Capital Punishment used to be a dark part of the Canadian Criminal Code between the years of 1865 and 1976. The government first attempted to abolish the Capital Punishment in 1914. If the story “Two Fishermen” was based in Canada, the Thomas Delaney might have had a different outcome. If the story was in 1961, it was not a premeditated murder or a murder of a police officer, guard or warden in the course of duty, so Thomas Delaney would have not been put on death row, but if it was a case that took place before the years of 1961, he might have been sentenced to the same punishment.
Capital punishment is a very controversial topic that many have strong opinions of. In the short story “Two Fishermen” by Morley Callaghan, Thomas Delaney is sent to death row for the murder of a attempted rapist. I think that that Thomas Delaney should not suffer the capital punishment, because he was defending his wife from getting raped, the murder was not planned, and killing as a punishment for murder doesn’t make sense. The person was trying to sexually abuse Delaney’s wife. So, partially deserved what happened to him. The tragic event happened in the heat of the moment, which is not right, but Thomas Delaney didn’t have bad intentions. To punish someone for murder by killing the murderer is not the right way to show that murder is wrong. It also shows that the punisher is not very different from Thomas Delaney, who is categorized as a killer. It doesn’t help progress society, and it is proven that the Capital Punishment has not decreased the murder rate. In conclusion, I think that the death row for Thomas Delaney is not appropriate because, he was defending his wife, it was not planned, and killing the murderer will not prove anything.