A hanging Flashcards
“condemned cells”
a transferred epithet indicates that the men have been sentenced to execution, not the cells that they are held in.
“sodden morning of the rains” - setting
Orwell uses pathetic fallacy to create a depressing atmosphere. The weather is miserable and gloomy in the same way we should be as well see that these men are to be executed.
“sickly light, like yellow tinfoil” - setting
suggests that the men in the prisons are in poor health
‘small animal cages’ - setting
suggests the conditions the men are kept in are dehumanising, making them like animals.
‘a puny wisp of a man’ - contrast
suggests the man is malnourished, weak
‘tall…with rifles and fixed bayonets’ - contrast
suggests the ridiculous level of precautions taken to guard the man, given how frail he is.
hands always on him…like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water. -contrast
continues the comparison between prisoners and animals, further reinforcing how dehumanising this experience is. It also illustrates how helpless the man is, in the same way a fish removed from water would be.
“stepped lightly aside top avoid a puddle” - irony
This is ironic as the prisoner is going to die soon so there is no real need for him to worry about keeping his feet dry. The irony draws our attention to the prisoner’s expectation that he will continue to live.
“The hangman, a grey-haired convict”. - irony
The person responsible for executing the prisoner is a convict who will also eventually be executed, highlighting the barbaric nature of capital punishment.
“kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!”. - irony
Orwell invites to consider how unpleasant this situation must be for him, carrying out the execution, which is ironic as the person who is most affected by the execution is obviously the convict.
“made a dash for the prisoner… jumping up to lick his face.” - symbolism
This suggests that the dog views all of the people as equals. The prisoner is still a human being, even if he is due to be executed.
The reaction of the men is telling. suggests the awkward atmosphere that is created, as the men are reminded that the prisoner is a human being.
“Everyone stood aghast” - symbolism
The reaction of the men is telling, suggests the awkward atmosphere that is created, as the men are reminded that the prisoner is a human being.
‘At each step his muscles slid neatly into place, the lock of hair on his scalp danced up and down, his feet printed themselves on the wet gravel.’ - symbolism
epiphany shows he now realizes the prisoner is still human
