Orwell seems to be struggling with the idea of death and through the use of irony, he describes how a man about to be hung, acts as if everything is normal. When the guards are walking the prisoner to the Gallows, the prisoner sidesteps a puddle. This passage shows that there is still instinct in the prisoner and that he doesn't quite feel like his life is over. "And once, in spite of the men who gripped him by each shoulder, he stepped slightly aside to avoid a puddle on the path." Even though the guard was holding him, he still managed to side step the puddle and avoid it as it may have made him uncomfortable. Also, he still has human instinct, because people tend to avoid what will make them uncomfortable, and walking through a puddle would do just that. This is ironic because he is about to die, and yet he doesn't want his feet to

In this story, "A Hanging", Orwell portrays how he feels about capital punishment. Orwell uses the idea of irony to make his point in the story that he is against capital punishment. This use of irony makes for a strong image in the readers mind of his feelings. This forces the reader to look deeper into the writing and find the real meaning on his words, which is more effective than simply writing a story of how much he does not like capital punishment.

When the prisoner is finally hung, the guards just stand back and watch. This shows how awful the dog saw this event to be. He cowered into the corner, knowing that something terrible had happened. "There was a clanking noise, and then dead silence. The prisoner had vanished, and the rope was twisting on itself. I let go of the dog, and it galloped immediately to the back of the gallows; but when it got there it stopped short, barked, and then retreated into a corner of the yard, where it stood among the weeds, looking timorously out at us." Orwell uses this to show how a life ending can change how those around it act. The dog was obviously upset and Orwell makes sure he shows how this event is upsetting.

Orwell makes a point of showing his discomfort of the entire situation through the use of ironic sarcasm and frustration. The prison superintendent is unusually irritated with this event and wants the man dead. "'For God's sake hurry up, Francis,' he said irritably. 'The man ought to have been dead by this time. Aren't you ready yet?'" This shows how the superintendent is being shallow. A man is about to be hanged and

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1067
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)