A Hanging by George Orwell



Questions for “A Hanging”

1. Why doesn’t Orwell end the essay right after the hanging itself? What is the purpose of continuing after that point? What is he trying to prove to the reader?

2. Why doesn’t Orwell tell the reader what crime the man committed?

3. What is the effect of the intentional misspellings of words such as “iss”?

4. There is one major shift in the piece. Where does it occur? In what way(s) does it divide the essay?

5. What is Orwell’s understanding of justice?

6. How do the patterns of Orwell’s description and/or syntax help him achieve his purpose(s)?

7. How would Scalia respond to this essay? How do you know? (Give quotations from both Scalia and Orwell to support you claims)

8. What would Thoreau have to say to Orwell? (Give quotations from both Scalia and Orwell to support you claims)

9. What would Darrow think about this essay? (Give quotations from both Scalia and Orwell to support you claims)

****Make a chart for Orwell. Remember, the categories are as follows*****

Author |Audience |Purpose |Tone |Structure/Main points of argument |Rhetorical Strategies |Connections to other works we’ve read | | | |

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