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The Imagery and Irony in “A Hanging” and “The Discus Thrower”

Death is often a subject one has difficulty embarking upon. For George Orwell, death

is an unbearable scenario, especially for the observer. Richard Selzer complements this

thought by implicating one’s powerlessness over such phenomenon. The two authors’ stories,

“A Hanging” and “The Discus Thrower” comprehends death in the eyes of a spectator as they

integrate irony and imagery to exemplify its tragic occurrence and the capacity to face it with

dignity.

George Orwell’s imagery and ironical situations in “A Hanging” resonates the

acknowledgment of death as a dreadful event one fears to experience or encounter. Orwell

exhibits this thought by depicting the prisoner to be hanged and the people around him as

rigid and unnatural to their usual environment. In the prisoner’s dying moments irony

momentously emerges as he cries out for his God but the dog is the one to respond by

whining. Selzer’s vivid imagery of the prisoner’s last moments intensifies the grimness of the

scenario. As the inmate discerns, “Everyone had changed colour. The Indians had gone grey

like bad coffee, and one or two of the bayonets were wavering” (Orwell 3) this indicates their

uneasiness and discomfort in witnessing someone die. The sense of relief felt by everyone

once it was finished shows absurdity and is a paradoxical response for the aftermath. Lastly,

their use of stories about death row inmates resisting their punishment as entertainment

shows incongruity as well since it has not been long after the hanging was administered.

On the other hand, Richard Selzer’s imagery and input of irony in “Discus Thrower”

is to portray the position of a human being as merely a spectator and powerless against the
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face of death. This is crucially represented by the narrator who is a doctor and yet ironically,

he is unable to do anything to save the patient’s life. The use of imagery in the story is often

to convey the condition of the lonely patient as the doctor describes the man as “deeply

tanned, blue eyes and close-cropped white hair gave him the appearance of vigor and good

health” (Selzer 1). This illustration proves to be ironic since it actually signifies his

deteriorating health and his blindness. Other ironic instances in the story are the patient’s

constant request for a pair of shoes even though he is legless, he also claims to prefer

scrambled eggs for his breakfast and yet once it is served, he throws it across the wall along

with the plate. His demise being regarded by the nurse as a blessing is also an ironic

disposition.

The two stories vary in terms of approaching the theme of death due to the difference

in attitude of its main characters. In “A Hanging,” the prisoner empathizes with the

impending death of his fellow inmate and sees their group as united, “This man was not

dying, he was alive just as we were alive” (Orwell 2). Whereas the doctor perceives himself

as a spy and watches the patient in his current state of decay with curiosity rather than

sympathy or pure concern. The deceased characters also show parallel reactions to their

demise. Upon dying, the doctor scrutinizes the dead patient’s expression as “relaxed, grave,

dignified” (Selzer 3) while Francis reports that “All has passed off with the utmost

satisfactoriness” in the prisoner’s deceased state (Orwell 4). Ultimately, both are ironic

accounts of their condition, but it retains the message of a dignified death.

Furthermore, both stories uphold the significance of facing death with dignity as well.

While nearing his doom Selzer illustrates the prisoner’s state, “he stood quite unresisting,

yielding his arms limply to the ropes, as though he hardly noticed what was happening” (1).

This imagery aids in showing the prisoner’s bravery. While Orwell’s remark on the patient’s

ironic situation incites the human value of resiliency, “He lies solid and inert. In spite of
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everything, he remains impressive, as though he were a sailor standing athwart a slanting

deck” (2). Essentially, their observations of another person’s passing instill the message of

life’s journey towards death with irony and imagery supporting their acts of courage and

solemn acceptance.

In conclusion, the imagery and irony incorporated in Orwell’s “A Hanging” and

Selzer’s “The Discus Thrower” reflect upon the dying person’s state, their reaction towards

this encounter and the overall notion to death. Orwell recognizes death as a fearful

occurrence while Selzer complements this by depicting humans as merely bystanders in

death’s appearance. Lastly, both stories regard importance in dying with dignity as their

characters faced a dignified passing in the end.

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Works Cited

Orwell, George. A Hanging. London: N.p., 1931. Web. 9 Nov. 2018.

Selzer, Richard. The Discus Thrower. New York: N.p., 1997. Web. 9 Nov. 2018.