..."A Hanging" by George Orwell tells a story of a condemned man seen through the narrator, a man that is given no name nor is it explained what crime he committed, leaving the reader to decide if his fate is just in the short time the narrator is with the condemned. The main idea of the story is that all life is precious. First the story shows how desensitized society can and has become to the loss of life in everyone. Throughout the story dark tones and generalities are constantly present. The essence of humanity is void instead replaced with a mechanization of the soul to the point that taking a life is seen as a duty, not a blessing or curse. Orwell is a man working away his years, only to be moved by a prisoner, whose life is condemned, causing Orwell to realize the fragility and sanctity of life. Next Orwell shows that all life is precious. He describes the prisoners’ body in vivid detail and explains that “This man is just as alive as we are alive” (Orwell 315). There is a dog, unaware of the punishment about to be handed down that breaks through and goes straight to the prisoner. He licks and plays with him and views every attempt to catch him as a game. Meanwhile the prisoner thinks this must be part of this process to dehumanize himself before he is executed. Finally it is only when the prisoner avoids a puddle on way to his death you see a change in view from Orwell. An action so simple, viewed as common place would not be thought of for a second yet it changes the...
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...Reaction Paper - The Hanging of the Mouse Jamie Moore ENG/125 9/9/2011 Julia Reeves The storyline in this short story is that in a town made up of animals, all of the different species came together in the town square to watch a criminal mouse be hanged for his crimes. The writer used animal names, looks, or characteristics to fit them to a part in the story. The executioner is a raccoon, due to the fact that raccoons, like executioners, have black masks. A praying mantis was in charge of the religious ceremonies, because ‘praying’ is in the creature’s name and prayer is linked to religion. And large brown beetles were the soldiers because of their armor-like shells. The writer portrayed the mouse to be very remorseful of what he had done when the mouse hung his head and cried with sorrow as he was being taken to the noose. In the third paragraph, the story states that during the mouse’s walk of shame, the animals of the crowd tipped their heads back and sniffed the air with pleasure. This was most likely described in the story because animals are believed to be able to smell fear, as well as the fact that people often put their noses up in the air when they feel like they are better than others or to show another that they are being shamed. The story implies that the mouse had done something very serious to be hanged for his crimes, but the writer does not specify what the mouse’s crimes were. When the King’s messenger, who was a very large and overweight bullfrog...
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...Hanging of the Mouse “Hanging of the Mouse” is one of the most touching stories I have ever read. It talks about how in the old days, to teach moral lessons, they hung the prisoner(s). People would watch them publicly, and the people would enjoy them. The people saw it as a source of entertainment. They believed that by watching them, it would teach people that if you do something wrong you would be punished. Something more like a moral lesson. Bishop would not agree to this. I believe that she does not believe in public executions. Just seeing the fake mouse hanging over the chair made her feel unpleasant. Just imagining the little feet curling up when the mouse finally passed, just got to her. Actually witnessing an execution, I believe, would make her not feel like it was a moral lesson learned. It would only make her feel uncomfortable inside. “Who hangs one corrects a thousand.” I believe Bishop would not agree with this either. Again I think it makes her feel very uneasy. Also I think she believes in a fair fight. Whoever did wrong should be able to maybe get out on parole or good behavior. Sometimes when you make mistakes it may not be on purpose. Some people act on impulse. Another reason that she may not believe is because even though people have watched these executions, they still commit crimes. So this just proves that even though you are trying to show a “moral lesson” people do not take it that way. It is just like they used this source of punishment as...
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...Sylver Baker 2016 Professor Hendrix ENC 1102 23 May 2016 Formal Assignment 1: Analysis of “A Hanging” by George Orwell “A Hanging” by George Orwell is a short story based on the author’s experience while working as a police magistrate. In the story he talks about the experience of witnessing an execution. The prisoner is escorted to the gallows by the warders for his hanging. Once there everyone is ready for the execution to be done so that they can all go have a drink. Using descriptive words so that one feels and experiences what he experienced Orwell argues that Capital Punishment is wrong. Orwell focuses on the negative to set the tone of how unpleasant and depressing an execution is. He describes the day “a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil” which sets a gloomy tone. He describes the cells, “condemned”, “a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages”. In creating such a gloomy setting Orwell proves he is concerned and nervous about the execution. If he was not affected by the hanging, then the mood would not be so melancholy. Orwell can’t simply ignore the capital punishment and nor can anyone else. All people feel some kind of anxiety about the inhumane and cruel punishment. Orwell describes the superintendent and other characters’ emotions before and after the hanging, who is against capital punishment. The prisoner cries out in a rhythmical tone, “Ram! Ram! Ram! Ram!”, not out of fear or for help but as though...
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...‘A Hanging.’ By George Orwell ‘A Hanging’ is a non fiction essay written by George Orwell in 1931 in which he recounts a personal experience in Burma as police officer where he observes a ‘criminal’ being hanged. The essay presents the reader with the subject of capital punishment in a structure to challenge the reader’s views and stipulate a response from the readers as it is a subject that creates a great controversy. Orwell chooses not to use facts such as statistics and figures that simply asks and creates a black and white answer; instead he arouses the readers emotions through imagery, setting and narrative structure as he explores the themes and the message. The essay starts with a pessimistic description of the setting instantly creating a depressing mood as the rain is ‘sodden’ which creates a negative depiction. Orwell’s use of pathetic fallacy is evident as the rain symbolises sadness and tragedy. The reader is made aware of the prisoner’s unhealthy living conditions through Orwell’s wordchoice: “a sickly light, like yellow tinfoil.” The simile suggests that the light appears unnatural. The word ‘sickly’ implies the sense of illness and wrongness as ‘yellow tinfoil’ further the feeling of death, decay and unnaturalness of the prisoners being left to rot. The feelings of unnaturalness is continued throughout the essay as his point is that killing a life, whilst in full flow is unnatural and appears to strengthen Orwell’s feeling of being against capital punishment...
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...GarHanging Gardens of Babylon By: Katerina Gillian The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are considered to be one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were built in the ancient city-state of Babylon, near present-day Al Hillah, Babil, in Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the gardens to be built during his reign of 43 years between the years of 604-562 BC. He built it to help his homesick wife, Amyitis, who was from Media, overcome her depression. She missed the gardens and mountains of her homeland. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon impressed travelers and historians in ancient times. Although they no longer exist, the idea of such a magnificent garden still peaks the curiosity of people today. Architecturally, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were an impressive. The gardens were quadrilateral in shape. Stairways went to the highest terraced roofs. The plants on these terraces overhung stone column supports. Arched vaults were placed on cubed fountains. The fountains provided humidity that acted as a form of air conditioning. The shade from the trees also helped keep cool the gardens. The garden rose in close planted levels to create man-made mountain greenery. The gardens were supported by a detailed structure of stone pillars, brick walls, and palm tree trunk beams. These trunks were watertight. “Palm beams were placed over with reed and bitumen mats, as well as two layers of baked mud brick.” All of this was coated in a layer of lead. There were fourteen underground...
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...the telephone wires, and how they been raised, and how the inventor of the telephone, presents the telephone by creating demonstration of how the telephone works. The first chapter is also about how the public don´t welcoming the new invention. This negative angle leads us to the next chapter. The next chapter is a long listing of black people being hanged in telephone wires. The listing contains names of the men and the town they have been hanged in. The describing of the hangings continues supported by quotes wrote by different people. The people contains off a writers, a precedent, an activist and an investor, scientist and businessman. The novel ends in the last chapter with the main character, telling what he thinks of the telephone, the wires and the poles. The construction of the novel is quite unusual. There is a bit of a surprise element in the beginning of the story. We’re supposed to believe, that we are about to read a story of the telephone and how it was invented, but then the hangings take place in the story, and it flips the expectations, and make the rest of the story unpredictable and more exciting to read. The negative thoughts of the telephone wires are connected to the black men, whom have been hanged. We can find this connection in...
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...Arabia”). As technology developed, changes were made in the implementation of capital punishment; lethal injection as a form of death penalty was founded. On January 17, 1888, Lethal Injection was first proposed by Julius Mount Bleyer, a New York doctor. The death penalty of lethal injection does not amount to a cruel and unusual punishment even though it is against popular opinions; although it does have its downsides, they are common among other methods of executions. Taking into consideration it's positives, lethal injection is more humane than other options of executions. To start, some death penalties in U.S.’s history are more cruel and unusual compared to lethal injection. Hanging was one of the earliest methods of execution used in the United States. As a punishment for violation of certain crimes, hanging was considered very effective because of its simplicity and social impacts. Before the execution, the prisoner's hands and legs are secured, he or she is blindfolded, and the noose is placed around the neck, with the knot behind the left ear ("Descriptions of Execution”). Theoretically, the prisoner’s weight should cause instantaneous death. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, sometimes this is not the case. ”If the inmate has strong neck muscles, is very light, if the drop is too short, or the noose has been wrongly positioned, the fracture-dislocation is not rapid and death...
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...Cordingly, David. Under The Black Flag: The Romance And The Reality Of Life Among The Pirates. Harcourt, Inc.: Orlando, FL, 1997. Part 1: Summary The point of this book was to put aside the myths about pirates and replace them with facts. There are many fictional myths about pirates and their lives on the sea. Many books and movies have built pirates up to be romantical heroes instead of the ruthless savages they were, so this book focuses on separating fact from fiction about life as a pirate. Many plays and books such as Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and many others have used pirates as characters for many years. Many of us grew up watching pirates on television, but most of the time in pursuit of entertainment the truth is lost. Although pirates did dress in the fancy clothes that they looted from different ships; they did not always have the elaborate outfits worn by pirates in the movies. One piece of truth about pirates though is that they armed themselves to the teeth with weapons. The book also explains how some women survived life on the seas. Some women such as Mary Read and Anne Bonny had no trouble disguising themselves on pirate ships. These women had to deal with severe hardships, and they had to make sure their identity was concealed at all times. These two women were familiar with this life though because they had been raised as boys all their life. When they were caught they were also treated like men, and many times women pirates were also...
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...Tavion Smith Grade: 11 Bible Coursework 2014-2015 “The death penalty serves no useful purpose in our society today.” Introduction: A description of the term ‘death penalty’. The term death penalty is a legal process by which a person I put to death as punishment for a crime. The countries that still partake in this is Afghanistan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Botswana, China, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tonga, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vietnam, and Yemen. The methods of death penalties still in use are decapitation, electrocution, firing squad, gas chamber, hanging, lethal injection, shooting, and stoning. 1. A discussion of the differences between ‘manslaughter’ and ‘murder’ and a discussion of the recourse a convicted murder has after being sentenced. Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in an approach considered by law as less culpable than murder. Murder is the illegal slaughter, with malice aforethought, of another human. Manslaughter is divided into two categories voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary manslaughter is when a person kills a person with the intention of malice but, justifying circumstances present themselves resulting in them becoming less culpable. Involuntary manslaughter is the illegitimate killing of a person without the intention to kill. There...
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...Death by electric chair was before the 1940’s.People were searching for better method for execution that would substituted hanging therefore they build the electric chair the new York executed William kemmler in 1890 which was one of the first to die with this method. The following quote is by William Brennan she offered this description by electric chair. “The prisoner's eyeballs sometimes pop out and rest on [his] cheeks. The prisoner often defecates, urinates, and vomits blood and drool. The body turns bright red as its temperature rises, and the prisoner's flesh swells and his skin stretches to the point of breaking. Sometimes the prisoner catches fire....Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet...
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...Nikita Federoff Essay #1 Joseph-Anthony Roberto January 26, 2012 Criminology-BHS 142 Capital Punishment I believe Capital Punishment to be one of the most important environmental forces currently impacting the United States Criminal Justice System in a negative way. Capital Punishment is defined as the lawful infliction of death as a punishment, Commonly known as the Death Penalty. The first known infliction of the death penalty occurred in the American colonies the year of 1608, The victim being Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown Colony. Throughout history the death penalty has been known to be carried out by one of five lawful means; Hanging, Gas Chambers, Firing Squad, Lethal Injection, and Electrocution. In the eighteenth century 162 documented executions took place, Followed by 1,391 executions in the nineteenth century. Towards the end of the Revolutionary War, 11 Colonies wrote new constitutions allowing Capital Punishment. Ironically, nine out of those eleven colonies did not allow “Cruel and Unusual Punishment.” The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from inflicting "cruel and unusual punishments." The uncertainty of the phrase "cruel and unusual." cause controversy's over the constitutionality of the death penalty. Some argue that the phrase "cruel and unusual" refers to the type of punishment inflicted, others feel that the phrase refers to the degree and duration of the punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected...
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...Welcome to WritePoint, the automated review system that recognizes errors most commonly made by university students in academic essays. The system embeds comments into your paper and suggests possible changes in grammar and style. Please evaluate each comment carefully to ensure that the suggested change is appropriate for your paper, but remember that your instructor's preferences for style and format prevail. You will also need to review your own citations and references since WritePoint capability in this area is limited. Thank you for using WritePoint. Should the United States allow capital punishment or should they do away with it? Many people think the United States should do away and many think they should maintain capital punishment. I am one who opposes capital punishment. Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as the punishment for an offense (Kronenwetter, 2011, P. 202). The United States as a county rank fourth in the number of executions every year. According to the Bible the Sixth Commandment “Thou shall not kill.” I believe this with all my heart. So I believe capital punishment is killing a person, therefore disobeying my God’s word. Not all the states in the United States allow capital punishments. There are many states that oppose it and many that support it. Capital punishment is different in every state though, the government determined whether capital punishment is allowed in their...
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...Reaction Paper-Fiction short story The short story has a very interesting storyline that takes place in a seemingly small town that has animals as its population. All the animals come together to watch the criminal mouse be hung for his crime. Some of the animals that play major roles in the story are a large beetle, raccoon, and a praying mantis. The specifics of each animal in the hanging are “A raccoon, wearing the traditional black mask, was the executioner…..A large praying mantis was in charge of the religious end of the ceremonies.” (Barnet, Cain, & Burto, 2010) The animals during the execution had a hard time watching the mouse death. “It was all so touching that a cat, who had brought her child in her mouth, shed several large tears. They rolled down on to the child’s back and he began to squirm and shriek, so that the mother thought that the sight of the hanging had perhaps been too much for him.” (Barnet, Cain, & Burto, 2010) The large beetles were the soldiers because of their armor shells. The raccoons as executioner, because of the black mask the raccoons are made with. A praying mantis had the duty of taking charge of the religious ceremony, since they are “praying” since it is part of their name and is linked to religion. Not knowing what the mouse did criminally, he seemed remorseful. All the animals in the crowd seemed to be happy that the mouse was about to get death. The writer implies that the mouse has done something serious to get death as a penalty...
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...Capital punishment in the USA and the UK: history of the issue, current situation Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the killing of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head" (Latin caput). Hence, a capital crime was originally one punished by the severing of the head. Capital punishment has in the past been practiced in virtually every society, although currently only 58 nations actively practice it, with 95 countries abolishing it (the remainder having not used it for 10 years or allowing it only in exceptional circumstances such as wartime). It is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political ideology or cultural region. In the European Union member states, Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits the use of capital punishment.[2] Today, most countries are considered by Amnesty International as abolitionists, which allowed a vote on a nonbinding resolution to the UN to promote the abolition of the death penalty. However, over 60% of the world's population live in countries where executions take place insofar as the four most populous countries in the world (the People's Republic of China, India, United States and Indonesia) apply the death penalty and are unlikely to abolish...
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