

Orwell omits to mention the prisoner’s crime as he does not want the reader to make any judgement about the whether or not the death penalty was justified. For what crime might the prisoner be being executed? What is your opinion on capital punishment? Give reasons why you feel this way.

Through his clever use of language techniques such as imagery, symbolism, tone and word choice Orwell evokes the reader’s sympathy for the prisoner’s plight.Ĭapital punishment – The Death Penalty. In A Hanging, Orwell makes a social comment about capital punishment. When producing a written piece of work all writers will have a particular purpose in mind which they wish to communicate to the reader.

Orwell’s detailed observations of the prisoner and the events leading up to his eventual death illuminate the ordinary reality of death and highlight his strong anti-capital punishment sentiments. George Orwellĥ SUMMARY - NOTE A Hanging is a reflection on one of the many legal executions witnessed by Orwell as a chief of justice. These experiences went on to inform much of his written work including his essay, A Hanging. As a young man, George Orwell enlisted with the Indian Imperial Police and quickly attained the rank of Assistant District Superintendent.Ĥ A HANGING - CONTEXT During his time as a British police officer in an Asian country, Orwell experienced, first hand, the social inequalities present in a country ruled by a foreign power. A Hanging is an essay which reflects his experience of witnessing capital punishment, as well as his moral and ethical opinion about it.ģ A HANGING - CONTEXT In the 1920’s the south-east Asian country, Burma, (now known as Myanmar) was part of British Empire. His most famous works are the satirical novel Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty- Four (1949). He wrote works in many different genres including novels, essays, journalism, and poetry.

Themes in his work include social injustice and an intense opposition to dictatorship. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author.
