Part of the British “sickly” has connotations of poor health -

Rain has negative connotations. “sodden” has

Empire - now known reflects prisoners. Simile highlights the
connotations of discomfort - could reflect prisoners’
as Myanmar. Orwell glinting sun and the off-colour sky - suggests
feelings.
worked here as something is wrong.
Assistant District
Superintendent in the “A Hanging” by George Orwell
Indian Imperial Simile highlights the
Police. inhumane
It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow conditions - not
tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting being treated fairly -
Suggests being trapped outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like basic human rights
with no glimpse of the
outside world small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was
quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In Basic conditions to
some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their be trapped in -
Personification - nothing exciting left
suggests that the blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be in their lives - trying
prisoners have just hanged within the next week or two. to break their spirit.
become numbers
and have no identity
One prisoner had been brought out of his cell. He was a Hindu, a puny wisp “wisp” suggests he
of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes. He had a thick, is barely there -
Comic image malnourishment
further emphasises sprouting moustache, absurdly too big for his body, rather like the and neglect.
the prisoner’s frailty. moustache of a comic man on the films. Six tall Indian warders were Shaven head
guarding him and getting him ready for the gallows. Two of them stood by suggests they all
have had their
Alliteration shows with rifles and fixed bayonets, while the others handcuffed him, passed a
identity taken
us that the people chain through his handcuffs and fixed it to their belts, and lashed his arms away and all look
in charge of him
tight to his sides. They crowded very close about him, with their hands the same. “vague”
had complete
suggests lack of
control. “tall” always on him in a careful, caressing grip, as though all the while feeling
purpose.
shows they’re him to make sure he was there. It was like men handling a fish which is still
healthy - clear
alive and may jump back into the water. But he stood quite unresisting,
contrast. Suggests threat.
yielding his arms limply to the ropes, as though he hardly noticed what was “lashing” has
happening. connotations of
Oxymoron - grip WC suggests prisoner has given up and accepted his fate. repetitive pain -
shouldn’t be a torture - shows
caress Eight o'clock struck and a bugle call, desolately thin in the wet air, floated how little care
from the distant barracks. The superintendent of the jail, who was standing they had.
apart from the rest of us, moodily prodding the gravel with his stick, raised
WC suggests lack
of life/vitality in the his head at the sound. He was an army doctor, with a grey toothbrush Simile - idea of
prison - “desolate” moustache and a gruff voice. ‘For God's sake hurry up, Francis,’ he said something
has connotations desperate to get
irritably. ‘The man ought to have been dead by this time. Aren't you ready away or
of bleak
emptiness yet?’ Contrast to thin, weak prisoners struggling
helplessly -
evokes sympathy.
Francis, the head jailer, a fat Dravidian in a white drill suit and gold
Casual - strange spectacles, waved his black hand. ‘Yes sir, yes sir,’ he bubbled. ‘All iss
to be so relaxed
about someone’s satisfactorily prepared. The hangman iss waiting. We shall proceed.’
Either bored or
death. Just wants trying to avoid
to get the job done ‘Well, quick march, then. The prisoners can't get their breakfast till this job's the guilt of what
- no consideration. he’s about to do.
over.’

Short sentence to We set out for the gallows. Two warders marched on either side of the
add drama and prisoner, with their rifles at the slope; two others marched close against
tension to the act.
him, gripping him by arm and shoulder, as though at once pushing and
supporting him. The rest of us, magistrates and the like, followed behind.
Suddenly, when we had gone ten yards, the procession stopped short
without any order or warning. A dreadful thing had happened — a dog,
Symbolism - dog goes straight to Dog has no awareness of what’s
prisoner showing that all people are going on and is a contrast to the
equal regardless of their circumstance prisoners’ feelings

come goodness knows whence, had appeared in the yard. It came

bounding among us with a loud volley of barks, and leapt round us wagging Shows their
its whole body, wild with glee at finding so many human beings together. It underlying
discomfort at
was a large woolly dog, half Airedale, half pariah. For a moment it pranced having to take a
round us, and then, before anyone could stop it, it had made a dash for the life - symbolises
prisoner, and jumping up tried to lick his face. Everyone stood aghast, too the fact it’s
Dog adds life to against human
the quiet, subdued taken aback even to grab at the dog. nature to kill
surroundings - another
reminds guards of ‘Who let that bloody brute in here?’ said the superintendent angrily. ‘Catch
what they are
about to take it, someone!’
away. A warder, detached from the escort, charged clumsily after the dog, but it Nothing can
danced and gambolled just out of his reach, taking everything as part of the shake prisoner
out of his haze
game. A young Eurasian jailer picked up a handful of gravel and tried to of sadness and
stone the dog away, but it dodged the stones and came after us again. Its despair
Again, short yaps echoed from the jail wails. The prisoner, in the grasp of the two
sentence to add warders, looked on incuriously, as though this was another formality of the
tension as the
event is hanging. It was several minutes before someone managed to catch the
approaching dog. Then we put my handkerchief through its collar and moved off once
more, with the dog still straining and whimpering. Reminder of the
life he still has and
Despite being led that he is still a
to his death, he It was about forty yards to the gallows. I watched the bare brown back of worthy soul.
instinctively the prisoner marching in front of me. He walked clumsily with his bound
avoids a puddle in arms, but quite steadily, with that bobbing gait of the Indian who never
order to minimise
his discomfort - a straightens his knees. At each step his muscles slid neatly into place, the Reflective tone as
seemingly futile lock of hair on his scalp danced up and down, his feet printed themselves Orwell ponders
action - on the wet gravel. And once, in spite of the men who gripped him by each what it is to
symbolises actually kill
shoulder, he stepped slightly aside to avoid a puddle on the path.
human survival
instinct
It is curious, but till that moment I had never realised what it means to
Comparison makes
Frankness leaves destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to
it harder to accept.
us in no doubt avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting
about Orwell’s
opinion on capital a life short when it is in full tide. This man was not dying, he was alive just
punishment. as we were alive. All the organs of his body were working — bowels Creates a sense
of significant loss
digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming — all
by pausing on this
toiling away in solemn foolery. His nails would still be growing when he moment.
List of bodily stood on the drop, when he was falling through the air with a tenth of a
functions reminds
the reader that second to live. His eyes saw the yellow gravel and the grey walls, and his
the prisoner is a brain still remembered, foresaw, reasoned — reasoned even about Orwell feels a
healthy human puddles. He and we were a party of men walking together, seeing, hearing, human
being who is not connection with
ready to die. feeling, understanding the same world; and in two minutes, with a sudden the prisoner.
snap, one of us would be gone — one mind less, one world less.

Anaphora - Authorities task

The gallows stood in a small yard, separate from the main grounds of the
repetition of one or the prisoners with
more words at the prison, and overgrown with tall prickly weeds. It was a brick erection like killing other
beginning of two three sides of a shed, with planking on top, and above that two beams and prisoners -
balanced clauses - passing the
a crossbar with the rope dangling. The hangman, a grey-haired convict in
makes the loss burden of
seem more responsibility
significant.
 “servile” - showing willingness to serve or please others - they
have the prisoner doing terrible things and being happy about it.

the white uniform of the prison, was waiting beside his machine. He greeted
us with a servile crouch as we entered. At a word from Francis the two
warders, gripping the prisoner more closely than ever, half led, half pushed
him to the gallows and helped him clumsily up the ladder. Then the
hangman climbed up and fixed the rope round the prisoner's neck.
Has accepted his
We stood waiting, five yards away. The warders had formed in a rough fate as he has
circle round the gallows. And then, when the noose was fixed, the prisoner been left with no
hope
Man still has began crying out on his god. It was a high, reiterated cry of ‘Ram! Ram!
religion despite Ram! Ram!’, not urgent and fearful like a prayer or a cry for help, but
being so close to steady, rhythmical, almost like the tolling of a bell. The dog answered the
death - evokes
sympathy. sound with a whine. The hangman, still standing on the gallows, produced
a small cotton bag like a flour bag and drew it down over the prisoner's
face. But the sound, muffled by the cloth, still persisted, over and over Idea that he still
again: ‘Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram!’ has complete
Indicates the control over when
discomfort felt this man’s life
by the guards - The hangman climbed down and stood ready, holding the lever. Minutes ends.
emphasises the seemed to pass. The steady, muffled crying from the prisoner went on and
de-humanising
on, ‘Ram! Ram! Ram!’ never faltering for an instant. The superintendent, his
effect of the
execution on the head on his chest, was slowly poking the ground with his stick; perhaps he
men - Orwell was counting the cries, allowing the prisoner a fixed number — fifty, Orwell wants the
suggests that killing to happen
perhaps, or a hundred. Everyone had changed colour. The Indians had
everyone despite being
involved in the gone grey like bad coffee, and one or two of the bayonets were wavering. against it -
execution is a We looked at the lashed, hooded man on the drop, and listened to his cries indicates the
victim discomfort of
— each cry another second of life; the same thought was in all our minds:
everyone in the
oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise! vicinity.
Highlights his
anguish and how Suddenly the superintendent made up his mind. Throwing up his head he
precious each made a swift motion with his stick. ‘Chalo!’ he shouted almost fiercely. Even the dog is
second now is to
him. now subdued -
There was a clanking noise, and then dead silence. The prisoner had past life and
excitement has
vanished, and the rope was twisting on itself. I let go of the dog, and it
Disturbing gone - reflects life
description to galloped immediately to the back of the gallows; but when it got there it being taken from
emphasise lack of stopped short, barked, and then retreated into a corner of the yard, where it the prisoner.
life. Simile is a stood among the weeds, looking timorously out at us. We went round the
harsh summary of
gallows to inspect the prisoner's body. He was dangling with his toes
a lost life.
pointed straight downwards, very slowly revolving, as dead as a stone. Word choice
suggests fear that
job may not be
The superintendent reached out with his stick and poked the bare body; it done - men don’t
As the prisoner is want to have to
oscillated, slightly. ‘He's all right,’ said the superintendent. He backed out
dead, this callous think about what
and uncaring from under the gallows, and blew out a deep breath. The moody look had
they’ve done.
statement makes gone out of his face quite suddenly. He glanced at his wrist-watch. ‘Eight
the reader feel minutes past eight. Well, that's all for this morning, thank God.’
sympathy Casual comment
like they’ve made
The warders unfixed bayonets and marched away. The dog, sobered and plans to be there
conscious of having misbehaved itself, slipped after them. We walked out of - like a meeting to
be forgotten
quickly.
 Long heavy iron-bound bamboo An absurd sentiment
sticks used as weapons. indicating the relief
of the officials now
the gallows yard, past the condemned cells with their waiting prisoners, into that the execution
the big central yard of the prison. The convicts, under the command of has been
completed.
warders armed with lathis, were already receiving their breakfast. They
Strange feeling to
have after taking squatted in long rows, each man holding a tin pannikin, while two warders
another’s life - with buckets marched round ladling out rice; it seemed quite a homely, jolly
they’re so glad scene, after the hanging. An enormous relief had come upon us now that
they don’t have to Casual mockery of
think about their the job was done. One felt an impulse to sing, to break into a run, to the dead man -
guilt anymore snigger. All at once everyone began chattering gaily. poking fun at the
dead person’s
anguish - followed
The Eurasian boy walking beside me nodded towards the way we had by a random
come, with a knowing smile: ‘Do you know, sir, our friend (he meant the comment - lack of
dead man), when he heard his appeal had been dismissed, he pissed on respect.
the floor of his cell. From fright. — Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do
you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees
Don’t know how eight annas. Classy European style.’
to react to what
they’ve just
done. Several people laughed — at what, nobody seemed certain.

Francis was walking by the superintendent, talking garrulously. ‘Well, sir, all
hass passed off with the utmost satisfactoriness. It wass all finished — flick!
like that. It iss not always so — oah, no! I have known cases where the
doctor wass obliged to go beneath the gallows and pull the prisoner's legs
to ensure decease. Most disagreeable!’ Another callous
‘Wriggling about, eh? That's bad,’ said the superintendent. statement directed
at a doomed
prisoner - the
‘Ach, sir, it iss worse when they become refractory! One man, I recall, clung
resulting laughter
to the bars of hiss cage when we went to take him out. You will scarcely indicates a lack of
credit, sir, that it took six warders to dislodge him, three pulling at each leg. comparison.
We reasoned with him. “My dear fellow,” we said, “think of all the pain and
Light hearted trouble you are causing to us!” But no, he would not listen! Ach, he wass
atmosphere after
the killing is a very troublesome!’
false emotion and
acts as a coping I found that I was laughing quite loudly. Everyone was laughing. Even the Final 2 sentences
mechanism for the
superintendent grinned in a tolerant way. ‘You'd better all come out and are designed to
men. get Orwell’s point
have a drink,’ he said quite genially. ‘I've got a bottle of whisky in the car.
across clearly.
We could do with it.’ The jovial scene
of the penultimate
We went through the big double gates of the prison, into the road. ‘Pulling sentence is
contrasted with
at his legs!’ exclaimed a Burmese magistrate suddenly, and burst into a the nearby dead
loud chuckling. We all began laughing again. At that moment Francis's man. Reader is
anecdote seemed extraordinarily funny. We all had a drink together, native left to contemplate
this vulgar scene.
and European alike, quite amicably. The dead man was a hundred yards
At what cost does
away. this camaraderie
come?

Orwell doesn’t mention the prisoner’s crime THE END

as he does not want the reader to make Story is a reflection on one of the many judicial
any judgement about whether or not the executions witnessed by Orwell in his post -
death penalty was justified -focuses purely illustrates the banal reality of death and highlights
on the killing aspect. his strong anti-capital punishment sentiments.