Hanging Essay Points

Question 1

What should be in your head during the introduction

Answer 1

Techniques: STANCE, SYMBOLISM, CONTRAST, SETTING, LANGUAGE

Mention Orwell’s experience as an officer in Burma 1920 and his stance

Directly link to question:

Question 2

What should points should you cover in body 1?

Answer 2

Techniques: Setting, Pathetic fallacy, Imagery

Setting = bleak, uneasy, unnatural

Creates unease, discomfort which mirrors harshness of execution

Dehumanises prisoners to gain sympathy from the reader

Highlights unfair treatment which links to Orwell’s stance

Question 3

What points are covered in body 2?

Answer 3

Techniques: Word choice, Comparison

“Puny wisp” = malnourished, weak, almost invisible
“ Puny” = small and fragile
“Wisp” = faint, ghost-like — prisoner is no threat

Contrast between fragile man and heavy guard presence

Creates sympathy and questions justice

Question 4

What points should you cover in body 3

Answer 4

Techniques: Symbolism, Contrast

Dog symbolises natural innocence — does not judge

Reinforces equality: the dog doesn’t see the prisoner as a criminal

Contrast with guards who are controlled by fear and duty

Orwell uses this to challenge the moral authority of the executiontions.

Question 5

What points are covered in body 4

Answer 5

Techniques: Symbolism, Word choice

Prisoner avoids puddle — still values comfort = still human

Suggests awareness, dignity, and a will to live

Highlights how much life he still has — Orwell questions the morality of ending it

Orwell begins to reflect more deeply on what the execution means

Question 6

What points are covered in body 5?

Answer 6

Quote 1: Cries to God — repetition = hopelessness, vulnerability
Still religious — evokes more sympathy

Quote 2: cold, urgent, and dehumanising
“Abominable noise” reduces man’s final cry to an annoyance
they want it over, not because it’s wrong, but because it’s uncomfortable

Orwell uses this to criticise how the law strips away empathy

Question 7

What points for body 6

Answer 7

Point: concludes text and views by describing unusual aftermath

Quote 1: lighthearted atmosphere after death — disturbing lack of remorse or coping mechanism

Quote 2: Contrast of jovial mood with nearby dead man emphasizes point on capital punishment

Question 8

What points in conclusion

Answer 8

TARTY
Orwell shows execution is inhumane, unjust, and devalues life

Emphasises equality — death should not be decided by others

Final message: capital punishment strips away humanity and is morally wrong and every life is equal