Alia Samigulina

Julia Lovgren
ENG2D-02

Sacrifice in “Sniper”, and “Kiss” and “Soldier”

“The sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and “soldier” by Rupert Brooke are similar because the

characters are both used to sacrifice a lot. Namely, the main character in “The sniper” Young

man, who saw the death many times and used to kill the people. Once, he got into a firefight

with another sniper and killed him. – “His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing

the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.” - as we see here, character of sniper regret about

what he did with his life, which he has also sacrifice for the war. Liam O’Flaherty want’s to

teach us, that war is not worth sacrificing your life and your morale for it, because the enemy

killed by a sniper is his brother – “Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into

his brother’s face”. Similarity in “Soldier” – character is the patriotic of England, and he can do

anything for his motherland. As he says –

“ If I should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed”

- It shows, that the narrator has nothing to loose, and now he ready to sacrifice himself for

England, and this will be the happiest death for him. Rupert Brook wants to teach us, that

Happiness and bravest for real patriot – is a die for his country. Therefore, “Sniper” and

“Soldier” are similarity, because there both upon the subject of the victim during the war.
 “The sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and “kiss” by Siegfried Sassoon are similar because the

characters are both feeling powerful, killing the people.

In Kiss character feels omnipotent and unpunished when he kills people in war. Turning

to sister steel and brother lead, he says:

“Sweet Sister, grant your soldier this:

That in good fury he may feel

The body where he sets his heel

Quail from your downward darting kiss”

- It shows, that the narrator things, that he absolutely powerful here. Siegfried Sassoon

wants to say us, that human can find something romantic even on a war.

Similarity in “Sniper”, main character still almost a child, but already a master of his craft

and knows perfectly well that he can take the life of anyone he wants. It was when he

killed a people: “Then when the smoke cleared, he peered across and uttered a cry of joy.

His enemy had been hit”. – it shows that killing enemies pleases him, since he himself

will survive, he is stronger . But Liam O’Flaherty teaching us, that you do not know

where your actions will lead, even if you are sure of everything. Therefore, “Kiss” and

“Sniper” are similarity, because ere both has a topic about human power on the war.