War Effects on Soldiers and Society Life in “The Sniper” (1923) by Liam O’flaherty

Abstract

War is a humanitarian issue that occurs due to disagreement and happens anywhere. War does not only apply between countries but can also arise between citizens within a country, such as the Irish Civil War, which led to the formation of two camps, Free State and Republic, as told in Liam O'Flaherty's short story entitled "The Sniper." Through its setting, this story indirectly illustrates negative impacts on both the soldiers and the environment where people live in the war era. The current study employed M. H. Abrams’ approach on one of the literary theories based on text, that is, objective theory. He argues that the objective theory is looking at the intrinsic element of the literature, such as setting. It is the element that builds the literary work itself without connecting it to the writer, reader, or to the universe. It can be seen in “The Sniper” that the author focuses on developing a tense atmosphere related to the Irish Civil War. The results show that mental problems such as anxiety, trust issues, and feelings of guilt occur in soldiers as a result of the war, as well as massive changes in the social life of the community environment, which became bleaker due to the close surveillance of soldiers. Civil wars are the most ironic, where people have to fight relatives who have disagreements, which in turn exacerbates divisions and weakens unity. This proves that war is not a good way to solve a problem since everyone involved in it experiences various negative effects.