“A HANGING” GEORGE ORWELL
DO YOU THINK THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD EXIST? WHY OR WHY NOT? ARE THERE SPECIFIC
CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN IT IS ACCEPTABLE, SUCH AS FOR ESPECIALLY BRUTAL CRIMES, OR TIMES OF WAR?
CLASS TOTAL:
FOR DEATH PENALTY:
AGAINST DEATH PENALTY:
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
BACKGROUND:
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire.
Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony;
independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from
1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite
multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for
Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and
Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and
2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest, where she
remains virtually incommunicado. In February 2006, the junta extended her detention for another year. Her
supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed
or jailed.
After reading the first three paragraphs:
What particular mood does the story seem to convey so far? (This is commonly called a story’s tone) What
words/phrases/descriptions develop this tone? Hints: Pay close attention to how Orwell describes the
physical setting of the story and to how he describes “the prisoner.”
With a partner:
Do you think this story is for or against the death penalty? Why or why not? Find three specific examples
from the text, paraphrase them briefly, and describe how they support your answer. (Hint: Paragraph 11)
What evidence is there, despite the obvious routine nature of execution at this prison, and the fact that no
one is overtly upset at what is going on (except the prisoners), that most of the prison staff dislike what is
going on? Find three examples.
As a class:
Who is the protagonist?
Who/what is the antagonist?
What is/are the story’s conflict(s)?
Who is the narrator of the story?
What is the point of view of the story? (1st Person/3rd Person)
What does the dog do for the story as a whole?
Does the dog symbolize anything?
What is the significance of the puddle in paragraph 11? How does this affect the narrator?
Did this story make you reconsider your stance on capital punishment?