A Hanging condensed sympathy essay Flashcards
Paragraph 1
P - pathetic fallacy, imagery, cruel and dehumanising nature of the prison feeling of sympathy.
C1 – establishes Southeast Asian setting of the scene:
Q1 - “A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil.”
E - Pathetic fallacy, transferred epithet, nauseating “sickly”, bilious “yellow” light, ill-health of prisoners. Sympathy, unhealthy conditions, extreme measures inflicted.
C - describe the prison cells:
Q - “With double bars, like small animal cages.”
E - Compares, little and bare = so too cramped and neglectful conditions. Grim & inhumane environment. Single bars break through, “double bars” elevated level security, opportunity for freedom futile. Quashing hope, despondency condemned, intense regret within the reader, environment both physically hindering also mentally overwhelming.
Paragraph 2
P - unhealthy condition of the prisoner developed, word choice and imagery, sense of pity.
C - second paragraph, introduced to man:
Q - “A puny wisp of a man”
E - ‘puny’ = feeble, comparison to ‘wisp’ = slight, fragile build. Immediately presented brutal nature of the prison, prisoners are malnourished, sympathy. prisoner = no threat, excessively severe measures of control.
C - describes the man as having:
Q - “Vague liquid eyes.”
E - Expression, insight, incarceration. metaphor “liquid” = fluctuating emotions, perilous situation. Just as a liquid is dynamic and fluid, so too are the emotions conveyed through the prisoner’s eyes not fixed or steady, they are instead shifting, uncertain and perhaps, overwhelming. “vague” = emotions not easily discerned, confusing nature of his ever-changing feelings. lack of awareness, emotionally detached, coping mechanism. Sympathy, mental anguish, extreme measure to overcome, numbing himself
Paragraph 4
P - sympathy, turning point & sentence structure.
C - seeing the prisoner step aside to avoid a puddle
Q - “Unspeakable wrongness”
E – turning point in Orwell’s own life, epiphany, realising debauched morality behind taking a life, furthered by “Wrongness”. Orwell’s stance against capital punishment. direct, plain language, frank tone – apt for the glaring lack of moral authority for capital punishment. Pity, how evil & reprehensible what happened to him was.
C - r contemplates the morality behind capital punishment, he describes the prisoner as having:
Q - “-bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming -”
E - At this point, sees prisoner as human being. parenthesis in ‘- bowels digesting… tissues forming - ‘, list of various bodily functions working continuously to keep alive. continuous bodily functions as working in ‘solemn foolery’, availing as life will soon end abruptly. helps us to identify with him, encouraging us to regret his tragic position and eliciting our sympathy.
Paragraph 3
PC - symbolism and contrast, pity, incident, prior to hanging, dog.
Q - “Everyone stood aghast”
E - authorities judge, the dog’s non-judgmental behaviour = all are equal. symbol of humanity. “Aghast” = shock and horror, incident forced authorities confront what they are about to do – t… r – as well question the morality of discriminations. Sympathy, guards doubting, possible hope, survival, executed, nonetheless.
C - upon discovering the corpse, dog as:
Q - “Looking timorously out at us”
E - behaviour changes, playful to the fearful & timid connotations of “timorous”. Throughout hanging, guards felt uncomfortable, repressed shame projected to dog. Pity, furthers guard’s reluctancy to hang him, guard’s stifled regret and guilt. Despite, he is still hanged.
Paragraph 5
P - concludes essay, juxtaposition, pity
C - After hanged, share drink:
Q - “We all had a drink … The dead man was a hundred yards away,”
E - “Drink” = relax and to have fun. guards enjoying themselves juxtaposes corpse hanging nearby, stark contrast. how relieved the guards were, not having the burden of execute on their mind, reveals how uncomfortable. Sympathy, guards did not want to hang, life nonetheless cut short, leaving us feeling regretful and disappointed, in retrospect.
