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Is the Ending Effective in the Short Story ''The Sniper''?
Is the ending Effective? Let’s
question you- what does the word effective mean? The answer is- adequate
to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result.
Now, let’s solve it. Was the ending
adequate to accomplish a purpose? The answer is- Yes! Now you must find out the purpose
and the matters on which the author wanted to emphasis through the ending. The
purpose is surely revealing- brutality of war, redundant killings and
fratricide. So you can say that the ending is effective, as it reveals -
1. Brutality of war
2. Redundant killings
3. Fratricide (it could be used in a
broader meaning in the sense that, all men are brothers)
On the way to effective ending, was
the author a bit sympathetic to the sniper? Yes he was. But not to a particular
soldier or sniper, he was considerate to all sniper or soldier. In sum, was
universal while sympathizing the sniper. The sniper represents a regular individual,
who is used as a tool to implement orders of superiors, politicians, or the
state and the tool acts without knowing or thoughts. They just are converted
into animal, who don't know much apart from- hunger, pain, survival.
However, author's sympathy can be
found in the following lines-
"The
lust of battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse. The sweat stood out in
beads on his forehead. Weakened by his wound and the long summer day of fasting
and watching on the roof, he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of
his dead enemy."
So, in the story you would find
following reasons to recognize the empathy of the author-
1. End of the lust of battle
2. Remorse
3. The inquisitiveness to see dead
enemy face
The author, no doubt, was perfect
enough to sketch such a dramatic end. Which was not only effective, but also
grand indeed.
