Irony through history: comparison of two works “Désirée's baby” and “The sniper” are two different stories, written by two different authors, at two different times, in two different geographical locations. A common thread can, however, be found when we find certain attributes throughout the stories. Both stories have interesting character development, traces of undeniable irony, and end on an adrenaline-pumping cliffhanger ending; they also have a rebellious undercurrent, speaking out against a tragedy. In “Desiree's Baby,” Kate Chopin tells the story set in pre-Civil War Louisiana, about a clueless young mother who finds strength when her racist husband disowns her for being black. The irony appears when Armand, the husband, finds proof that it is not his wife who is black, but him. “The Sniper” by Liam O'Flaherty tells the story of an emotionless young killer who begins to see the horrors of war when he beats his opponent on a rooftop. The irony is evident in the last sentence of the story, which states that the sniper shot his own brother. These two stories, as different as they are, can be linked by several overarching themes such as irony and ideals of nationalism and racism taken too far in the respective stories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay In Liam O'Flaherty's The Sniper published in 1923, the author explores the irony and horrors of the Civil War in Ireland in 1922. The story centers on a republican sniper sitting on a roof; the hungry sniper looks at his enemy with fanatical eyes. The sniper shoots an informant to the ground, only to be shot from the opposite roof by another sniper. The Republican Sniper then develops a plan to kill his enemy. This plan works, but then the sniper realizes what a terrible thing he has done and throws his revolver to the ground "cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everyone." The sniper is then brought back to reality by the accidental discharge of his weapon and empties his flask of whiskey. Coming out of the roof, the sniper's curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to check the identity of the rebel sniper who was such a good shot. The sniper wonders if he knew the man, if they had been in the same company before the army split. As he dodges machine gun fire and throws himself to the ground next to his enemy's corpse, the sniper finds himself face to face with his own brother. This irony is a clear message about the error of war; what started as an attempt to unite people and bring them together, ended up tearing them apart. The author, Liam O'Flaherty, was directly involved in the Irish Civil War of 1922. O'Flaherty joined the Irish Republican Army to push for independence. The war was sparked by nationalist conflicts between the Irish Free State and Britain. After the signing of the peace treaty between Ireland and England, the Irish troops were divided into two groups. Those who supported the treaty were the "Free State Army" and those against the treaty were the Republicans. O'Flaherty fought for the Republic of Ireland and for the ideals of keeping the country together. Fighting for a cause, no matter how noble, can take its toll on a soldier. The sniper with eyes that had “the cold glint of the fanatic” lacked emotion. When it came to killing, the Republican sniper didn'tshowed remorse only by killing his enemy sniper. This young man with the “face of a student, thin and ascetic” was a hardened soldier with “the eyes of a man accustomed to looking at death”. The fact that the sniper is so young, but already accustomed to war, shows the atrocity of the Civil War that O'Flaherty must have seen. It was not uncommon during the Civil War for young soldiers to be psychologically damaged due to the horrors they saw fighting for their country. When an ideal such as nationalism is taken too far, the result is unnecessary bloodshed and the transformation of young students into hardened soldiers. It is against this tragedy that O'Flaherty strives to denounce in his story. The sniper shows this injustice when he throws away his gun in disgust. As soon as his enemy dies, the desire to fight leaves him and he is “bitten by remorse”. The sniper, in this new weakness, is “revolted before the broken mass of his dead enemy.” After a career of killing without objection (including a turret gunner and an informant in the story), the sniper finally discovers that the cause he is fighting so valiantly for is flawed and leads to the loss of precious human lives. concerning the horrors of war deepens when he discovers the identity of the rebel sniper and faces the truth that he killed his own brother. The discovery of this truth is the ultimate irony. The fact that the only enemy that causes the sniper to curse himself and defend the cause he is fighting for is his own brother shows the major injustice that O'Flaherty is rebelling against. The sniper must have realized how his family had been torn apart. The war had torn his family apart so much that two brothers joined opposing camps and were “forced” to kill each other. This irony would have a drastic effect on the sniper's mind, as only killing a family member could. The theme of irony connects the story of "The Sniper" to Kate Chopin's story "Desiree's Baby." Kate Chopin, an active feminist, published an account of Desiree's traumatic experience as a mother in 1893. The story begins by describing Désirée as an orphaned baby, left at the gates of the rich “Valmonde” estate. As Désirée grows up, she is noticed by the young man Armand Aubigny who instantly falls in love with her. Armand falls in love “as if struck by a pistol shot” and anticipates the day when he will be able to marry her. They both soon have a baby and Armand's general character changes radically. While Armand was once a strict and authoritarian slave owner, once the baby is born, Armand becomes complacent in the punishment he inflicts on his slaves. At this time, Désirée's adoptive mother (Madame Valmonde) visits him and very quickly notices something peculiar in the child and even "picked him up and walked with him towards the clearest window (and)...scrutinized the baby closely.” in order to better discern the problem. Everyone in the house either ignores the problem or feigns ignorance for Desiree's sake. Désirée, delighted to have her child, is completely oblivious to any complications with her child. It takes three months before she wakes up with the suspicion that something was wrong, with the “conviction that there was something in the air that threatened her peace.” At first it was too subtle to grasp. It was just a disturbing suggestion; an air of mystery among black people. At that moment, Armand also changed, gradually ignoring his wife with an “averted gaze from which the old light of love seemed to have gone out.” It was during a particularly hot day that theDésirée's confusion and sadness manifested. In this surprising moment, Desiree realizes the obvious truth; her child is black. Reeling from hysteria, Desiree confronts her husband about it. Armand, who has ignored Désirée for months, is no more emotional than before and quickly explains, in light tones, the situation to his wife in distress: “...the child is not white; That means you're not white. Once the initial shock of the accusation passes, Désirée writes a letter to Madame Valmonde, asking for clarification in a desperate attempt to deny the truth. Désirée’s fears are not assuaged when the only response she receives is: “My own Désirée: return to Valmonde; Back to your mother who loves you. Come with your child. Upon receipt of the letter, Désirée demands an answer from Armand as to whether or not she should leave. Armand insensitively asks her, in as few words as possible, to leave and she does. Without saying anything, Désirée grabs her child and sinks into the reeds, never to see her again. The next scene takes place a few weeks later, where Armand makes a bonfire to get rid of whatever is left of his wife and their child. The last thing to burn is a letter from Armand's mother to his father, telling him of her love for him. The irony of the story is exposed in this final sentence: “But above all,” she writes, “night and day, I thank the good Lord for having arranged our lives in such a way that our dear Armand never knows that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race which is cursed with the mark of slavery. » Armand is confronted with the irony of belonging to the race he despises. Racism is mentioned several times in the story through notable foreshadowing. It all begins when the whole family, except Desiree, realizes that there is something wrong with the child. Everyone knows it, but no one has the courage to disrupt Désirée's happiness or Armand's kind hand of mercy. The slaves say nothing of the obvious difference between the child and the mother. As soon as the child is born, Armand goes from a strict and authoritarian slave owner to one who barely raises a hand against his slaves. There are also several references to Armand's "dark face" and, as Désirée points out, the fact that he is darker in color than his wife. Once Armand's secret is revealed at the end, it is believed that Armand may have known the truth the whole time but remained shrouded in denial. Armand's denial is the product of his racism taken to the extreme. Ultimately, it is Armand's racist point of view that forces Désirée to leave the house. Armand is so stubborn that he “no longer loved her, because of the unconscious damage she had done to his home and his name.” This further reinforces the irony that Armand's stubborn racism cost him his family. Just like the Republican Sniper, Armand is too proud to accept what he is, what he has done. Both characters fight fiercely for their beliefs, but in the end, they must reap the tragic consequences of loss. Unlike the sniper, Armand's reaction to his loss is explained; he burns everything except the letter which caused his misfortune. Armand's reaction to his loss is extreme. Armand is shown burning everything that contained a memory of Désirée, except for the accusing letter. As O'Flaherty did, throughout the story Chopin shows a drastic change in the personalities of his characters. Armand is seen changing from a strict dictator and slave owner before the child, to a more relaxed laughable master after the baby, back to the angry loveless man when he accuses Desiree of her racial difference, and finally to the strong and emotionless man.