“A sickly light, like yellow tin foil” this is a simile used by Orwell to demonstrate the unpleasant color, “yellow” is usually a sick color. Orwell also uses imagery to make us feel like we are with him in the situation and make us imagine what we are reading. He also makes us question the brutality of his coming death, and is it even supposed to happen? It could create a sense of suspense wether or not he is a dangerous convict or an innocent person. “Vague liquid eyes” Orwell’s statement of vague means that it’s lacking clarity, almost making him seem innocent and not a criminal. Orwell describes him in this manner to make him seem like a victim and not a convicted criminal. ” “A puny wisp” is a way to make us picture a physically frail man.
“a puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes. “We” is also a great way to create a sense of “us vs them” attitude to emphasize the difference between the prisoners and the guards. “Then we put my handkerchief through its collar” Orwell uses the word “we” instead of “I” because he doesn’t want to feel responsible for the monstrous action of taking a life. “We were waiting outside the condemned cells” “We set out for the gallows. Sickly comes from the word “sick” which means “ill” which represent poor health and a precarious scene. The adjective “sickly” was also used to demonstrate the unpleasant color being reflected by the light. This conveys that the scenery was soaked with water which symbolizes an unpromising ambience. He also uses the adjective “sodden, ” sodden means saturated with liquid, especially water. ” Orwell used “it” in the beginning of the story to build a sense of mystery that will be further described in the essay. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard.
“It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. Orwell uses language through a hanging to demonstrate to his readers how inconsiderate they all were throughout the execution. Orwell is surprised by how nonchalant they were during the execution and he describes that fiercely through the utilization of language, symbolism, imagery, tone, and irony. “A hanging” is a considered a semi-autobiographical text written by George Orwell in which he powerfully describes the execution of a criminal and illustrates his belief on how capital punishment is morally wrong.