A Hanging: Commentary on Ironies

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A Hanging: Commentary on Ironies Ahsan Habib Department of English University of Rajshahi George Orwell’s A Hanging abounds with ironies that have a powerful effect on the ideas and expressions conveyed in the story. Irony means a contrast of some sort; in its broader sense it is the recognition of the incongruity or difference between two things, events or situations. “A Hanging” is a story of a prisoner who is finally sentenced to death, which captures a number of amusing and strange things, happened throughout the hanging of the prisoner, producing a number of ironical situations. One of the prominent ironies is the striking contrast between how the prisoner is treated by the warders and how he behaves towards them. The prisoner, a small, feeble and harmless Hindu man, is guarded strictly by six tall warders on the way to the gallows. Two warders stand by him with rifles and fixed bayonets. And others fasten him with handcuffs; place a chain through it; attach it to their belts. Then they fasten his hands tightly to his sides. Moreover, they keep watchful eyes always on him, standing very close so that he can escape in no ways. But the prisoner seems not to be aware of what was happening around him, let alone trying to escape. There is a marked difference between the activities of the dog and that of the people there. On the way to the gallows a dog appears before them with a volley of barks and starts dancing and jumping wagging its whole body. The dog seems extremely delighted finding so many human beings together. It prances around us for some time, and then makes a dash for the prisoner, and jumping up it tries to lick the face of the prisoner. However, someone at last manages to catch the dog, making several attempts but yet the dog keeps on straining and whimpering. Again the dog answers, with a

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