A Hanging

Consider Orwell’s treatment of the relationship between colonized and colonizing peoples in this essay.

In what ways does the narrator fail to understand the actions of other characters due to his own biases? In other words, can you find examples of the narrator unintentionally misinterpreting or overlooking elements of characterization of the essay’s Indian or Eurasian characters?

Rewrite “A Hanging” from the perspective of one of the other characters in the essay.

Consider Orwell’s prose style in “A Hanging.” What literary and rhetorical devices does he employ, and what is their function?

How does the behavior of the group alter over the course of Orwell’s narrative? Consider the relationship between the individuals present and the hierarchies that govern their behavior.

Why is the narrator so struck by the condemned man’s stepping aside to avoid a puddle? Discuss the significance of this incident to the narrative as a whole.

Outline Orwell’s arguments against the death penalty and explain how they are presented in “A Hanging.”

Think about how the various characters are identified and described in the narrative. Are they named, or do they remain anonymous? Is reference made to their ethnicity? On what aspects of their physical appearance does the author concentrate? What is the effect of this focus?