Sunday, December 22, 2013

Why hadn't the sniper eaten since morning?

The text of the story answers that question in the sentence following the detail about him not eating.  The story tells readers that the sniper had not eaten, because he was too excited to eat.  



He was eating a sandwich hungrily. He had eaten nothing since morning. He had been too excited to eat.



Unfortunately, the story does not elaborate on why the sniper was so excited.  One possible reason that he had been so excited is because he was excited about his current position.  He's on a rooftop, which means that he is firing from a concealed, elevated location.  He has a good firing position, which is likely exciting for a sniper. 


I also believe that the sniper might excited at the prospect of violence.  The sniper is thrilled at the power that he holds.  The text says that the sniper is used to killing.  



They [his eyes] were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.



More importantly though is the detail in the sentence just prior to the sentence explaining that the sniper has seen a lot of death.  



His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic.



The word fanatic carries a lot of meaning.  It connotes passion and pleasure, which tells me that the sniper is a man who loves doing his job—or perhaps fighting for his cause.  The sniper is too excited to eat because he knows he has work to do later that day.  

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