A Hanging Introduction
“A Hanging” is an autobiographical essay written by author George Orwell. The essay explores the theme of capital punishment and the moral wrongness of it. Orwell introduces himself at the beginning as a police officer in colonial Burma. As the essay progresses , we learn that
a man is to death by capital punishment for a crime , we the readers are unaware of. Orwell does this to make us question what he did and if he is deserving of death. During this Orwell has an epiphany of the moral wrongness of capital punishment. Yet even with having this realisation , after hanging the prisoner , all the police officers gather together to laugh and drink. This reveals how capital punishment destroys the life of not just the victim but also the people involved
sees the prisoners are in Burma. Due to the essay Orwell explores how capital punishment is cruel as the prisoners are treated like animals. He also shows how the prisoners are dehumanised and the effect this has on the prisoner and those involved
A Hanging Paragraph 1 Quotes
“With double bars , like small animal cages” ⛓️🐷🙋🏾♂️
“He was a Hindu , a puny wisp of a man.” 🕉️
A Hanging Paragraph 1
George Orwell describes the inhumane state of the setting and the horrible treatment of the prisoners. “With double bars , like small animal cages”.
The simile “like small animal cages” enforces that just as animals cages are cramped and unhygienic to humans , so too are the prisoners cell. This conveys that the prisoners are treated as sub-human
This further reveals how the prison guards and officers have such little regard for the prisoners wellbeing.
This links to , if the prison guards can treat them like animals , they have no guilt imposing capital punishment.
“He was a Hindu , a puny wisp of a man”.The word puny has connotations of frail which suggests that the prisoner is harmless.
This emphasis that he doesn’t even pose as a threat which reveals that the capital punishment and his death unnecessary , unjust and unfair.
Conclusion
In conclusion George Orwell autobiographical essay “A Hanging” clearly shows and explores how terrible capital punishment is and the effect it has on others especially himself
A Hanging Paragraph 2 quotes
“I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness of cutting a life short when it’s in full tide.” 🌊
“It had made a dash for the prisoner , and jumping up tried to lick his face” 🐕
A Hanging Paragraph 2
George Orwell describes the turning point of the essay with an interaction with a dog and the prisoner. This enforces colonialism and Orwells realisation that capital punishment is morally wrong.
“I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness of cutting a life short when it’s in full tide.” The metaphor “full tide” is when a wave is at its peak. This suggests that the mans life is at its peak despite being a prisoner. This makes us the readers question whether its morally okay to take a life of a man that still had opportunities.
The turning point continues.
“It had made a dash for the prisoner , and jumping up tried to lick his face”. Word choice of jumping shows that the dog was excited to see the prisoner. In contrast to the guards that see him as worthless , by the dog jumping and licking his face in excitement shows that the dog sees the prisoner as human. This highlights the dogs innocence. This tells us how the prison guards need to de-sensitise to carry out capital punishment and is damaging to the prison guards.
A Hanging Paragraph 3 quotes
“All the organs of his body were working-bowels disgusting food , skin renewing , nails growing , tissues forming-all toiling away in solemn foolery. 🧴💅🍔
“This man was not dying , he was alive, just as we were alive” ✅❌
A Hanging Paragraph 3
Orwell has an epiphany as to the wrongness of capital punishment.
All the organs of his body were working-bowels disgusting food , skin renewing , nails growing , tissues forming-all toiling away in solemn foolery.”. The list Orwell uses to describe all these bodily functions , highlights that the man is still alive and capable of doing various things.
This suggests that the prisoner still has life ahead of him.
Orwell then realises that , to play a part in taking away a life is wrong.
The epiphany continues.
“This man was not dying,he was alive , just as we were alive.”. The word choice “we” suggests that Orwell is talking about the prisoner and the officers as a collective despite race . This shows Orwell and the readers that race doesn’t matter as we are all human. This therefore defines capital punishment as cruel and unjust.
With Orwell realising this , it tells him that capital punishment does not just destroy the life of the prisoner, it destroys the life of everyone involved especially Orwell as the word choice of we includes everyone indirectly including the prisoner
A Hanging Paragraph 4 quotes
“Oh kill him quickly, stop that abominable noise!” 🎧
“I found that I was laughing…Everyone was laughing.” ❓
A Hanging Paragraph 4
During the end of the essay, the guards have an uncomfortable reaction to hanging the man. “Oh, kill him, quickly, stop that abominable noise!” The exclamation mark conveys urgency the emphasis to stopping the noise. This shows that the guards can’t handle the reality of killing a man. After the hanging, Orwell says, “ I found that I was laughing… Everyone was laughing.”. The use of the ellipsis shows that Orwell was hesitating in thought when writing which also shows a sense of shock that everyone was laughing. “The dead man was a hundred yards away.”. The word choice of dead is to emphasise the fact that they just killed a man due to the fact that we the readers , already know that the man is dead. The officers laughing suggests guilt and use humour as a coping mechanism. This further shows how the guards are desensitised to murder, which leads George Orwell to believe that capital punishment is wrong and damages the humanity of everyone involved.
