"A Hanging," written by George Orwell, is a descriptive essay about the execution of a prisoner in Burma, which was a British colony at the time. The essay is a firsthand account of the author's experience as a member of the colonial police force and serves as a commentary on the brutality and inhumanity of the death penalty.
Orwell begins the essay by describing the atmosphere of the prison on the day of the hanging. The prisoners, who have been sentenced to death, are being led to the gallows and the author reflects on the calm and resigned manner in which they walk to their deaths. The scene is described in vivid detail, with the sound of the prisoners' footsteps echoing through the halls and the smell of the sweat and fear emanating from their bodies.
As the prisoners approach the gallows, Orwell describes the preparations that are being made for the execution. The rope is tested and the noose is adjusted, all while the condemned man stands nearby, waiting for his fate to be sealed. The author reflects on the irony of the situation, as the man is about to die for a crime that he may or may not have committed, while the officials who are preparing to execute him are going about their work with casual indifference.
As the execution draws near, Orwell describes the final moments of the condemned man's life. He watches as the man is led up the steps to the gallows and the noose is placed around his neck. At this point, Orwell begins to feel a sense of unease and discomfort with the proceedings. He writes: "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man."
As the executioner pulls the lever and the man falls through the trapdoor, Orwell is overwhelmed with a feeling of disgust and revulsion. He writes: "When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide. This man was not dying, he was alive just as we were alive. All the organs of his body were working - bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming - all toiling away in solemn foolery. His nails would still be growing when he stood on the drop, when he was falling through the air with a tenth of a second to live. His eyes saw the yellow gravel and the grey walls, and his brain still remembered, foresaw, reasoned - reasoned even about puddles. He and we were a party of men walking together, seeing, hearing, feeling, understanding the same world; and in two minutes, with a sudden snap, one of us would be gone - one mind less, one world less."
In the final paragraph of the essay, Orwell reflects on the implications of the death penalty and the inherent injustice of taking a life in the name of justice. He writes: "It is not easy to become seriously unjust." The essay serves as a powerful indictment of the death penalty and a poignant reminder of the value of human life.
