A Hanging Essay Plan Flashcards
introduction
“A hanging” by George Orwell is a powerful piece of writing. The essay covers the execution of an unknown prisoner in Burma and shows the events leading up to his death. The aim of this piece of writing is to make the reader question their thoughts on Capital Punishment. George Orwell uses many techniques in order to prove to us how Capital Punishment is inhumane and unnatural.
PARAGRAPH 1 - setting
“a sodden morning of the rains”
“sickly, like yellow tinfoil”
“like small animal cages”
“ten feet by ten”
PARAGRAPH 2 - sympathy for prisoner
“a puny wisp of a man”
“shaven head”
“vague liquid eyes”
“for god’s sake francis, hurry up”
PARAGRAPH 3 - symbolism
the dog - “it made a dash for the prisoner” “jumping up trying to lick his face” “galloped”
the puddle - “he stepped slightly aside to avoid the puddle on the path”
PARAGRAPH 4 - the guards and superintendent
“gone grey like bad coffee”
“as dead as a stone”
“blew out a deep breath”
“the moody look had gone out of his face quite suddenly”
conclusion
In conclusion, “A Hanging” effectively forces the reader to think about the ethical standpoint of capital punishment. Orwell made the reader think this by using setting, to show the awful conditions that the prisoner’s were kept in. Characterisation to make the reader feel sympathy for the prisoner and to see the effect the execution had on the officials. And symbolism, which is used to show that the prisoner is still a human. The issue of Capital Punishment remains a controversial topic in present day which means that this essay stays current and valid to this day.
