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Description
Flashcards by brandy.seven, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by brandy.seven
over 10 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| "condemned cells" "like small animal cages" | The fate of the prisoners who enter these cells has already been decided. Inhumane conditions, unfair to make humans live like that. Just as animal cages are often dirty, small and look like traps, so too are the prison cells. This forces the reader to sympathise with the prisoners as it is seen as cruel, inhumane and unfair. |
| "squatting" "puny wisp of a man" | 'squatting' continues the animal imagery. The prisoners body language suggests he's scared. The fact the prisoner can't properly stand suggests he's malnourished. 'puny wisp' makes the prisoner seem weak and innocent - definitely unable to commit such a crime that would result in a death sentence. The inhumane conditions the prisoner is kept in and the result of these makes the reader feel pity for the man. The central concern that all humans are equal and should be treated equally is highlighted here. |
| "vague liquid eyes" | 'liquid' suggests the prisoner may have been crying. 'vague' suggests the prisoner has tried to put up a wall and hide his emotions. This gives the reader an insight into how the prisoner may be feeling which evokes sympathy in the reader as the prisoner is human and most likely scared of dying. |
| "A dreadful thing had happened - a dog, come goodness knows whence, had appeared in the yard." | "A dreadful thing had happened..." - strong use of foreshadowing. The word choice suggests that something very bad has happened. It is ironic that the dog is considered a 'dreadful' thing when these men are about to take someone's life. |
| The dog was "wild with glee" and "pranced". | This creates a contrast between the two events. 'pranced' suggests the dog was happy and dancing. This shows the central concern as the dog is used as a symbol. Everyone is equal, regardless of the circumstance. The dog goes straight to the prisoner and ignores the officials. It is also ironic that the dog is simply told off for doing 'wrong' whereas this man is about to be hanged for doing 'wrong'. |
| "Everyone stood aghast..." | This shows the underlying discomfort the officials are feeling as they are about to take another human's life. It also highlights the central concern that capital punishment is wrong and against human nature. |
| "When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness..." | It is seen as a futile action as the prisoner is going to die anyway so what is the point in trying to minimise the discomfort? It symbolises human instinct, reiterating that capital punishment is against human nature. It is the turning point of the essay and shows very explicitly that Orwell is against capital punishment. Such a simple, everyday action evokes a very strong, deep feeling in Orwell. |
| "We all had a drink, native and European alike, quite amicably. The dead man was a hundred yards away." | The final two sentences are designed for maximum impact. The jovial penultimate sentence contrasts with the nearby dead man. The final sentence is short and neatly concludes Orwell's message. Upon finishing the essay, the reader is left to contemplate this vulgar scene which has a large impact. 'native and European alike' emphasises Orwell's message of everyone being equal. |
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