Quotes for a hanging Flashcards
(11 cards)
Description of cells
“Sheds fronted with double bars like animal “cages” - cages suggests cramped space unfit for a grown man to live in. “Animal” shows how the prisoners are being stripped of their dignity and are not valued as equal beings by the guards. Overall the simile suggests the men are being kept like animals in a zoo who are being exploited for human entertainment.
What is the impact of the prisoners description on the reader?
It makes them feel sorry for the man as it is clear he is neglected and suffering.
Description of prisoner
“A puny wisp of a man” word choice suggests the man is incredibly weak and malnourished as if he could disperse into nothing at any moment.
How is the lighting of the cell described?
-“Sickly” this pathetic fallacy suggests the cell is germ ridden and full of disease. This gives the impression that death is looming over the small “sheds” that the “condemned” men are left to rot in.
-“yellow” this has connotations of betrayal which tells the audience that the “condemned” men feel a sense of betrayal as they have had foreign men imprison them in their own homeland. “Yellow” also has connotations of cowardliness which suggests that Orwell believes the guards are committing a cowardice act by allowing such treatment to carry on.
How is the dog described?
“Wild with glee” this implies that the dog is happy and looking for attention form the men.
What does the dog do and how does it take everyone by surprise?
The dogs rubs to the prisoner and “tried to lick his face” this shocks the reader as it displays that the dog has no fear or prejudice towards the man. It also takes the guards by surprise as they are disgusted to see the man be given affection which makes it obvious that they do not view this man as a human worthy of love.
How does the superintendent react to the dog trying to lick the prisoner?
He seems flustered and uncomfortable with it and tells the men to “Catch it, someone!” This use of an exclamation mark emphasises the superintendents desperation as he doesn’t want to see the man be given any kind of kindness. This highlights the fact that the guards have dehumanised the man in order to feel less guilty about taken his life.
How does the prisoner act during the interaction with the dog?
The prisoner is said to “look on incuriously” while the dog is chased away from him. This informs the reader that the prisoner has become completely desensitised to his surroundings to the point he shows no reaction to the affection from an animal.
What is the list about all the things working in the “condemned” man’s body?
“All the organs of his body were working- bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming” this emphasises the many different parts of the “condemned” man’s body that are continuing to function even though he is going to die. This shows Orwell that although the prisoner may have given up on life mentally his body has not and is still working to let him survive.
What quote shows the reader that Orwell has realised the significance of what he is about to take part in?
“One mind less, one world less” the religion of less is used to emphasise orwells realisation that this is a real life that he is contributing to ending.
What does Orwell say tells the reader both him and the other guards are aware of the evil they are doing?
“The unspeakable wrongness” this word choice displays the fact that the men no what their doing is immoral which explains why they choose to dehumanise the prisoner. By dehumanising him they are able to make a disconnect between just doing their job and actually taken a life.
