A Hanging
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A Hanging is an 1931 essay written by George Orwell. In it, he recounts an episode from his time as a police officer in Burma. He observes a criminal being executed. He is unmoved by what he sees, until he notices the condemned man side step to avoid a puddle as he is frog-marched to the gallows.
Orwell is struck by the humanity of this act and for the first time fully realises that it is a living breathing human being that is being put to death:
- "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man."
In the second paragraph Orwell creates a ridiculous scene that reflects what he believes is the absurdity of capital punishment. He does this through the description of the bizare appearance of a particular prisoner.
"...moustache like the comic man in the films"This imagery is in complete contrast to the tragic circumstances that he is facing. The ludicrous nature of this scene is continued when Orwell contrasts the feebleness of the "puny wisp of a man" with the strength of the guards.
" their hands always on him with a careful, caressing grip"On the march to the gallows a small dog appears and runs towards the prisoner. This highlights the atrocity of capital punishment as the dog, which is "wild with glee" is oblivious to the circumstances and can see no difference between the guards and the prisoner.
"... and jumping up tried to lick his face."This is done to show that this man is not just a prisoner, an anonymous figure detached from humanity but a fellow human being. the guards seem to realise this as they are described as "aghast" and "taken aback".
After this incident Orwell cannot help but notice everything about this prisoner, most noticeably when "he stepped aside to a avoid a puddle on the path".
" bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself...tissues forming"This is done to humanise the prisoner and make the reader question the morality of capital punishment. Orwell's argument against it is made most clear in the statement:
" the unspeakable wrongness of cutting a life short when it is in full tide"The strong word choice of "unspeakable" shows that his view in indisputable, he presents it as though fact not opinion which makes his point totally convincing.
As the execution itself is about to take place the last words of the prisoner are repeated.
"Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram!"This shifts the focus from the victim and onto the offenders as the serenity with which the prisoner is saying this is contrasted with the disquiet of the guards, who are unsettled and show their nervousness in numerous ways, from the superintendent "slowly poking the ground with his stick" to the Indians whose faces had changed colour. Again "Ram! Ram! Ram!" is repeated, which forces the reader to hear what Orwell heard and so feel the same emotions as he. The feelings of all involved are summed up by Orwell's request.
" Stop that abominable noise!"After the execution irony is created as the guards try to return to normal. Although "everyone began chatting gaily" an uneasy mood still looms as everything is forced, most clearly seen by the fact that Francis's anecdote seemed "extraordinarily funny" as they sat, having a drink with the body a mere "100 yards away". This tells us that to Orwell the dead man will always be "100 yards away", always at the back of his mind.
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