Read George Orwell's short essay "A Hanging" then write a blog entry where you comment, reflect upon, react to someone else's post about the reading. You can comment on anything you'd like, but perhaps think about what he is saying about colonialism or human nature. This should be a thoughtful and somewhat substantial post to garner extra credit! Good luck!
In George Orwell's "A Hanging" the nature of human emotions is displayed. This story can be related to how people react to a public speaking. In the beginning everyone is very emotional and feels that they learned a very powerful message. However as time passes the crowd resorts to their old ways. This occurs in the story because as the man is being abused the guards feel sorrow and get very emotional. After the beating is over the guards walk back to their posts and reflect on the occurrence. After they settle down it seems that what they just witnessed has been forgotten. I say this because as the guards were talking to each other they began to laugh and forget about their past experiences because it it not relevant anymore. This story also shows how the ability for one to reason and think on their own can lead to destruction. Because these guards were able to reason they were capable of disregarding the mans pain and suffering moments after he was beaten. I say that reason leads to lack of compassion because Orwell included the dog to show how a creature without the ability to reason shows love to anyone no matter their race, sex, orientation, income or any other trait. The dog expressed its love for the man whom no one else cared about, which shows how people can learn from species not as intelligent as theirs. When comparing the dog to the human it proves how intelligence does not always lead to caring and love for one another, rather it is the ability to push aside physical traits and look at that persons intentions as a human being. George Orwell shows us that the human race still has a lot to learn and is far from a perfect species.
Whenever we have a school assembly regarding some kind of social issue or something depressing, it always seems to have a strong effect on the audience. Usually many of us listening will take something from it and will vow to be better classmates and better people, although this vow only lasts for maybe a day at most. I think that this relates to George Orwell's "A Hanging" because in this short essay there was a brief sorrow toward the idea of ending a human life, but within a short amount of time, that sorrow passed because life continued and there wasn't time to grieve over what wouldn't change. Orwell includes a dog in this writing, and I think that the dog represents the idea that to an animal without the ability to reason, all humans are the same and no defining factors determine someone's worth. An animal is capable of loving anything and anyone because it doesn't take differences to mean superiority or inferiority. People, on the other hand, are insecure and self absorbed, and for the ignorant, the only way to feel important is to rise above others and use factors such as race or gender to determine their place and success in society and as a human being. The superintendent in Orwell's work didn't seem to sympathize with the man he was hanging, and the situation proved to be an unemotional affair for him. While the narrator realized that a human not any better than him was about to have his life taken from him, the superintendent looked at the hanging as an ordinary event with no significance. Orwell writes, "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 this passage it seems like the narrator comes to a true understanding of what the action about to occur had meant, but then in the last paragraph he expresses a change in mood. "We all had a drink together, native and European alike, quite amicably. The dead man was a hundred yards away." In these two lines, one can see that the narrator understood the gravity of what he had previously witnessed, but his life continued and people didn't stop to think about the man who had just had his life taken away because they were too focused on their own lives. It seems as though when a man who was in an inferior position was killed, it did not have an effect on the men around him because they viewed him as a subordinate or maybe "not as human." Humans sometimes realize their actions, and what they are truly doing, but they continue to carry out these actions, preferring to be ignorant about the life they lead and the peers they lead it with.
Humans have a common feeling sorrow when one's life is taken, but they feel the emotion on different levels. In George Orwell's short essay "A Hanging" the narrator seems to know that killing the prisoner when "All of the organs in this body were working..." It clearly wasn't time for the prisoners life to be ended. The dog included in the essay represented a simple, pure animal who was "...wild with glee at finding so many human beings together." The dog was aware that there shouldn't have been anything wrong. The dog seemed to be fond of the prisoner as it had been "...jumping up tried to lick his face." This represents the bad in humans that sometimes overshadows the good and creates evil and hatred based on race and religion. Unlike humans, dogs find love in a living creature no matter what they look like. The average person cannot imagine being a hangman and being involved in the killing of a human because it is pure evil on an extreme scale. Every human has let the evil get the best of them although it usually isn't as extreme as being involved in hanging a person, evil exists in everyone. The narrator expressed "An enormous relief had come upon us now that the job was done." but he followed that statement with "All at once everyone began chattering gaily." While the hanging was taking place all the bystanders were feeling sorrow, but right after they had light hearted conversation. It is upsetting knowing that humans grieve for such a short time. If there is a sad story in the news, after reading it one is moved but for such a short time because they think it could never happen to them. Humans need to feel emotion for a longer period of time in order for it to permanently make an impact on them. There was laughter taken place and comments made about the dead prisoner all together with his body "a hundred yards away." Humans can always feel emotion but often judge how much they feel on the exterior of another person.
"It was like men handling a fish
which is still alive and may jump back into the water. But he stood quite
unresisting..." When it comes to power, we all crave it, we want more than what there is, we all want to feel superior, in a sense that may harm others, all in the mindset for self-benefit-even if it means another human being is going to be hung and shot. In George Orwell's essay "The Hanging," the author shoots an important view on human nature, on how human emotion can sometimes get the best of us. In the essay, Orwell discusses the hanging of a man and the reactions of the bystanders watching it. Why would anyone want to be in a position where a human is basically murdering another human being? Wouldn't that disturb you? According to the author, humans don't care for anyone but themselves, and we are too selfish to care for the feelings of others. Take this for example.You have a white man hanging a black man. You have an elite having more representation than a lower class man. You have a society where women have no status and are kept in the household to be nothing more than "pictures on a wall." You have modern day 21st century Donald Trump hating people of different races and making extremely offensive remarks on social media. Even to this day, humans want to feel superior and why? We do this because of pleasure, because it keeps you part of the "In" crowd of society, where it seems to be "safe." But for the others, not so much. People of the "In" crowd might look at them and turn the other cheek and say "so glad I'm not one of them." When a person dies, whether it is a loved one or someone we do not know, we think of it for a while, but then let it pass days later. Do we really understand the meanings of death? To some people, death just means more power for themselves. It seems to explain the reasons why genocides often take place in history. Why does racism even exist? For some people, racism is a way to make fun of people of a different ethnicity to feel better about themselves. I found this essay to be a powerful one, and it definitely supported all of those ideas. The dog in the essay represented affection and tolerance. People that are treated with injustice and racism may be treated like animals, but in a sense, animals have a much higher tolerance level than humans. Why? Well because animals don't judge their owners and bite them because they are white, black, purple, or green. They are loyal as long as they are treated well by their owners.
In "The Hanging," George Orwell seems to display his opposition to capital punishment, and depicts how humanity can be judgmental and cruel, especially to people who are viewed as minorities or are looked down upon. Throughout the essay, Orwell describes how the Hindu man and other prisoners were treated like animals by saying “We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages.” He then explains further how the prisoners were handled roughly in handcuffs, similar to how men handle fish. In my opinion, he used the guards' careless actions to represent how society felt about the prisoners, which was barely a feeling at all. On the other hand, Orwell describes the event of the hanging in specific detail in order for the reader to place themselves in the event as well. 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 quote explains how he was opposed to this punishment and treatment that humanity and society had allowed, but uses the dog to show contrast. While complex humans scorned the prisoner because of who he was, the dog ran right up to both the prisoner and the guards, and was just as excited to see both. I believe this was used to prove Orwell's main idea that animals were more forgiving and recognized the importance of all lives compared to humans. Similarly, after the hanging was completed, he describes the reactions of others which included drinking and the telling of jokes, as if the loss of a life did not matter. This story can still be used today to describe the lack of sympathy that exists today. Most people immediately criticize people who are a lower status or are looked down upon in society, but every life is important.
In Orwell's short essay, "A Hanging", he emphasizes the cruelty of human nature. Similar to his some of other works, there's a group of inferiors [the prisoners; majority Hindu] and superiors [the guards]. The prisoners were portrayed in "small animal cages", and the condemned prisoner was described as "a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water." The prisoners are shown to be primal, wild animals, while the prison workers are civilized men just doing their job. Beginning with the dog, the narrator began to notice the cruelty of it all. The dog was shown to be purehearted; "wild with glee." The dog went to give attention to the condemned prisoner, displaying that despite his [the prisoner's] hard exterior there is still well life inside him. Subsequently, the narrator described that "till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." For a moment. the prisoners and guards alike felt the raw emotion of taking away a whole life with "bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming.." With the prisoner's repeated, unfaltering cry, that is one last display of the life that was being ripped away. The suspense was held for a minute, "The Indians had gone gray like bad coffee, and one or two of the bayonets were wavering."
Humans have been taught to become unaffected by the cruelty of their own nature, and this is true to this day. We watch the news, where dozens die everyday, and even in the most unfortunate of stories we will simply say "Oh, that's so sad" and continue on with our lives. There are wars being waged, genocides occurring at this very moment, and we are unaware and desensitized to it all. To see this man, on the death block, yelling just because it's the last moment he can, stirs up emotion in the spectators and reader alike.
Following his death, the death of a man who was once "seeing, hearing, feeling, understanding the same world", normalcy returned. The rest of the prisoners go and eat breakfast, the dog somberly followed the humans, and the rest went out for a drink. They made the situation lighter in the only way they knew how, they made humor out of it, and shrugged it off. Ultimately, Orwell shows how we tear down the foundations of both our surroundings and ourselves, yet we don't falter for more than a moment.
George Orwell's essay "A Hanging" is very peculiar because that's really all it's about. A narrator explains the process of a prisoner being hanged in a Burmese prison. It isn't revealed why the
prisoner received capital punishment, (perhaps he committed a petty offence, perhaps he was the mastermind behind a serious crime) or who the prisoner really is, other than a dead man.
The lack of a backstory only intensifies the solemnity of the story however, by highlighting how the act of capital punishment itself feels inhumane. Orwell's tone is very negative, he is disturbed by
"the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.", but he is passive, he makes no objections even though he feels morally distressed. "An enormous relief came upon us now that the job was done." The use of "us" instead of "me" signifies this distress was felt by everyone in the party. Yet the execution went on. I can't argue whether taking humans lives is immoral or not, but the narrator certainly believed it was. Yet, he still treats it as it was just an episode of life for him, it was unpleasant and uncomfortable but it happened and now he simply moves on. I can see how the narrator's inner torment makes it easier to be sympathetic to, but while the narrator receives a passing angst, the prisoner receives a premature death. Orwell does add a dog to the story as well. The dog full of enthusiasm for life, unaware of the grave situation he is interrupting. Gina made a good point about how the dog's canine point of view adds to the story by juxtaposing with the behavior of the 'rational' humans.The author ends up drinking a bottle of whiskey with the other officials, exemplifying alcohol's main role in society: the universal solution to any emotional anguish.
I find George Orwell's essay The Hanging very melancholy as it shows the cruelty of human nature. It describes the execution of a criminal but we (the readers) do not know what crimes the man has committed. A dog plays a very symbolic part in this reading for its tolerance towards anyone. The dog represents its ability to love anyone regardless of the person's skin tone, the exact opposite of what some of the people in this reading's society are. Also, the dog interrupts the execution which can be seen as it is trying to prevent the evil of humans. What surprised me is that the bystanders witnessed this assumed innocent man get hanged and instead of being taken by a shock, they just go on with their daily lives. The narrator decides to just have a drink with his peers while "the dead man was a hundred yards away". They show no sympathy at all and do not mourn for the dead man.The narrator of this story states “I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.” It is possible that all because these bystanders are watching the execution does not mean they fully agree with these inhumane acts but perhaps they gotten so used to them that it does not surprise them anymore as they go on with their daily routine. While the dog represents the good and tolerance towards others regardless of it they are inferior or superior in society, the humans contrast that with their brutal nature and killing of assumed innocents.
George Orwell's "The Hanging" not only brings to light the horrors of colonialism in India during the 19th and 20th centuries, but discusses human nature as well, especially through the dog, who ultimately symbolizes man. In terms of colonialism, the short story shows how often violence occurred in colonized lands; when the Hindu man is put to death, no one finds it out of the ordinary. However, the more interesting thing about "The Hanging" is its symbolism and depiction of human nature. The dog that appears right before the Indian prisoner is killed, and it's changing attitude in the short story, mirrors the men putting the prisoner to death, along with their feelings towards doing so. When the men first encounter the dog, it's filled with glee and obviously doesn't understand the gravity of the event that's about to occur. The same can be said for the men who are involved in the hanging; as said before, we can assume that violence was a common occurance in this Indian colony, meaning that these men would have become used to events like this by now. Like the dog, they didn't realize how serious the event they were getting themselves involved in was, or realized how grave the circumstances were and decided to ignore it, acting like everything was normal instead. When the Indian man is put to death, the dog and the European and Indian soldiers react in the same way. The soldiers show their true, scared and sympathetic nature right before the prisoner is put to death, turning "grey like bad coffee" and wavering their bayonets when the Hindu man repeatedly calls out to his God for help. The dog reacts in a similar way after the man's death. Its cheerful and oblivious attitude from before changes to a solemn one; "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 at us," George Orwell writes. When the soldiers sauntered away after the hanging occurred, so did the dog, following them with its head down "conscious of having misbehaved itself". Now, if Orwell's story had ended there, it would have been viewed as a touching tale, relaying the reassuring message that, yes, the events occurring in India are horrible, and the European soldiers know that and struggle with that every day, but they continue, understanding that colonialism must go on. However, Orwell keeps writing, describing how the men instantly repressed the fact that they just put a man to death, laughing and drinking together instead of remaining serious and mourning for even a second. By ending the story this way, Orwell not only allows the audience to see the violence taking place in Indian colonies, but shows how European colonialists are being corrupted by said violence. Their caring human nature, shown by their sympathy for the Hindu man when he was about to be put to death, was instantly ignored, replaced with cocky personalities and the underlying belief of European superiority. George Orwell's "The Hanging" was obviously meant to spread the truth of what was really occurring in colonies, in terms of extreme violence against the natives, as well as convince others that colonialism itself is a horrid thing. It was meant to make its readers, specifically its European readers, think "If colonialism can corrupt even the noblest of men, the soldiers we sent to India in order to colonize there, what other dangerous things can it do? Are we making the right decision by choosing to colonize in Asian and African nations?". I believe that "The Hanging", in addition to the many independence movements that were taking place in colonized nations and the war debt placed on European nations, specifically Britain, convinced them to put an end to their colonization of other lands.
In the essay "A Hanging," George Orwell shows how humans feel only a brief moment of sorrow and sympathy at the loss of one's life. People are capable of committing sever acts of evil because of discrimination, prejudiceness, and a feeling of superiority due to one's race or social status. After hearing of a person's death and the reasons behind their death, people grieve for a short period of time and then return to their usual daily routines and lives. Humanity is cruel to the lower class and society allows such acts to be allowed without questioning what they are doing to the lives of others. The dog that appears throughout Orwell's essay symbolizes how animals love freely without judging a person's appearance, without warning the dog who was " wild with glee at finding so many human beings together" and " jumping up tried to lick his face." The dog understood how important life is compared to humans. After meeting the dog, the narrator discovers and understands how unfairly society treats the lower classes, the minorities. Most of humanity sees the minorities as having an equal status with animals and are quick to criticize them. "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man," and "I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide;" these were the narrator's words after he learned and understood how it was wrong to treat others this way just because of their social status. The narrator understood that the prisoner "was not dying, he was alive just as we were alive" because "all of the organs of his body were working." The narrator learned that the prejudiceness that humanity has towards minorities is corrupt and that people need to begin being affected by the brutality of their own nature. To conclude, George Orwell believes that although humans are filled with emotions, they are quick to judge others based on their appearance and race. Everyone must learn the importance and value of a human life.
I found this essay very interesting. Not only did it show the horrors of colonialism, but also the horror and hypocrisies of human beings. For instance, at first George Orwell feels for for the man. He says that until now, he never realized what it was like to destroy a healthy man. This man is completely healthy, his body is working fine, yet his life is going to be taken from him. Then when the man starts screaming out of pain, the only one who feels sorry for him is the dog. The only thing the people are worried about is that he'll hopefully die soon, because the noise is bothering them. Then, after the hanging is over with, everybody is laughing and signing like nothing bad happened. It seems as if Orwell only felt bad for the man while he was witnessing what was happening, but once it was over with, he was able to completely forget about it. I think the dog represents how humans could be. This dog was the only one who felt sorry for the man being hanged. H kept barking, and he went up to lick his face when the man was crying out in pain. The dog was the only one who seemed genuinely curios for the man, while everyone else kind of just crowded around because they felt they had to, since everyone else was. No one took a stand for how the felt. Orwell felt sorry for the man, but never spoke up and then part of him knew it was wrong to be laughing and singing, but again he didn't say anything.
This article is one of both an eye-opener and hypocritical. George Orwell, expresses how the colonists of Burma lost their humanity; in which had been influenced by colonization. When the man was to be hanged, the dog rushed to him, noticing his sorrow as he was walking himself to the gallows, chained together, no escape. The dog understood this consequence, as it came to lift the man's spirits up; as if it were a last chance at hope . And so then, at that moment, the man realized another prisoner walking in front of him. The prisoner avoided walking into a puddle, one without reason would walk right through it even if heading to his death. But he didn't, which had shown the man that all the prisoners where still healthy, conscious men. That all these healthy, conscious men where being locked up and murdered by corrupt, inhuman beings that where blinded by the sight of greed and power. Joking about the deaths and last moments of prisoners, something unsettling sat in me as I read, for it was an unsettling realization that people, will always turn against other beings; you just have to give them the right price.
George Orwell's, "A Hanging", truly shows the terrible actions that the idea of colonialism brought. Colonialism is based around the idea of superiority and racism, and the essay is a perfect example of these ideas. This Hindu man was imprisoned, but also sentenced to be hanged. The prison workers saw the hanging as a job that had to be done. They did not truly stop to think of the person who was about to lose his life. They did not care because it did not affect their lives. They were "above" this Hindu man. In addition, after seeing this man be hanged, the workers go a hundred yards away from the dead man and tell stories about others being hanged. The men laugh at these stories, while smoking and drinking. They did not care at all about the man whose life was cut short. This shows that colonialism brought out an evil side of people with no sympathy and erasing human emotions. The men could not have looked at the Hindu man as a human, but most likely an animal. If they saw him as a human, they would not be able to watch another human being be killed. All in all, colonialism inserted false ideas into people's heads that were inhumane and frightening.
In George Orwell's "A Hanging", the main idea is that there's no difference between the Hindu prisoners and the prison guards. Unfortunately, the guards couldn't see past the label of the Hindus who they thought were inferior to them in every way. When humans see something that they presume to be different from themselves, they're not sure how to act, and oftentimes they treat the thing with disrespect and inferiority without any justified reason. This is what happened to the prisoner. This inferiority is shown during the story in many ways. For one, it's evident throughout the short essay that the condemned are treated like animals. The narrator describes the scene, "We were waiting outside the cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages." The prisoner's health has also declined since no one cares about his well-being. He's seen as "a puny wisp of a man" with "vague liquid eyes". The one character in the essay who doesn't understand the labels or the differences between the prisoners and the guards, is the dog. The dog, being pure and unable to judge anyone, came straight for the prisoner because he didn't care who he was, he was just overjoyed at the thought that he had found a large group of people to be with. The dog's actions frightened the guards who were made speechless in the events that followed. "It came bounding among us with a loud volley of barks, and leapt round us wagging its whole body... For a moment it pranced round us, and then, before anyone could stop it, it had made a dash for the prisoner, and jumping up tried to lick his face. Everyone stood aghast, too taken aback even to grab at the dog."
The narrator is the only human in the story who realizes, even for a split second, that what they're about to do is wrong. He explains "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." He goes on to talk about how the man has no injuries, no disabilities, and how he shouldn't have to die now. However, the superintendent thinks of the hanging as more of a daily task to complete, not as the killing of an innocent man. He says, "'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?'" Once the job is done, the narrator has lost all of the remorse that he had. Everyone is cheerful and the narrator seems to have forgotten what he just witnessed because he feels as if his life is unaffected by the death of this one man. "An enormous relief had come upon us now that the job was done. One felt an impulse to sing, to break into a run, to snigger. All at once everyone began chattering gaily." Their actions seem very primitive, which is ironic because in colonialism the inferior natives were seen to be the primitive ones. Laughing and poking fun at the distraught and imminent death of others seems very inhumane. The man Francis even recalls a previous situation, "One man, I recall, clung to the bars of hiss cage when we went to take him out. You will scarcely credit, sir, that it took six warders to dislodge him, three pulling at each leg. We reasoned with him. 'My dear fellow,' we said, 'think of all the pain and trouble you are causing to us!'". The guards think they're the ones being hurt. They're blind to what they're doing and it's unfortunate that they don't see the injustice occurring because of their own actions. In conclusion, George Orwell's opinion on human nature seems to be a very poor one. He thinks it's inevitable that classifications appear whether they be based on race, culture, or religion.
George Orwell's "The Hanging" shows the horrors of which were brought out during the 19th and 20th centuries by the idea of colonialism. Colonialism influenced multiple areas of which were ruled by the colonial powers. Colonialism was such a powerful thought that it changed human nature. Orwell's essay expresses colonialism in India. In the essay a Hindu man was hanged after being placed in prison. It is not revealed in the essay what the man did to receive his sentence and I believe Orwell does this to express how due to colonialism and its idea of superiority and racism, back then it could have been something extremely serious or something minor for him to deserve that. Colonialism was so powerful that it warped everyone's mind including the indigenous peoples and the men who were "above" them in society. Like Priscilla, I was surprised how easily all the bystanders in the essay were able to just continue their daily lives as one of their fellow men was just killed, and I also agree with Anthony when he said how the men who completed the execution were able to tell stories and laugh about other hangings because of how colonialism was able to change human nature and bring out the evil in all humans when they feel what they do is right. "... the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide." They had no problem taking his life even though he had much life left to live all because they were brought up to believe they were "superior" to him and the rest of the Hindu or indigenous peoples. Finally, I believe the dog was a very important part of Orwell's essay as it expresses how although humans can understand and comprehend better then dogs and other animals, they have come to the point were some humans feel they are better then others while the dog symbolized how no matter what human you are based on skin color, religion, or background, the dog still loved and treated everyone the same as every human should. However, colonialism has changed human nature making others feel more important and like they should be in charge of other people and other groups using simple and frivolous characteristics.
In George Orwell's "The Hanging", he shows how European colonists during the 19th and 20th century have strongly impacted the Hindu society. In this essay, he portrays how cruel and vicious the Europeans were towards the Hindu through their colonization of the Indian subcontinent. Through the statement, " 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 his organs were working -- bowels digesting foods, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming -- all toiling away in solemn foolery." This shows that the victim of the cruelty was just as alive and well as the Europeans performing the hanging and that the Hindu doesn't deserve to be unwrongfully murdered. His body would be working just as normal as the Europeans and why should he be killed? Why should a normal healthy citizen be killed when he could still have something to live for. All that he could've done would be wiped away in a split second, which clearly shows how humans can be cruel. This event shows how the European colonists felt they were above or superior to the Indian civilians during this entire time period. This supports how the Europeans felt they had the duty to colonize the Indian people. However, George Orwell felt that although this occurred, they were not at all superior and were equal to those they colonized. Furthermore, later in the essay Orwell describes that after this inhumane killing, the superintendent and guards really had no feeling of guilt and even agreed to go have a drink afterwards and left laughing about the entire event. This further shows how the cruel people can be as the Europeans killed a man and felt no guilt afterwards. They are blind to the unjust and vicious actions they have performed and it's disappointing to see that they weren't able to realize their inhumane violence. Colonialism has brought out many of the poor aspects of human nature and has established classes of superiority and minority that shouldn't exist. All in all, George Orwell felt that people should not be classified based on their race, religion or established cultures and should not be judged or harmed based upon those aspects. However in society, it's the complete opposite.
George Orwell’s short essay “A Hanging” exemplifies the moral struggles of colonialism and human nature. The story begins by telling about the conditions of Hindu prisoners in India from the point of view of one of the prison guards. The narrator tells about the “condemned men” who were due to be hanged within a week or two. He then tells about the hanging of a small Hindu man scheduled for that morning. As Orwell leads the reader through the process of this man’s death, it becomes evident to the reader of how the cruelty of these hangings affect the prison guard. He describes his sudden realization of how this man was no different than the rest of them and was still a living, conscious mind. The only thing that has blinded him from this realization is colonialism. Colonialism has made him think of himself as so superior to the Hindus, that he has almost forgotten that they are just human beings. The other guards also show this lack of empathy for the life they have just so abruptly ended because the life of that man did not matter to them individually. In fact, Orwell writes that after the man had been killed, the guards began to discuss what had happened to the prisoner and recount some of their other executions. For some reason, they all find themselves laughing while talking about it, as if they were brainwashed into thinking that those people did not matter; that this was normal. The compassion and empathy that the guard felt for the small Hindu man before he was killed, was completely lost afterwards when he was reminded of his colonialist motives.
Another thing I found interesting about this short essay was Orwell’s use of the dog. The dog first appears during the transportation of the soon-to-be-killed prisoner to the gallows. He is captured by the guards and given to the narrator to hold on to for the duration of the hanging. During the killing, the dog is visually and audibly upset, howling and whimpering. It seems as though the dog is supposed to be a representation of how we should, as humans, feel about what is happening to this poor man. The dog is included to show the contrast between a normal human’s reaction and the reaction of the colonialist guards in the story. Through this short story, Orwell is trying to show us how colonialism has led to increased racism and ethnocentrism. He tries to bring to light the wrongs that colonialism has done to society.
George Orwell’s “A Hanging” shows the desensitization of Europeans towards the killing of others. The concept of colonialism empowered the Europeans into positions of authority over the natives, causing feelings of superiority. They felt that since the Hindu man was inferior to them, he was devoid of all worth and it did not matter if he died. This apparent lack of vocalized sympathy represents the dehumanization of the natives into animals or pests, and after the hanging is over they drink and laugh over stories of other hangings, simply proceeding on with their lives as if nothing happened. Before he is dropped he begins to chant for his god in a religious act, and Orwell declared “…the same thought was in all our minds: oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!” They do not care, even in his last moments of life, about his religious customs or his emotions, and are self-centered caring only for their own discomfort, and were relieved and even happy as they left. However, while no one seemed to object or sympathize with the Hindu man at the time, Orwell adds details to show that it goes against human nature to end the life of another. He describes the day as rainy and miserable, implying a grievous tone and states "I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man," after the man unconsciously avoids a puddle. He says this as he realizes there is very little difference between him and the man, other than the fact that he is in a position of dominance. This recognition is enough to make him question the nature of the situation, but only briefly before they carry on with their lives. The actions of the dog also symbolize important morals, and could be interpreted to reflect Orwell’s own mind. Orwell’s brief sympathy likely inspired him to take action against the hanging and acting up as the dog did, but his position in society as a dominant force prevented him from doing so. I concur with Gina in that the dog also represents neutrality and equality, for dogs love all who will love them in return, representing the actions of a person without bias. After the man is hanged the dog goes up to him and then cowers away in fear, following them as they left “knowing it had misbehaved itself”. This misbehavior is actually Orwell’s own feeling of insubordination, for feeling any sympathy at all. In the last section of the passage, Orwell says that European and native alike drank together in celebration, however this is simply a veil over the reality of the situation. The sepoys served under British command and would never achieve equality with them. The “Eurasian boy” who mentions that he spent a large sum of his money on frivolous European goods represents the desire of the natives to assimilate to higher culture and achieve greater social status, but the dead Hindu 100 yards away from them shows the actual truth of the matter, in that the Europeans highly believed in their superiority and were not willing to consider their actions or the treatment of those they ruled over for more than a brief period of time, showing that colonialistic ideals cause great amounts of ethnocentrism and dissolve feelings of regret and sympathy towards others.
Colonialism's harsh ideas are portrayed through George Orwell's "A Hanging" in many ways. Orwell's essay shows how hypocritical and horrifying the elite people in areas of colonialism can be. It also shows how low the Hindu people were depicted as in society, for they were being hanged in the gallows. As Anthony stated, I find it intriguing and disturbing that the men were able to laugh and go out drinking after they executed the prisoner. This major act of cruelty is not ever to be laughed at, so it makes me wonder how they were able to live on with the execution. Then again, this action of the men validates how superior people felt that others were not human in throughout the process of colonialism. I found it very disturbing when the Eurasian boy had asked the narrator if he had seen his friend, (meaning the man who had gotten executed) and all the other guards started laughing. It is so inhumane and evil of these people to laugh in front of a boy, not even a man yet, about the death of the boy's friend. This essay clearly shows the violent, inhumane effects of colonialism that had taken place. I agree with Nick M. in that it seems that the dog is supposed to represent how people should feel about the hanging of this man. It clearly illustrates the difference between a normal persons attitude and a colonialists attitude about the situation. Overall, I think that this essay, "The Hanging" is beneficial for people to see because it exploits the inhumane treatment of colonialists, which i found very interesting and despicable.
After reading the short essay, I can agree with most of the Blogs here that George Orwell's writing showed both the horrors of both Colonialism and human beings. For me, the essay mostly symbolized human nature and how easy it is for human beings to forget something tragic if not personally attached to the event. If anyone knows of a certain death that is coming soon, they feel bad or, depending on why the person is dying, think with remorse. When George Orwell walked behind the prisoner, he saw that they are about to hang a completely normal, fully functional Human, that does not have any defects. After he sees the prisoner sidestep the puddle, he remembers that the prisoner sees the world the same as them, the same roads, the same puddles, and in less than five minutes, that life who sees the same as them, will disappear. During the time where everyone was waiting for the inevitable death of the Hindu, the Hindu started this chant that didn't seem like praying or a cry for help. The chanting in the story helped me realize that those causing death respect those that are about to die, for example the superintendant, when it seemed like he was giving the prisoner a certain count before killing him, even though everyone just wanted to make him become silent forever. In the end, when they started "celebrating", it showed me that this was a normalcy for these men, especially when Francis was talking about ripping a prisoner out of his cell with six other people, trying to treat it as a joke so that it's not taken seriously. For me, the reason as to why they seem like they can easily forget these hangings because they've been doing it for quite some time that it doesn't bother them anymore. Even though George Orwell was able to see how wrong it was to cut life short, it didn't change any outcome of these prisoners. These guys still had to take these men out of their cells and hang them. The sad part is that the only way they can comfort themesleves of doing this is to make it all a joke so it does not seem so severe as it was.
"A Hanging", the essay by George Orwell demonstrates the downfall of colonialism: humans believing that they are superior to their fellow humans based on things as arbitrary as skin color or religious beliefs. In the essay, the prisoner was a Hindu man while the prison workers were Europeans, they held positions of power in the story similarly to how they did during times of colonization. As they're bringing the prisoner to be hanged, the narrator begins to realize how distinctions between people are put their by society and are not something to be listened to. He doesn't think the prisoner should be hanged, saying "His eyes saw the yellow gravel and the grey walls, and his brain still remembered, foresaw, reasoned". He can't comprehend the death of a seemingly healthy man based on the expectations and decisions of the society in which he lived. This opinion is short lived though as the prisoner is getting ready to be hanged and the workers hear him calling out to his God, "Ram! Ram! Ram!". They were startled and ultimately annoyed and uncomfortable and just wanted for the horrible screams to come to an end. After his death, he felt sorry for the man, but soon went back to his original belief that his death didn't really matter, especially since it didn't affect him directly. The prison workers then began singing and chatting, as if the events that he previously witnessed didn't even happen. This shows the horrors of human society. The dog shows a different side. It licks the prisoners face, not knowing of the crimes committed by the man and simply not caring. Race, religion, and overall decisions are irrelevant to the dog who can't see the distinctions that society places around all individuals. Judgement is a part of human nature, it's not always right and it's not always fair, but it is always there and some can attribute that to colonialism, where the Europeans placed themselves in positions of authority early on and still occupy many of those positions today.
In George Orwell's "The Hanging", it strongly depicts how European colonization has engraved a huge mark on the Indian Society during the 19th and 20th century. In this essay, it shows the sense of ethnocentrism, that eventually led to colonialism. The essay explains the sense of cruelty that lies within the human nature. It foretells a story of a Hindu man, who was convicted of a unexplained action, and is soon to be led to execution. The dog that approaches the group of men with full of excitement and curiosity. It expresses its love and affection to each individual human being, no matter the skin tone. This shows that idea of pureness and hope. How the Indian people at first saw the European colonist as their savior and hope to get rid of their obstacles. But that sense of hope is eventually crushed and destroyed. As the essay progresses on, the narrator states, "I saw mystery, 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 of the organs in his body were working-- bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming-- all toiling away in solemn foolery." This clearly represents that the Hindu man was still alive and would be able to live his life. Why cut this man's life short? The European sense of sympathy doesn't include with people that are outside of their own ethnicity. The moment the Hindu man was praying to his god, there was only a slight sense of sorrow. But as the chanting continued, they wanted the Hindu man to die. It completely shows the absolute cruelty and unjust actions of the Europeans. Each and every individual was able to continue their actions/activities without the slightest sense of grief. "The dead man was a hundred yards away." This explains and shows that no one cared about the event that just happened. The concept of colonialism creates barriers that divides different groups of ethnicity, it brings the principles of the ethnocentric attitude, which create the sense of superiority over others. George Orwell's "The Hanging" ultimately shows the ideal of wanting each individual people to treat one another with the same amount of respect. But ultimately, there is always the sense of ethnocentric values within our society.
In "The Hanging", George Orwell demonstrates the effects that colonialism has had on human nature. When a Hindu man is sentenced to death, the entire process of the hanging is treated as a regular chore that is a burden, but has to be done. The man being hanged isn't treated like a human, but as an object, which is shown in the way the prison guards handle him when taking him out of his cell. This alone shows the mindset of colonialists who believe they are superior and have no concern for the people that they have responsibility over. The prison guards don't show the sympathy that they are perhaps supposed to show as humans, because they don't see the prisoners as humans based on the fact they are of an inferior race and country. However, on the way to the hanging, the narrator is struck with the short lived realization that a man's life will be taken. This rare feeling of sympathy came only when the narrator understood the severity of the situation, and the fact that he was ultimately no different than the man being hanged. When humans relate to others, they tend to feel for the other person because they can imagine themselves in that position. In this case, the narrator's sympathy did not last long once the man being hanged showed cultural differences while he was dying. This made the narrator step back and remember the principles promoted by the idea of colonialism- superiority and control. While all of this happened, the dog showed the emotion that the prison guards were supposed to have shown. Ironically, the dog was meant to demonstrate the core of human emotion, empathy, while the men showed "animalism" in their lack of care of the prisoners they were controlling and killing.
After the hanging, the prison guards were void of any sadness or guilt. Rather, they made jokes and spoke about the hanging as though it had happened for fun. The impact of colonialsm made these men feel that the lives of the prisoners meant nothing and would not affect them in anyway. As white men, it was their job to punish the prisoners, because they were in control of what they thought of as objects. There was no description of the reason behind why the man was being hanged, which shows the narrator's lack of sentiment towards the prisoner. Ultimately, this essay shows how colonialism has promoted the idea of white superiority and domination so much that events like hangings don't phase those in control.
In his short essay, "A Hanging", George Orwell shows the public the damage colonialism has done to natives and Europeans alike. The Europeans in the colonies are no longer sensitive to the death of another human being. While the Hindu prisoner was being brought to his death, the narrator started to realize how wrong the situation was, taking the life of another human being, but he did not try to prevent it. Instead he stood by and watched. After the Hindu prisoner died, the Europeans and the native people continued on with their lives. The prisoners were given breakfast while the Europeans and warders told stories and laughed about the lives they have taken. According to Orwell, colonialism caused humans to see the loss of another as a routine, or a job. The condemners no longer feel sympathy for those whose lives they take. As shown in the short essay by the Indian warders, colonialism caused the Indian people to turn against each other, since some are seen as useful while others were seen as worthless. Even the other prisoners had not felt remorse, despite losing one of their own. They instead focused on the breakfast being given to them. With his essay, "A Hanging", Orwell shows the cruelty and the insensitivity created by colonialism.
George Orwell's "A Hanging" describes the cruelty of human nature. "This man was not dying, he was alive just as we were alive...... 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 if is would be gone ---- one mind less, one world less." At this moment, this person clearly feels some kind of guilt for what they are doing this to this living, breathing person. However, he doesn't do anything about it. Why? Because it's not happening to him or to anyone he loves. Humans are so selfish that even though they see everything that's going on in the world, we still choose to ignore it because it doesn't hurt us. After the hanging, everyone returns to normal,they don't feel the grief of taking away a life because they don't see a life, they see a person who is beneath them. The guards don't care that they helped cease the life of a living person. Who are we to decide who deserves to live and who doesn't? We are all the same, we have no right to think that we are above someone and they are below us, we all have the same power, some just abuse it-like these people in the story. The dog in the story symbolizes how he still sees the prisoner as a human, he doesn't see him as a filthy person who is lower than everyone else around him, he seems him as a normal person. However, the prisoner's guards treat him with so much care, as if he's an animal that will pounce on them. "A hanging" shows that even though humans have enough common sense to see that what they're doing is wrong, they still choose to ignore it because it isn't affecting them. This story also shows the feeling of superiority some humans have over each other. The superintendent obviously feels superior to them prisoner by commanding when he gets hanged. "A hanging" depicts human nature at its core.
In the brief essay, "A Hanging" by George Orwell, the author narrates the story of a Hindu prisoner being hanged, while making a valid argument discussing the evolution of human nature to cruelty as the development of the world progressed more complexly and the idea of colonialism began. Simply put, the murder of one human by another is a crime against nature, and there is no possible reason it could ever be justified with. Yet, as settlements became civilizations, and the age of empires started, ideas such as superiority and racism developed, the focus of the human brain shifted from survival to being the best, and with this mind shift, overall cruelty increased and the policies of nature seem to disappear. The prisoner was a Hindu, a minority to Europe, so racist and 'superior' jail officer was thought he had full justification to hang him for whatever reason. The author realized as the man was being walked to his death, that there is no justification for killing another human being. The author describes the dog coming in and causing a commotion to show that the only non-human was the only one who realized how wrong the idea of killing another human was.
In the essay, "A Hanging", by George Orwell, the author describes his morning in the gallows of Burma. According to the article, killing an innocent Indian seemed to be a tedious yet necessary routine. The way the Europeans treated the natives was condescending. For example, when the physically weak Hindu man came out of his cell, the (fellow) Indian warders handcuffed him, tied a rope through his hands and fastened it to their belts as if it were a collar on a dog. In terms of treatment, Indians were treated like animals rather than the humans. "We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages."They even hurt the dog- "...the dog still straining and whimpering." In addition to the harsh behavior, colonizing India led to the superior thinking on the Europeans' behalf. They believed they could kill any 'inferior' person, sometimes for their own pleasure or even for no reason at all. "The man ought to have been dead by this time." "Suddenly the superintendent made up his mind." These two statements show that they could enforce any rule on the others due to their 'superiority.' What amazed me was the Hindu's religious belief in his god to be chanting "Ram" till his end. It wasn't a cry for help or prayer but steady as if by chanting his name he will attain moksha and peace. Furthermore, I was disgusted by the reactions by Francis, the Dravidian, the narrator and the superintendent when Francis was describing a previous killing. The prisoner was resisting his 'punishment' and yet the white people felt it was "troublesome." ""My dear fellow," we said, "think of all the pain and trouble you are causing to us!"" This statement deeply impacted me because they didn't think of the person who was being killed and how he felt. "The Hanging" exposed few of the many atrocities committed by the Europeans towards the Indians.
That last thought is very true, Selvi. Just like the Belgians in the Congo, they were ruthless towards the natives and mauled and treated them in horrible ways. Colonialism can have that effect due to the idea of superiority that comes with dominating people, which all traces back to social darwinism. In many places, you see the maltreatment of the natives, just like George Orwell depicted in "The Hanging." I especially liked the quote you added about the "pain and trouble you are causing us." It shows how oblivious and belittling people can be towards people of inferior status. Overall, this was a very interesting approach to shed light on the cons of colonialism and the effects it has on the people. I enjoyed Orwell's tones and overall message.
This essay, " A Hanging," by George Orwell shows the tragedy of colonialism and the true human nature in India during the 19th century. The British crown took control of India after the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 which they established indirect but strict rule. In this passage George Orwell realizes for the first time how terrible and inhumane killing a human can be while at a prison in Burma. He says, "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." Orwell is terrorized by the idea that this living man will be hanged and killed right in front of him even though this man was a prisoner. He also sees how unaffected the workers at the prison were, they didn't care this man was dying because it had no impact on their personal life. Similar to what many other students have mentioned, the dog is a symbolic part in this essay. It represents the sympathy that no other person at the scene feels for the prisoner. Contrary to the people who show the horrors of human nature and the evil of the world, the dog shows how there is good in the world and people can care for even the worst prisoners. Colonialism brought out the evil side of people and in cases like India, the British had strict rule which resulted in many scenarios like the one mentioned in George Orwell's essay.
In “A Hanging,” by George Orwell, Orwell depicts the harsh consequences of colonialism and how human nature can be cruel. “We were waiting outside the condemned cells… like small animal cages.. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them.” Orwell indicates the brutal consequences of colonialism by showing that the natives, who were referred to as “brown silent men,” were treated as inferior peoples and were often faced with capital punishment; thus, this also depicts humanity’s cruel nature. Moreover, these punishments (hangings) seem to be of common occurrence as implied by Orwell. “‘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?’” The superintendent of the jail makes it seem like hangings were of common occurrence. Although Orwell depicts the harshness of colonialism and the dark side of human nature, he also demonstrates the goodness of human nature through one of the soldiers escorting the prisoner. “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 soldier acknowledges that what the imperialists were doing is wrong and realizes that they are treating the natives as inferiors; this feeling of superiority over another human was one of the causes to imperialism and colonialism on foreign lands. However, this altruistic feeling was only temporary. “I found that I was laughing quite loudly. Everyone was laughing. Even the superintendent grinned in a tolerant way.” Orwell ultimately shows that colonialism is bad by showing how this soldier quickly forgot this wrongful execution of a native. The soldier has completely forgotten that these natives were equal and were like any other human being, and he along with the other Europeans just laughed it off. I agree with Alyssa that this essay shows the violent, inhuman effects of colonialism that had taken place.
George Orwell’s essay titled, “A Hanging,” illustrates the true evil of colonialism and the candid human nature during the early 20th century. After the British East India Company was seized from control by the actual British crown following the Sepoy Rebellion, the British crown proved to rule more sternly and brutal than their BEIC predecessors. That may be the reason as to why they were able to kill one of their prisoners so easily and without and any reluctance. In this essay, Orwell is extremely astonished about how easily they killed this prisoner by stating “‘…but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man…I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.’” Unfortunately, Orwell seems to be the only person who feels this way as the rest of the prisoners take it as a usual routine; cheering when the scenario is complete, and begin to drink whisky. I agree Nick’s initial statement explaining the dog’s significance in the essay as “it seems dog is supposed to be a representation of how humans should feel about what is happening to this poor man.” Thus, Orwell’s essay clearly depicts the troubling human nature displayed during the early 20th century.
A Hanging by George Orwell gives an honest look in on his point of view and experience as a police officer in Burma. Deep down he realizes how the way they treat these men is so wrong. "I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide." He can see that its wrong to take a mans life when he hasn't even fully lived it. "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." He says all this but yet he does nothing to help the man. Instead he continues his job as officer and probably goes through even more hanging of a "healthy, conscious man." At the end he evens laughs at jokes about hanging the man with the other guards. He seems to forget what it meant to take away a mans life. He even says "The dead man was a hundred yards away" when yet it just happened.
I like how Orwell included the part about the dog. The dog came in so happy seeing everyone and went crazy wanting to play. He ran to the prisoner to try to play with him and it took everyone a minute before they can do anything. It made it seem like the dog knew the mans life was about to end and wanted to stay with the man before he was gone. It was like the dog understood like Orwell that its to soon for this man's life to end.
Orwell gave showed an interesting part of human nature. No matter how much we are against something and know how wrong it is we still don't do anything to make a difference. We play along and act like nothing is wrong about what we just saw.
George Orwell's "A Hanging" answers the age-old question of human nature by demonstrating we are inherently evil, and shows how colonialism plays a part in this behavior. Orwell starts off by describing the brutal conditions the prisoners are kept in, such as likening their cells to "small animal cages." The cells are also referred to as being "condemned', further showing how the prisoners are essentially being dehumanized by their captors. The prisoner who is to be hanged is soon being escorted to the gallows, but is shown as ultimately being accepting of his fate, because he does not resist the wardens. This shows the man is aware rebelling would be futile. The prisoners are described as being due to hang in the next week or two, so he was probably exposed to this exact situation many times prior to this. On the way to the hanging site, a dog seems to materialize out of nowhere and is acting playful and joyous, contrasting the seriousness of the issue, and even expresses affection for the prisoner by licking his face. The superintendent refers to the dog as a "bloody brute". Here is where Orwell makes clear what he thinks about humans at their most basal level. The dog represents how the humans should react in the presence of each other, instead of acting divided. The superintendent calls the dog a brute because he cannot accept the fact that what he is doing is wrongful. Colonialism ties in with this because the colonizer always treats the colonized as inferior. This was a worldwide pandemic--and left devastating consequences for indigenous peoples living in colonized regions. The prison officials are treating the man as if he is lesser than a human being. However, the narrator realizes this by stating "I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." Despite this epiphany, the narrator quickly forgets about the ordeal of the hanging because he shares a laugh with his colleagues with the prisoner a mere hundred yards away. This shows, according to Orwell, that there is no fixing the evilness embedded within human nature. When the dog whines after the prisoner is hanged, he whines because there is no hope for these men--they cannot be saved from themselves.
In Orwell’s essay, “A Hanging”, he expresses his views on capital punishment and shares an eye opening moment where he realized how cruel humans can truly be. As having once been an imperial officer, he shares a firsthand experience of a hanging of a particular Hindu man. This essay easily depicts European violence towards the population of colonies they dominated. They felt a superiority and little sympathy to seeing dead or injured natives of these colonies. The officers at the end of Orwell’s piece continue on with their day, having a laugh and drinking. The dog that suddenly shows up and disrupts the hanging is a sign of peace and toleration. It sensed something off and immediately goes to the prisoner showing signs of affection and love. Animals have that instinct that many humans ignore or brush off because of influences in society. Orwell mentions how he finally realized that he is taking part of killing another human being that is heathy and alive just like him. A simple act led to this conclusion. While hearing the cries of the dying prisoner, the author states, “…the same thought was in all our minds: oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!” This is an example of how disturbing it is to take the life of another human yet it continues to happen to this day. The people observing the hanging just want it to be over so they can continue with their lives as if it never happened. Orwell bottles up his feelings at the end, joining the other officers to a drink while the body of the dead Hindu man was left a hundred yards away.
In "A Hanging," by George Orwell, Orwell depicts the brutal consequences of colonialism. As a result of colonialism, many Europeans have become no longer sensitive to the deaths of other human beings. While the Hindu prisoner was being escorted to the gallows, the narrator began to realize the wrong doing that was unfolding in front of him. " 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." However, the narrator does not take action and lets the event proceed. After the Hindu prisoner was killed, the Europeans and natives went on with their lives as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened. The prisoners were then given their breakfast of rice in a " ... homely, jolly scene, after the hanging..." The atmosphere after the hanging shows that the killing of man had become a normal occurrence and that a sensitivity towards death had been lost. As the prisoners ate, the Europeans and warders laughed and told stories of the the various lives they had taken. The short story shows how colonialism had turned killing a human into a daily job or task and sympathy for someone's death was no longer existent. Even the prisoners had lost their sense of emotion towards the death of others. They instead focused on themselves and what their breakfast for the morning was. As shown by the role of the Indian warders in the short story, many Indians turned on each other. A select few were seen as important, while many others were seen as worthless. In summary, "A Hanging," by George Orwell shows the monstrous consequences of colonialism and the damage it has inflicted on all parties involved.
"A Hanging", by George Orwell, shows the horrifying effects colonialism has had on man. Orwell had first described the disgusting living conditions at Burma. "We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages.". This quote shows how inhumane prisoners had been living. The living spaces being compared to animal cages is just not acceptable.As Orwell described, an unfortunate Hindu man was being prepared to be hanged. Orwell had mentioned how he was no different from any other person there. There was no sympathy shown to this innocent man. As the guards escorted him to his death, the almost lifeless looking man was treated as if he was armed and dangerous. The guards were blinded by colonialism and could not see the fact that everyone is equal. Corrupted minds had led to the removal of all human qualities. The gallows, or the place were people were hanged, seemed to be view as an everyday part of life. Leading up to the hanging, all daily activities were stopped. The most terrifying event that effected me the most were the events taken place after the death of the Hindu man. As soon as the silence of death feel upon the people surrounding the gallows, normal activity continued throughout the prison. These people have been stripped of their humanity so badly that laughter was shed after the hanging. Orwell had described it as a weight being taken off the shoulders of the surrounding men. In sum, colonialism had influenced these men in a very negative way. Human nature is suppose to be a beautiful thing but these guards have turned it into an insidious way of life.
In the short story "A Hanging" by George Orwell, the narrator explains what happened on the day that a Hindu man was hung to his death. George Orwell uses this event to describe the dark side of human nature. For example, the narrator describes the living quarters of the prisoners as small animal cages that are ten by ten and have nothing but a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. The prisoners were being treated like animals since they were "inferior" to the warders and the colonizers. Another example is when the superintendent of the jail said, "This man ought to have been dead by this time." The superintendent had no feelings or care for the prisoner and talked about him as if he were a pest and nothing more. To conclude, George Orwell had written the short story "A Hanging" to describe and show how dark human nature can become and how cruel people can be to each other.
George Orwell's "A Hanging", clearly shows the effect the European colonialism had on human nature in India during the 19th century and how human beings can be cruel creatures. While imprisoned in Burma, Orwell encounters the hanging of a Hindu man. Not only is Orwell horrified that this man is going to be hung in front of himself as well as the other prisoners, but he is also terrified by the realization that this man's life is going to be cut short. It is at this moment that Orwell fully notices how cruel humans can behave after going through an extremely brutal event of colonization. He states, "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." Orwell is amazed that the other prisoners and the prison guards took this as a normal routine. The fact that this man's life was taken away from him disturbs no one else besides Orwell. "Disturb" is the complete opposite word that can be used to describe how the guards and prisoners reacted. Once the routine was complete, they simply gathered together and laughed about the death of the man and others who have been hung while they drank whiskey. Just as many of my classmates have stated before me, I believe that the dog symbolizes how humans should behave in a situation like this, instead of acting like they did. Human beings should be kind, caring, respectful creatures, but they are more like wild animals, cheering at the death of a fellow human. Unfortunately, only Orwell and the dog see how wrong and inhumane the ending of this man's life is. I agree with Anthony that if the humans saw this man as a human instead of an animal, they would have been sympathetic for this man. Orwell's observance of the reaction of others helps to show how effective colonialism can be, making human beings heartless, inhumane creatures.
In the passage, "A Hanging" by George Orwell an officer shares his first-hand experience with the hanging of a prisoner. The severity of ending another person's life begins to weigh on him. None of the other officers seem to understand the finality and unfair nature of these actions. Over time, people have been desensitized to the execution of those who have committed crimes. They no longer hesitate when asked to end someone's life, for they believe their reasoning is justified; murder has become the new form of law enforcement. "It is curious, but til that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." This statement shows the lack of understanding for this issue. Ending the life of another person doesn't seem to raise any controversy. Human nature has been tainted with violence in order to control the masses. People share many of the same characteristics, but will attempt to rid the world of those who are not deemed as satisfactory citizens. A dog is mentioned within the passage as another perspective on human behavior. The dog is unaware of the social issues that have occurred, but rather views all of the humans as equals. If people managed to obtain a similar viewpoint on other humans and the world, perhaps there would be less violence, simply due to an inability to take someone else's life.
George Orwell's essay "A Hanging" shows the cruelty of humanity and the British rule in India. In the essay, Orwell discuses how leading up to the death, the superintendent had his head down on his chest and was just poking at the gravel while the prisoner was dangling on the rope in the gallows screaming out to his god, making everyone in the gallows change color and pleading to kill the prisoner just to make him stop calling out. After the death of the prisoner, the Eurasian told everyone how the prisoner wet himself after hearing his appeal was denied, thinking that this was funny and making everyone else laugh with him. Francis decided to join in and tell a story about how he and a few other guards had to forcefully remove a prisoner to bring him to the gallows, making everyone hysterically laugh. This shows the cruelty of humanity and British rule in India because the superintendent of the prison made the prisoner suffer before he died by making him repeatedly call out to his god until he actually did die, making everyone else sick in the process. In addition, even after the death of the innocent prisoner, everyone who had authority in the prison treated it like business as usual and carried on with their day, cracking jokes about death and the scared prisoners, thinking that it was a funny thing to think and joke about between themselves.
George Orwell's essay "A Hanging" shows the horrors colonialism has on human nature. The people in this story show no remorse for the Hindu man as he is about to be hung. This is due to the feeling of superiority, created by British colonialism. The guards in this story do not value the life of the Hindu prisoner at all, rather look at him as an animal that needs to be put down. This represents itself when the superintendent shouts at a guard for not being on time with the hanging. The man was concerned about breakfast being a few minutes late, rather then showing any concern for the prisoner who was about to be killed. The idea that they are superior to the Hindu man is what causes this complete lack of emotional connection to the man that is about to be killed. To further this a few minutes later the men are laughing and telling stories about other people being hung. They were drinking and having a good time when only a hundred yards away was the man they just watched get killed. The narrator appears to realize the atrocity that has occurred when he states "I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man." This shows the moment at which the narrator began to look at the Hindu man as a human not some lesser creature, that the guards perceive him to be. The dog whimpers after the man is killed, this was likely added to the essay to show how a person who was not poisoned by colonialism would react to this hanging. It is clear that 20th century colonialism by the British had a tremendous impact on the way people viewed one another, and a overall feeling of British superiority over other people.
George Orwell's, "A Hanging," displays the newfound evil that colonialism brings about. When the British crown took control from the British East India Company after the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, Britain showed to rule more brutally than their predecessors. Orwell gives an accurate depiction of how Indian prisoners were treated, which was inhumane and almost animal-like. Orwell writes, "... till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. 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." Orwell seems to be one of a very few amount of people to feel as he does, as everyone else doesn't seem to care that another human had their life taken from them. Hanging prisoners began to become a regular practice, so often so that the guards would celebrate when the job was done and they would drink soon after. As many other students previously stated, the dog represents the uncommon human emotion that people lacked after colonization. The dog whimpered and showed affection towards the prisoner being lost, whereas the guards escorting the prisoner to his death were quite confused and annoyed by this act. Although Orwell seemed to feel sympathetic towards the prisoner, he still did not intervene. He did not stand up for what he though was right, most likely because he feared the consequences. Despite what he witnessed, he continued to drink and joke about the hanging with the other guards afterwards. One can probably say that there was a loss of humanity. Ultimately, British rule over India during the 20th century promoted a sense of white superiority over the Indians, resulting in deadly scenarios similar to that of George Orwell's.
"The Hanging", by George Orwell , clearly demonstrates the effects of colonialism on human nature. The story takes place in some jail in Burma where some small Hindu man is being prepared to be hung in the gallows. As the man is being taken out to be hung, a dog appears and made a dash for the prisoner. The dog is symbolic of human nature unaffected by the harsh realties of a complex world. The dog doesn't know who is good and who is bad, but it has the same affection for both the prisoners and the guards. Before the man is to be hung, the narrator undergoes a change of heart. He begins to ponder on the fact that they are killing a healthy and conscious man. He even refers to what is about to happen as an "unspeakable wrongness". However, the man takes no action to change this outcome, perhaps because he didn't have the authority to, or because the values and ideals of colonialism have been implemented in his brain. One other thing that is important to note is how the narrator doesn't refer to himself, but refers typically to the whole group by using words like "We" and "Us". This suggests that the narrator wasn't the only who was beginning to question his actions. After the man is executed, the guards go on with their day as if nothing peculiar happened. In fact, at the end of the story, they go drinking. I believe they do this because they have become emotionally blind to what exactly they are doing. After so many executions, what distinguishes what prisoner from another in the eyes of the prison guards? All in all, this story by Orwell is a good representation on the affects of colonialism on human nature.
George Orwell's "A Hanging" really does a great job at illustrating the cruelty that had gone on in India. In a colony such as India, there is some suspected inequality between the people, but the level of animal like treatment of the Hindus had surprised me. The part that had struck me the most what the lack of a reason for the hanging; Orwell did not disclose his reasons to be sentenced to death. This makes it more evident of the absurdities committed by the British. It shows how the conviction of the hangman was not important, as it could be any person, it did not matter whether the person was a murderer or a good person; the Europeans had treated the Indians with cruelty and with an inhumane nature. Another thing that had stood out greatly was the description of the conditions. They had described the prisoners living quarters as that it could be compared to the stable of an animal. Also, the European captivators seem to have treated the dog with as much respect (or more) than the Hindu hangman. The only thing more chilling than the treatment of the prisoner is the fact that they treat it as it is a joke. The ability to hang a man and then soon after sing and joke around is a sick and twisted thing to do. Their ability to take the hanging so lightly and joke around quickly after suggests that this is not an uncommon thing to happen; possibly that hangings of Indian people is a daily activity that occurs in many places throughout the colony of India. George Orwell's depiction of occupying India greatly illustrates the horrors committed by the British. This essay is an eye opener to the mistreatment of the Indian people during the rule of the British in India. To think that this been published in 1931 is a very uneasy thing to think about. To imagine that my grandparents were around during the time that this would happen makes me realize that these horrors was not that long ago, and this treatment may be committed in other places in the world, just like how the British controlled India very recently, even up to this day.
" A Hanging," by George Orwell shows the horrid of colonialism and the truth about the twisted minds of Indians as well as many others. In this essay, an officer shares his first hand experiences about the man who was sent to the gallows to be deprived of his life. "we were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and pot of drinking water." This is stating the horrible treatment that the superior group, in this case the guards representing the Muslims because of their minority in numbers, inflicted on the inferior group or the prisoners representing the Hindus who were more powerful in their numbers. From this officers perspective, this essay shows us the path leading up to the destruction of an innocent life and also the dead mans actions on this path. George Orwell used the dog in his essay as a figurative element representing innocence and hope. The dog went to the soon to be executed Indian and gave the Indian some level of security and make him forget what his near future would look like. When the man dies, the dog whimpers and then is follows behing his owners dredfully. "It is curious but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid a puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it was in full tide. This man was not dying, he was alive just as we were alive." It takes visualizing to be able to understand the true definition of life. Although many people in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries knew when they were going to be sent to die, in our world today, we can never be sure with the major problem of cold murders occurring on an everyday basis.
What's interesting to me about George Orwell's "A Hanging" is how everyone, including the narrator, seems so detached from the killing of a prisoner. Executing the prisoner is often referred to as a "job" as if no one wants to admit what they're actually about to do. The superintendent of the jail is so emotionally detached to the point where he is impatient to hang the prisoner. He even goes as far as to say "For God's sake hurry up, Francis, the man ought to be dead by this time". After the Hindu prisoner was hanged, the narrator and the others proceeded to laugh about the killing of another prisoner who was resisting being hanged. The group then drinks whiskey together as if nothing happened, as if it was just a normal day. This raises an interesting question, are these men purposefully ignoring what they've witnessed to stay sane and not feel the weight of death on their shoulders? Or are they so desensitized to the point that the loss of human life no longer affects them? Humans so often witness things that should affect them but they just go on in their daily lives as if it never happened. Maybe it is simpler to ignore the injustice and brutality of the world. However, living life in the dark just contributes to history repeating itself since no one learns from mistakes other made in the past.
"A Hanging" by George Orwell revealed the true, cruel nature of humans, especially with the impact of colonialism. In the essay, Orwell discusses the execution of a Hindu prisoner, who was being mistreated in the prison. "He was a Hindu, a puny wisp of a man...". This man was probably not fed properly, and he was extremely weak- "But he stood quite unresisting, yielding his arms limply to the ropes...". Obviously the natives were being abused by the Europeans, which shows their brutality. In addition, the superintendent did not have any care or emotion for this native prisoner. He scolds the head jailer, Francis, for not killing the prisoner fast enough. The superintendent has no feelings or emotions; he doesn't feel any type of guilt about taking a life. Colonialism made them harsh and cruel and gave them a sense of superiority. They believe they are so superior in comparison to the natives that they have no concern for their well-being. It's assumed that these type of killings happened often, because these soldiers are so emotionless when dealing with executions. They think thoughts like "...kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!". Again, they view natives as inferiors and almost like animals. On the contrary, Orwell does acknowledge that their actions are wrong. He states that "... [he] saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide." He knows that he's committing a crime by aiding in the execution but this feeling of wrongdoing doesn't last for long. In the end, they all laugh about killing the native, showing again the darker, cynical side of humans.
In George Orwell's "A Hanging", the author describes his feelings and experiences as he witnesses and participates in the execution of a Hindu man. Throughout his essay the author shows that the prisoners are treated like animals. We see this when the author is describing the cells, he states, “We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages.” We also see this evident when he is describing the way it took six guards to escort a “puny wisp of a man.” He says, “It was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water.” The author’s purpose is to also allow the audience to understand the way the guards and superintendent felt towards the prisoners. We see this when the superintendent is upset because the execution is running late, and says, “For God’s sake hurry up, Francis.” And “The man ought to have been dead by this time.” This allows the reader to see the disrespect the authority has towards the prisoners. We can see through the thoughts expressed by the author that he disagrees with the actions done to the prisoners as they are treated like animals locked in cages. The author realizes the wrongfulness in killing someone who’s living a healthy life, we see this when the author states, “I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide.” Even though he does not object to these actions he does not agree with them. We see that the author is sharing his thoughts and his experiences with the European magistrate and establishment. One significant way of seeing this is through the author’s way of specifically describing the prison itself and even the way the guards presented themselves. This is evident when the author describes the way gallows appeared. He states, “It was a brick erection like three sides of a shed, with planking on top, and above that two beams and a crossbar with the rope dangling.” By combining the way the author felt, it is clear that George Orwell was so degraded by the events that took place that morning, that he really wanted the rest of the members in the establishment to hear and also realize the wrongfulness of the events that take place not only that morning, but perhaps every day in Burma.
George Orwell's "A Hanging" provides a clear demonstration of the inhumane acts directed towards conquered groups of people. These groups, specifically the Indians, had often been brought to the gallows, so often that it became a routine. Even the narrator referred to their living spaces as “condemned cells [that were] like small animal cages.” The warders, superintendent and narrator just continued their routine, with the outcome not having much of an effect on them whatsoever. Though, when the dog suddenly appeared, I felt like it provided a perfect moment for them to realize the atrociousness of the situation and not go through with the hanging. Much to my disgrace, they hadn’t. When the hangman was chanting “Ram! Ram! Ram!”, they were slightly disgusted, but in him! The narrator claimed that he was making it more troublesome for them! If anything, they should be disgusted in themselves for killing an innocent man for no reason at all. “We looked at the lashed, hooded man on the drop, and listened to his cries—each cry another second of life; the same thought was in all our minds: oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!” They were mesmerized by the feeling of superiority, so much to the point where they would choose to end a man’s life if he was just irritating them. As if nothing, or no one, else mattered except for them. The reality of what they were actually doing had yet to leave an impact on them, therefore presenting the true selfishness of human beings. These natives had been treated as animals with no power by the Europeans and were murdered on a daily basis. After following through with their plans, these men made jokes as if it didn’t matter that they just took the life of one. These feuds between different groups of people have been going on for far too long. What’s the point of putting other ethnic groups down? A sense of superiority and entitlement? Or possibly feeling like you’re of some importance and/ or have power? Is it really worth all of the fighting and anarchy that it has caused to be proclaimed superior? We are all entitled to one definition: human. As the same species, we should be aiding one another, not ruining each other as a chance to see who's best.
This is a very compelling essay to me about the cruel side of human nature. One example of this is how poorly they treat the prisoner. Although the prisoner in Hindu, the way people react to someone with a death sentence is never positive. When you hear about someone who is receiving a death sentence, without knowing who they are or what they did, you automatically think of them as savages or deadly barbarians who deserve what they got. As a result, they are ridiculed and barely treated like human beings. This can be seen in Orwell's essay, where it states: "They crowded very close about him, with their hands always on him in a careful, caressing grip...[i]t was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water." They treated the man like he would try to hurt them or escape any second, when he obviously couldn't. These men treat the prisoner like an animal thats below them, because he has a death sentence. Another example of dark human nature in the story is when the men laugh about the prisoner's death. After killing him, the men go to get something to eat. It is at first silent, but then people start talking about past executions and they start to laugh. When humans are put into serious situations such as death or murder/execution, they tend to laugh or try to lighten the mood with a joke, because it is so much easier to laugh then to think about death. It sounds like such a horrible thing to do, but when put in that situation, we can't help but to do it ourselves. Both of these actions taken by the men in charge of the execution are not extreme, but actually natural, darker side of humanity. This essay has made me realize how dark humans can be without even being aware of it.
In George Orwell's essay "A Hanging", he describes the attitudes of people to inhuman actions such as "destroying a healthy, conscious man" due to societal differences. To the superiority guards, killing the Hindu man (who was in the lower class) was no big deal; a task of sorts. It can be inferred that the man was condemned due to a reason which would not be viewed as deserving of death today, but the guards did not care. Since the prisoner was lower class, killing him was no big deal and the guards actually rejoiced after his killing. The dog shows a contrasted attitude to those of the guards, for the dog paid equal attention to all parties; regardless of societal status. The dog resembled the ideal that all men are equal; regardless of race, sex, or societal class. The author begins to realize this ideal in paragraph 10, where he states "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." By observing this scene, he begins to realize that all men truly are equal.