"The Sniper" is an ironic tale of suspense and tension with an unexpected ending. It contains many themes along with the aforementioned theme of irony, all of which tie in with the main character. On a microcosmic scale, the theme is brother versus brother, however, on a larger scale, it is a nation fighting a nation. It is only human to have attributes such as greed and within that, survival is a constant. When the Republican sniper is setting up his shot, he does not give a moment's notice to anything but his objective. Survival kicks in when he is shot and realizes that it is either him or the enemy. That is also another major theme in this story; that of the will to survive is greater than anything else. Each sniper knows that in order to live to fight another day, each must eliminate the other one. "Morning must not find him wounded on the roof. The enemy on the opposite roof covered his escape. He must kill that enemy". Another major theme of this story is that humans are animals. As testament to that fact, both snipers are able to shoot at each other without a moment's thought. This again ties in with the main character and his ability for formulate a cold and calculating plan in order to survive. "The republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver above the edge of the parapet".
Another way the short story "The Dolls House" revolves around the Burnell children's dolls house is through the characters. Each character relates to the dolls house in their own way, be it mean spirited and possessive as with Isabel .
Burnell, or as with the case of the Kelveys, innocently in awe of this wonderful and so out of reach creation. .
The dolls house, in certain ways, reveals the true nature of each character, stripping them down to the basic desires and attitudes, not only towards the possessions they may or may not have, but also towards the life they lead. The dolls house unveils the "hunger" each character has and satisfies each of their needs.
