One of the first and most obvious similarites is that the
central character in each selection is a young man. (Andy is sixteen in Sidewalk and the
Republican sniper is a "student," suggesting youthfulness.) Additionally, each selection
depicts the young men at a pivotal point in their lives. They have both chosen to align
themselves to violent factions. Andy joins the Royals (gang), believing that it will
give his life purpose and definition. Likewise, the sniper becomes "fanatic(al)" in his
views toward the future of Ireland and enlists in the
military.
In each story, the narrator's descriptions and
comments suggest that the young men are with their decisions to engage in violent
lifestyles. However, the plots quickly lead to a reversal of
opinions.
Andy is stabbed because he is wearing the purple
silk jacket (indicating that he is a Royal). His final wish is to remove the jacket and
resume his identity as simply "Andy." Likewise, the sniper cleverly fools his enemy into
believing that he has been killed. Then, he decidedly shoots and kills him. However,
once he maneuvers himself and is able to view the corpse, he realizes that he has killed
his brother. In each instance, the young man regrets his decision and wishes for a
different outcome.
One significant difference between the
stories is that Andy's gang involvement is illegal, while the sniper is a trained
military combatant. In addition, Andy's gang, the Royals, wage war against the
Guardians, a rival gang. On the other hand, the sniper is engaged in a civil war, in
which the soldiers on both sides belong to the same country.
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