The only “characters” in this vignette from Liam O’Flaherty are a cliff, waves, and “the wave”. Major themes include permanence, time, the power of nature/many. O’Flaherty was a noted Republican, and the story can be looked upon as a powerful allegory of Ireland’s struggle for independence. The cliff (Britain) stands firm and resolute, having successfully weathered many storms over its long history. Individually, the smaller waves (the Irish people) make little impression against its rocky walls. Working together, and combining to form “the wave”, they have enough power to begin breaking down the mighty cliff. More…
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The Sniper
Most wars involve terrible suffering. Some would argue that civil wars are the worst of all because they set friend against friend and family against family. This story by Liam O’Flaherty takes place during the Irish Civil War of 1922/23. An IRA sniper with the cold gleam of the fanatic in his eyes has a shoot-out with an enemy sniper. He kills him and goes to see if he knew the man. It is tempting to feel sorry as the sniper turns over the body. That is until you remember the unarmed woman he had just shot in cold blood. More…