Capital Punishment
... The author’s opinions regarding capital punishment are framed in description and imagery rather than direct discussion in an effort to emphasize their importance. Through the use of stylistic devices, Orwell affirms that morals are abandoned in the face of the inhumanity of capital punishment. ... Orwell’s descriptions use forceful language in an effort to emphasize his negative position on capital punishment. ... In this critical manner, the author portrays the horrors of capital punishment without reference to the actual hanging. ... Orwell’s purpose is to impugn capital punishment; first, by describing the horror of the event and then by presenting his opinion. ... In an effort to further his stand against capital punishment, the author uses imagery to present examples that reflect characters’ denial of accountability. ... The superintendent, through his indifference, lends credibility to the stand against capital punishment. ... George Orwell’s writing style in “The Hanging” is compelling as he creates a story of virtue and corruption that speaks to the inhumanity of capital punishment in a manner that allows the reader to feel he has arrived at his own conclusions.