Analysis Of George Orwell 's ' A Hanging '

George Orwell uses pathos in Politics and the English Language. He does this to evoke emotion from the reader. The author’s manner of using pathos is well done. Throughout his paper, the author uses pathos in examples and specific wording. Throughout the paper’s entirety, the paper elicits feelings of inferiority and stupidity. Whether the author intended this or not is unclear. Yet, it is clear that the manner in which the author speaks uses pathos a lot.

Orwell portrays the vengeful feelings of the Burmese people, the colonized, towards British People, the conqueror. As he has worked as a British officer in Burma, he knows how the natives feel about the British. Of course, it was obvious that the Burmese did not welcome any kind of British presence, including Orwell himself. The Occidentals were extremely mistreated, such as being jeered, and the narrator understood that anti-European feeling was very “bitter” (Orwell, 313). He needed to deal adequately with the native society, even though he was a target of bullying. For instance, he used to get ripped up on the football field, ignored by the referee and mocked by the crowd (Orwell, 313). Hence, he is a victim of the natives’ behavior. Not only is he the target of the native’s behavior, but he is also the victim of the imperial system.

In his anecdotal short essay, Orwell uses characters as lenses to explore the core themes of rebellion and depravity found in his writing. To clarify, Orwell shows the effects of the british colonial system through the actions of the characters and the language used for their descriptions. For example, characters of indigenous origin to the colonies are defined on the basis of their religion or race. This illustrates the stereotypical fashion in which colonists defined natives. Similarly, Orwell use negative imagery and pathetic fallacy to dehumanise and belittle the prisoners in the story. As illustrated by quotes such as “like animal cages” and “squatted in long rows”, which compare the prisoners to animals ,thus garnering a sympathetic response from the audience and illustrates the severity of the condemned men’s plight. Moreover, the dehumanization of the prisoners may reflect the way in which the narrator and other characters in position of power distance themselves from the acts they are committing. To illustrate, when preparing the prisoner for the execution he is treated as an object, a chore that must be completed in order for the characters to progress as opposed to an individual facing a grim end. Yet, during the execution the prisoner is described as higher being, he’s acceptance of death is a force that terrorises the other characters, thus belittling them and showing the negative effect that the event has on their psyche. In contrast, Orwell uses speech patterns and burmese terms to illustrate the effect colonisation has on the culture of its colonised states. For examples, native characters of higher authority emulate their British counterparts in their names and

George Orwell wasn’t very religious but sincerely cares about the well beings of others. For example, in the story Orwell says, “I had never realised what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man… the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide”. In this quote the readers can clearly see Orwells opposition of the death penalty. He believes that no one should be put to death from commiting a crime. Orwell puts a high premium on the lives of people and we can see that when he says the man is healthy and conscious. When Orwell says the man's life is in full tide he means that the prisoner is in the prime of his life and it is wrong to cut it short. Orwell is such a popular writer than many people have published their own analysis of “A Hanging”. One specific interpretation on isomd.wordpress.com stood out to me because it agreed with my own analysis and explained things very clearly. The article states that in “A Hanging”, “the subtle use of words for description is what carries his narrative, not evidence”. We can see this interpretation in Orwells strongest argument when he states, “I saw.. the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short…”. The subtle word used for description in this quote would be unspeakable. Since Orwell does not use actual evidences to persuade his readers he instead uses pathos in the hopes to make the reader feel as he did during the

The essay “A Hanging” by George Orwell speaks to the reader about the author’s stance on capital punishment. I believe that Orwell was able to communicate his point, without actually saying I’m against capital punishment, through three steps. The first step is to set the mood and bring you into his perspective. From the dreary description of the morning to the slow procession of the condemned man to the gallows, Orwell puts the reader in a mood that conveys the experience of watching a man die. The second step is to compare himself to the condemned man, showing how we are all equal. A life is a life, whether you are a condemned man or not. The third step is to show how everyone tries to cope with the aftermath of the execution. This

Two of Orwell’s first literary works were his essays regarding his experiences as a policeman in Burma during imperialization from Europe. These essays include “A Hanging” and “Shooting an Elephant.” In these essays, he shows his clear disagreement of oppression, even while working for the oppressors. Orwell writes

All the fuss, actions he was encouraged to make, lead back to his job he had to do, which was one he despised. Orwell’s introduction makes it very clear he doesn't not like being a police officer and especially does not like imperialism. “For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better.” (Orwell,1963,pg. 1) He wanted nothing to do with imperialism, he was all for the Burmese. He didn't believe in the cruel ways the British had forced him to act on. His words are spread among many sentences created this harsh tone. He was furious he was considered part of the imperialism. He was in the group though, and being part of this came with responsibility and standards. Orwell had to prove he was worthy and could hold up his end

“A Hanging” by George Orwell is an influential, autobiographical essay, in which the subject of capital punishment is powerfully examined. The essay is based on a prisoner’s execution in a Prisoner of War camp in Burma during the Second World War. In the essay, Orwell is a prison guard for the camp and carefully illustrates his views on capital punishment. The structure of the essay is of three distinct sections. These sections provide the reader with contrast and repetition, and are grounded in reality but with emphasis on the creative,

The writer implies the prisoner’s humanity by describing his emotions and ability to reason. After the execution, the Eurasian boy tells Orwell when the prisoner found out he would be hung,“ ‘he pissed on the floor of his cell’ ” (Orwell 102). The boy’s story signifies the prisoner’s human characteristics through his reaction, as he was so scared he urinated on himself. As John Rodden notes, this happening creates sympathy (73). The action humanizes the prisoner, connecting the readers to him. Likewise, George Orwell details the condemned man’s human-like traits by describing the prisoner avoiding a puddle directly before his execution. This simple act causes a realization that the prisoner is also human. John Rodden states, “The narrorator reinforces this point by drawing attention to the prisoner’s humanity, as he-a dead man walking-diligently sidesteps a puddle” (72). Rodden suggest that the “dead man” still has dignity to sidestep the puddle. The illustration of the prisoner’s response to his death sentence and his avoidance of the water brings to the reader’s attention that capital punishment is taking another human life.

In any account written by an author, real or fake, there is always a deeper goal—whether it is to persuade, inform, or just simply entertain. There is always some meaning at its heart. Sometimes, however, messages become swayed and it becomes difficult to recognize the author’s intentions in writing. Sometimes his or her stance is unclear, however—though one side could be strongly argued. “A Hanging” by George Orwell is a prime example of this type of work, as the 1931 essay provokes thought on the issue of capital punishment. The story details an experience Orwell had during his work in Burma in which he was present for one prisoner’s execution. There is certainly conflict within Orwell for taking part in this event, and for being in relation to the functionaries responsible for carrying out the sentence. While Orwell does not make his belief on capital punishment clear, there is fair reason to argue that he is, in fact, an abolitionist. This is due to his possible usage of the prisoner to represent the inhumanity of the death sentence, an excitable dog portraying the event through the eyes of an innocent creature, and the irony of the workers’ humorous words in contrast to the stark sobriety of the day—however, Orwell’s supposed objective, though strong, also comes under scrutiny in its effectiveness.

The Hanging: 1. I feel like the warders had a job to do but they dread it very much. They were very relieved when it was over. I would have passed out just thinking about committing such an act.

The literary devices employed in the text places it on the adults’ shelve. The use of literary devices such as satire, metaphor, dramatic irony, symbolism and so on are profound in the text. One needs to scrutinize the text in order to unveil Orwell’s literary knowledge.

In order to keep the reader engaged with his essay, Orwell uses his past to create situations where the reader empathizes with his younger self. He does this by making sure to stress the emotions he felt during his

“A Hanging”, composed by George Orwell, is a personal testimony set in the 1920’s in Burma. The narrative depicts the death of an unknown prisoner and the role of those who enforce the death sentence. Through the process of the execution, Orwell illustrates the effects of capital punishment on the executioners and the executed in an attempt to convey an Abolitionist message. While stated only once in his story, Orwell takes an emphatic position against capital punishment. The author does not use the classic argumentative style; instead, he uses implications of his characters to present the four main points against capital punishment. George Orwell’s Abolitionist message in “A Hanging” is conveyed through the prisoner, dog, functionaries, and their actions, words, and body language.

Instead of simply saying that the soldier caught a disease, he specified which disease, how, and why. The descriptive imagery that the text offers subtly highlights Orwell's intent without making it emerge too straightforwardly.