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A Hanging By George Orwell

1275 Words6 Pages

George Orwell, an experienced Assistant Superintendent in the British Imperial Police, composed “A Hanging” after his resignation. The narrative is a personal testimony, set in the 1920’s in Burma, depicting the death of an unknown prisoner. While never directly stated, Orwell takes a position against capital punishment. George Orwell’s Abolitionist message in “A Hanging” is conveyed through the prisoner, dog, functionaries, and their actions, words, and body language.
Orwell implies that capital punishment dehumanizes by illustrating the prisoner’s living conditions and treatment. George Orwell describes the prisoner’s cell as an “animal cage” (99). By giving the prisoner’s environment animalistic qualities, Orwell implies the condemned …show more content…

After the execution is carried out, the superintendent invites all the people involved to drink whisky (103). By doing this, Orwell suggests that capital punishment has an effect on everyone. Melia explains the servants’ alcohol and laughter could be their “means of dealing with their unease” (19). She insinuates that they are using alcohol to cope with the guilt of the execution. Capital punishment leads the executioners to ease their consciences with whiskey due to the unnatural nature of partaking in the …show more content…

He implies the moral and ethical argument as he writes, “When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide” (101). He insinuates there is no justification for killing another human being. This is the strongest quote in Orwell’s essay because it is the moment that led to the realization of his actions. This particular moment caused Orwell to become an Abolitionist. On the other hand, Orwell also uses the sociopolitical argument, by stating, “[…] the prisoner began crying out to his god. Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram!” (101). Orwell signals the prisoners goodness; therefore, indicating capital punishment risk killing an innocent person. This is his most powerful message throughout the narrative, because capital punishment is generally reserved for the most heinous crimes; however, if there is even a chance the accused is innocent the death sentence can no longer be defended. Orwell includes argumentative points based on the prisoner’s innocence and

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George Orwell says, “but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.” It is obvious that the tone he is trying to set here is anger because he is beginning to get upset about taking a perfectly healthy man’s life away. Furthermore, Orwell continues to express his tone when the prisoner begins to cry for his god just as he is about to get hanged. The superintendent takes a long time to give the order to hang the prisoner.

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