a long day of impatiently waiting for combat, the sniper hides on a Dublin rooftop drinking whiskey. As he takes the risk of lighting a cigarette, a Free State Sniper on a roof opposite targets him, but the Republican remains unharmed. The sniper spots an old woman informing the driver of an enemy vehicle of her location and he immediately takes advantage of the opportunity to kill them both without hesitation. The sniper's thirst for violent action is confirmed when "he wanted to shoot" at the vehicle but held back because "he knew it would be useless" because of the car's armor (263). The sniper's enthusiasm and struggle to stop himself from shooting, as well as his impulsive killing of enemies are a sign that he is fascinated by the glory of war and violence and has sufficient suppressed his integrity to justify the murder of two people. The reader is able to decipher that the Sniper believes that the Free Staters do not deserve to live. Due to his dedication to war, the sniper looks forward to violence and is gleeful when killing people. This demonstrates how cruel humans can become when pushed into a world of war. It also symbolizes the inner urge to kill many humans, which is justified and even respected in times of war. Society normally refuses to accept hatred and violence, but war is an excuse for cruelty towards other humans. This isn't the only time the sniper's emotions are affected by his dedication to war. Additionally, the sniper's dedication to war subjected him to a state of emotional detachment; when he is released from this state, his emotionsfell on him with unbridled force. After shooting the informant and driver, the Free State sniper's counterpart identifies his location and targets the sniper from the opposite roof. The sniper's forearm was injured by the enemy sniper's bullet; although he handles the situation by diligently dressing the wound, he is seriously injured. Still excited by the prospect of shooting the Free State sniper, he creates a ruse for his enemy and shoots him dead. The sniper's need for glory is evident when he "trembling with impatience" while waiting to shoot his enemy (264). Seeing his enemy's figure "collapse and fall forward" causes the sniper's enthusiasm to fade, and his remorse is visible when the author uses words such as "shuddered", "bitten with remorse ", rebellious" and "gibberish" (264). The sniper truly expresses his newfound hatred for war when he begins to “curse the war, curse himself, curse everyone” (264). The Sniper came back to reality, “he looked at the smoking revolver in his hand and, with a curse, he threw it onto the roof at his feet. The revolver went off with the concussion and the bullet flew past the sniper's head” (265). The sniper chooses to attribute his outburst to alcohol. When the sniper's emotions spiral out of control, the author forces him to take drastic measures to break down the emotional barriers used by soldiers in combat. Throwing his revolver to the ground represents the character's remorse for his actions and his intention not to repeat them. However, his decision to blame alcohol for his grievances allows him to continue the war, providing him with the opportunity to achieve his goals and meet the expectations of others. The opposing actions of the sniper show that the emotional influences of war only cause confusion and panic in the soldier's mind. When the defense mechanisms used by soldiers can no longer withstand the trials of death and grief, men in combat experience considerable panic and stress. The sniper may have overcome his panic attack, but his emotional fight against war isn't over yet. In the future, the personal repercussions of the Civil War on a combat-oriented character such as the Sniper are evident when it is revealed that he killed his own brother. After recovering from his remorse, the sniper ignores his feelings of anguish and intends to report to his commanding officer. Regardless, an instinct convinces him to research the identity of his enemy before doing so. After nearly being shot by a machine gun to reach the man, the sniper realizes that he has killed his own brother. The author leaves the reader in shock when “the sniper turned the corpse over and looked at his brother’s face” (265). The division between brothers in battle indicates that the choice of joining the Republican Army or the Free State Army was a difficult one. As the author does not give the reader any background information about the story, nor any emotional reaction from the sniper, the reader is left to draw their own conclusions. This ambiguity gives the reader more opportunity to think about the author's intent. The author implies that, whether they realize it or not, the sniper and his brother have chosen opposing sides in the war. Perhaps the sniper and his brother were aware of the decision they had made to fight on opposite sides. In this case, Liam O'Flaherty points out that the commitment to civil war can become so strong that it pits members of a family against each other. The death of the brother.