Commentary on George Orwell’s “A Hanging”

George Orwell was the nom de plume of Eric Arthur Blair. Blair was the son of an English government official working in India. He grew up in England but joined the Indian Imperial Police. His stint with the police is, more than likely, the fount of inspiration for this work. The attitude of the narrator, which is more than likely fashioned after the author’s own feelings and beliefs, evolves from ignorant indifference to horrid …

…would prove more difficult. The laughter that the group shared was the way the narrator distanced himself mentally and emotionally. Whether or not George Orwell drew from his own experiences as a police officer is inconsequential. Orwell was able to create a dynamic character who experiences an evolution in understanding and emotion that begins with ignorant indifference which is startlingly transformed into horrific understanding, that, in turn, is spurned for the more comfortable, distant relief.