Tre’Von Bush Mrs. Jenette KiesendahlEnglish 10214 November 2017Capital PunishmentGeorge Orwell’s “A Hanging” tell about the events that take place in Burma about a guard escorting a Hindu prisoner to his death to the gallows’. In this story it isn’t told what kind of crime the prisoner has done for him to be hang to his death at the gallows’ and if they could have another way to punish him for whatever crime the prisoner has committed. Throughout the story, Orwell contrast life with death on the way to the gallows, at the gallows, and after the hanging to prove that capital punishment is wrong.On the way to the gallows’ Orwell contrast life with death, the guard is being shown that on the way to escorting the prisoner to his death to the gallows’ the guard see that already the prisoner is acting as if he is already dead. While being escorted to the gallows’ the guard and the prisoner is encounter by a large wooly dog. “(1) when we had gone ten yards, the procession stopped short without any order or warning.
A dreadful thing had happened – a dog, woolly dog, half Airedale, half parish come goodness know whence, had appeared in the yard.” What the guard noticed even when the prisoner is being escorting to the gallows walking the dog is following the guard and the prisoner happy and playful until he is chased off. Orwell contrast that while the prisoner is being escorting to his death on the way to the gallows’ that he is looking dead going there. The large dog represent a sign of life with the dog playful manner.At the gallows’, Orwell contrasts life with death through the prisoner’s prayers to show that execution is unjust, by calling out to Ram, the prisoner demonstrate that he is seeking acceptance into the afterlife while simultaneously wearing of his death; “The noose around his neck and the bag over his head. Orwell states; “and then, when the noose was fixed. The prisoner began crying out to his God.
(2). Even though the prisoner is seconds from dying, he prove that he want to continue living by praying to his God. The desire to be accepted into the afterlife demonstrates a need to continue existing in some capacity. Orwell purposely contrast the prisoner prayers with the symbol of death to prove that only God can judge.After the hanging, Orwell contrast life with death,
