The Sniper

The Sniper

Liam O’FLaherty
 “the Sniper”
Bellringer

Make the Connection: Under Pressure

What qualities enable people to perform well when facing

heart-pounding fear or stress?

Think about your own experiences or those of someone you

know, as well as news stories or fiction you’ve read. Then, jot
down your thoughts about people taking action when the
stakes are high.
 “the Sniper”
Background
This story is set in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1920s, during a time of
bitter civil war. On one side were the Irish Republicans (IRA);
they wanted all of Ireland to become a republic, totally free
from British rule.

On the other side were the Free

Staters; they had compromised
with Britain and had agreed to
allow the English to continue to
rule six counties in the northern
province of Ulster.
The Two Irelands
• Orange (Northern)=
– Protestant
– Part of United
Kingdom (Britain)

• Green (Southern)=
Republic of Ireland
– Catholic
– Independent from
Britain
Conflict in Ireland today
 Setting
OF “the Sniper”
 “the Sniper”
Meet the Author: Liam O’Flaherty
Liam O’Flaherty (1896-1984) was
born to a large, poor family on
Inishmore, one of Ireland’s rocky
Aran Islands.
As a young man in his 20s, he
witnessed and participated in the
Irish Civil War.
O’Flaherty took inspiration from his
experiences, writing frequently
about the political conflicts in
Ireland.

Irish Civil War Video

Elements of Plot
 Plot
• There are 5 elements of plot that
form the plot of a story
• When you hear the word plot,
how would you define it?
 Plot
• The timeline of events that make
up a story (like a short story,
fiction novel, plays, etc.)
• There are 5 pieces to the plot of a
story:
 Exposition (Piece #1)
• Background information that
introduces the conflict of the story
• Provides the reader with
information that is helpful to
understanding the story
Setting – the time and place that a
story occurs
 Rising Action (Piece #2)
• The first main events of the
current story (after the
background information is given)
that happen before the climax
 Climax (Piece #3)
• The turning point that leads to
the outcome of the conflict
• The highest point of tension
 Falling Action (Piece #4)
• Events that happen after the
climax
• The story is beginning to come
to a close and begin to resolve
conflicts
 Resolution (Piece #5)
• The point when the outcome
of the conflict is known; the
conflict has been resolved
Plot Development Chart
 Now, let’s practice!
• Using the plot development chart on the
bottom of your note sheet, you will practice
identifying elements of plot in a children’s
story that you know well (think Disney movies,
fairy tales, fables, etc.).
• You and your partner need to choose a story,
complete the chart, and be prepared to share
your chart with the class!