Summary Of A Hanging By George Orwell

A Look Into George Orwell’s Mind George Orwell’s peculiar, entaglinging background with the British Royal Empire is a story that continues to tell fables and relive history to this day, Throughout Orwell’s various narratives he inserts multiple symbols and metaphors; allowing the reader to dive deeper into the time period and his sentiments over the perplex political and historical issues at hand. In his short essays “Shooting An Elephant” and “A Hanging” Orwell discusses his time as an officer working in British controlled Myanmar. Both essays shed Orwell’s true feelings and distinguisions about colonialism and native peoples. Throughout the pair of essays, the point was made abundantly clear, with use of symbols Orwell was able to convey his true political opinion at such a repressive time in history. Firstly, the essay “A Hanging” the reader is taken back to the early twentieth century Myanmar. During this time, Myanmar is under British control, the people of Myanmar are neither Burmese citizens, nor British citizens. The people of Myanmar are living vicariously in their land with no rights. At this time, George Orwell is a police officer in Myanmar. Throughout the essay, Orwell is conflicted with seeing a prisoner on his way to be hanged. Readers are unaware of the prisoner’s crimes, perhaps to shield from human bias. Orwell writes that on the way to be hanged the prisoner steps over a puddle. Stepping over a puddle, such a simple human act, was such a divine