'A Hanging' - George Orwell Flashcards
“It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains.”
“It” - Orwell does not specify the event itself, acts as a hook, mystery, to avoid bias within the reader. Dehumanises the event, a way to distance himself from it.
“Sodden” - Wet, sad atmosphere, pathetic fallacy highlights the sad nature of the event that took place. Implies his negative attitude towards the subject of capital punishment.
“A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard.”
Repetition of the letter L (liquid sound). Implies the prisoners are not in good health through use of pathetic fallacy and word choice of “sickly”. Highlights how reflective and blinding the light is as well as the colour of the light, implies early morning. Bright contrast to the rain. Simile comparing the properties of the morning light to that of tinfoil with a yellow hue.
“High walls” - highlights the fact that these men cannot escape, doomed to die in the prison, no freedom, contrast to “jail yard.”
“Jail yard” - area where prisoners can get fresh air, have some outdoor “freedom”, escape the confines of their cell temporarily however they are in jail permanently.
“We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages.”
“We” - first person narrative plural, indicates that there are others with him, united as they are all about to witness a horrible event, not isolated.
“Condemned cells” - Highlights that these men are heinous criminals that have been tried and are serving their punishments, there’s no way back for them at this point. Their crimes are not disclosed to us to avoid the audience making a biased decision.
“Sheds” - implies that the cells are made of wood, small, damp, unhygienic, not suitable for humans to be living in. Also implies disease and bad health of the inmates.
“Like small animal cages” - simile, not spacious, cramped conditions, not suitable for humans. Highlights that these men are thought of as less than human, treated poorly. Possibly due to their crimes, race, religion.
“He was a Hindu, a puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes.”
“Hindu” - identifying the man by his race seems inappropriate and unnecessary, hint to possible prejudice and racism at the time?
“Puny wisp” - Orwell seems quite surprised that this insignificant, thin, weak man could commit a crime so horrible as to be sentenced to death. Semi-comical tone, almost ridiculing the man’s malnourished and ill appearance.
“Vague” - implies that the man is not fully “there”, he’s alive but lifeless, no soul.
“Liquid eyes” - perhaps the man’s eyes are blue? Maybe they have certain iris patterns that look like a Birdseye view of the sea? Reference to cold harshness like violent waves?
“He had a thick, sprouting moustache, absurdly too big for his body, rather like the moustache of a comic man on the films.”
“Thick, sprouting moustache” - although this man’s body looks unhealthy and weak, his facial hair is the opposite, contrast. His head is shaven, but his facial hair isn’t.
“Comic man” - ridiculing his appearance. Simile comparing the Hindu man to a comedian or character of some kind.
“With their hands always on him in a careful, caressing grip”
“Caressing grip” - Oxymoron, caress is gentle and sweet, but a grip is strong and harsh, contrast.
“He was an army doctor, with a grey toothbrush moustache and a gruff voice.”
“Army doctor” - irony, doctors should be curing and helping people, not executing them. Well disciplined, highly respected, used to death.
“A dog, come goodness knows whence, had appeared in the yard.”
“Goodness knows whence” - surprised, unplanned, dramatic change of events, distraction from the event about to take place.
“For a moment it pranced around us, and then, before anyone could stop it, it had made a dash for the prisoner, and jumping up tried to lick his face.”
“Pranced” - highlights the playful nature of dogs, contrast to the depressing and bitter atmosphere.
“Lick” - animal version of a “kiss”. Unlike humans, animals don’t discriminate against race, religion, class, appearance. Dog is a symbol of compassion, treats everyone equally.
“When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid that puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it’s in full tide.”
“Avoid that puddle” - instinctive human reaction. Makes no difference to him if his feet get wet as he is about to die, but his spirit doesn’t seem crushed by what’s about to happen. Emphasises the man’s humanity and Orwell’s surprise.
“Unspeakable wrongness” - At this point Orwell’s views towards capital punishment has changes from pro-to-negative. Orwell’s epitome that the prisoner is just as human and equal to himself.
“Cutting” - fast movement, sharp. Connotations of pain and death.
“Full tide” - reference to the prisoner’s “liquid eyes” literally? Theoretically he means life.
“The hangman, a grey-haired convict in the white uniform of the prison, was standing beside his machine.”
“White uniform of the prison” - implied that he is not one of the “condemned” men, as they like the man about to be executed, are said to be barebacked.
“Machine” - suggests Orwell’s negative attitude towards CP as he takes the humanity away from the object by calling it something that lacks human emotion and feelings, like a robot.
“I let go of the dog, and it galloped immediately to the back of the gallows; but when it got there it stopped short, barked, and then retreated into a corner of the yard.”
“Galloped” - The dog still maintains its cheery, playful demeanour.
“Barked” - unlike the men there, the dog attempted to communicate with the now deceased prisoner, highlighting the dog’s compassion and opposite-of-human tendencies.
“Retreated” - implies the dog is now longer feeling happy, but fearful and no longer wants to be in the presence of the humans that stood by and watched a man be executed without objection.
“One felt the impulse to sing, to break into a run, to snigger. All at once everyone began chattering gaily.”
“Sing” - singing is usually associated with happiness, a contrast to the sad event that just took place.
“Snigger” - inappropriate thing to do (as well as sing) after someone has just been executed. Highlights how someone’s death has put the joys and happiness of life into perspective.
“Gaily” - another word for happily. The idea of happiness and joy is the complete opposite of what these men should be feeling, however, they are relishing the fact that unlike the prisoner, they are alive and healthy, free to do whatever they desire.
“We all had a drink together, native and European alike, quite amicably. The dead man was a hundred yards away.”
“Together” - idea that this shared experience has united these men.
“Native and European alike” - shows that this situation has brought them together in such a way that their races and backgrounds are not relevant as they perhaps were. Idea of friendliness and lack of prejudice.
“Amicably” - highlights that these men were getting on very well, and treated each other as equals.
“One hundred yards away” - this sense of liveliness and joy appears to have aided the healing process, like they have already forgotten about the execution of the prisoner. Perhaps since he was of a lower class/a prisoner, he was insignificant to them, thus why they would swiftly move on and not dwell on his death. The contrast puts the two different atmospheres in perspective, one side a happy, friendly scene, not too far away, there is a lifeless corpse no longer able to experience these emotions or situations.
