The Hanging was a short story written by George Orwell in 1931. The setting is Burma in 1931, during a soggy morning. The story is told by a narrator who is not active in the hanging industry and has little experience in the matter. Orwell uses dialect to give characteristics of the people in the story. The story revolves around a convict. His name is not told, his past is not told, and why he was imprisoned and sent to the gallows remains a mystery. The man ends up being hanged. The narrator shares concern about the idea of ​​killing someone who is in the prime of their life and not ready to die, which provides support for the theme of the story; the death penalty. In George Orwell's short story “A Hanging,” there are many uses of rhetorical devices and uses of imagery to get an emotional response from readers. These rhetorical devices all contribute to the overall theme of the story. Orwell begins the story with strong imagery to portray the dark and inhuman setting of the Burmese prison. Orwell writes of the prison yard, where prisoners are kept, as “a row of sheds with double bars, like cages for small animals” to provide the reader with images and a feeling of empathy towards the prisoner. These images and the use of the words “like little animal cages” are probably used to show an idea of ​​how prisoners are treated in captivity. The story describes a Burmese prisoner who is about to be hanged for a crime unknown to the reader. The reason why the reader may not be given knowledge of the crime committed by the prisoner is probably because Orwell wanted the readers to show sympathy for the prisoner and see him as they would any other man. Orwell also uses... half the paper... simply in the negative, creating a very depressing atmosphere and creating character profiles that mold some characters to seem either heartless or innocent. It also uses word choice intended to make the reader feel a certain way about one thing or another. The use of narrative writing instead of persuasive writing makes it more difficult for the reader to identify the theme of the story and Orwell's point of view. The use of descriptions and the lack of facts and details in the story makes the reader think about what Orwell means without Orwell actually writing his point of view or referring to anything directly. Orwell's lack of facts and his use of description taints any real judgment reading this tale. He presents his argument very carefully and expresses it even more carefully. The whole story is very well written and has great leverage against capital punishment.