In Orwell S A Hanging Essay

Submitted By markakin
Words: 361
Pages: 2

In Orwell’s story of A Hanging, we are told a story from a jailors point of view of how a man was hanged due to his wrong doings he committed. From describing the scenes with great precision and taking us through the process, we are told an accurate first hand account of a hanging that took place at a Burma jail.
To begin the story, we are told that all hangings are due before breakfast and breakfast is not served until then. In addition, we are told a very descriptive representation of the convict who is going to be hanged; a puny man with vague eyelids and an overgrown mustache, compared to the tall strong Indians fixed with their rifles that are going to carry him away to his death. Without confrontation, the convict is taken from his cell and begins the journey to his death. After leaving the main jail on the way to the gallows, the party is confronted by a dog we accompanies them on the rest of the journey. Shortly after the dog is caught the jailor witness something that the convict does. Even on the way to his death, the convict still tries to avoid a puddle to avoid getting wet. The jailor then realizes that there is no reason to kill a man due to a crime. He is still a living, breathing man who functions just like everyone else, yet in a few short minutes all of this will be cut off in a matter of a tenth of a second.
That brings up the question, why do we kill individuals in such an inhumane way. The jailor also states how sometimes the convict doesn’t go “as