A Hanging Symbolism

A Hanging by George Orwell is a short story focusing on a hanging taking place in a Burma Jail. The story is narrated by a jail guard as he witnesses an all too common hanging taking place against a Hindu prisoner. On the surface, Orwell is trying to show the audience the horrible mistreatment and inhumane actions of guards and prison staff again the prisoners. The slightly deeper theme of the story is appreciation, respect of human life and how Orwell feels about a man deciding the fate of another. These messages are brought into the work through the narrator's thoughts and the actions of the guards around him. In the third paragraph, The superintendent says “For God’s sake hurry up, Francis” and “The man ought to have been dead by this time. Aren’t you ready yet?” These comments show the lack of value the guards have for the lives of the prisoners.
Further along the story the Hindu man is being walked along to the gallows where he will be hung. As they walk the man notices a puddle and slightly steps away to avoid it. It is at this point the narrator sees the sufinicence of killing a perfectly healthy man. The rest of the guards see the …show more content…
The symbolism starts with even the title. A Hanging not The Hanging. This implies that this isn’t a single event but one of many. This hanging is not a rare occurrence its a daily event. This could be a factor in the lack of emotion of the other guards, they have seen too many dead men to be phased anymore. The next bit of symbolism is the wild dog. The wild dog bursts into the courtyard and jumps to lick the prisoners face. This compels the reader to feel more sympathy for the man due to be executed because an animal has more compassion for this human life then the men around him. At the end of the story the dog again runs to the executed man and backs away as if he just realized what had happened to him. Again the dog is showing more compassion to the man than the