Part of the British Empire - now known as Myanmar. Orwell worked here as Assistant District Superintendent in the Indian Imperial Police.
Rain has negative connotations. “sodden” has connotations of discomfort - could reflect prisoners’ feelings.
“sickly” has connotations of poor health reflects prisoners. Simile highlights the glinting sun and the off-colour sky - suggests something is wrong.
“A Hanging” by George Orwell
It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting Suggests being trapped outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like with no glimpse of the small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was outside world quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their Personification blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be suggests that the prisoners have just hanged within the next week or two. become numbers and have no identity Comic image further emphasises the prisoner’s frailty. Alliteration shows us that the people in charge of him had complete control. “tall” shows they’re healthy - clear contrast. Oxymoron - grip shouldn’t be a caress WC suggests lack of life/vitality in the prison - “desolate” has connotations of bleak emptiness
Casual - strange to be so relaxed about someone’s death. Just wants to get the job done - no consideration.
Short sentence to add drama and tension to the act.
One prisoner had been brought out of his cell. He was a Hindu, a puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes. He had a thick, sprouting moustache, absurdly too big for his body, rather like the moustache of a comic man on the films. Six tall Indian warders were guarding him and getting him ready for the gallows. Two of them stood by with rifles and fixed bayonets, while the others handcuffed him, passed a chain through his handcuffs and fixed it to their belts, and lashed his arms tight to his sides. They crowded very close about him, with their hands always on him in a careful, caressing grip, as though all the while feeling him to make sure he was there. It was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water. But he stood quite unresisting, yielding his arms limply to the ropes, as though he hardly noticed what was happening. WC suggests prisoner has given up and accepted his fate.
Eight o'clock struck and a bugle call, desolately thin in the wet air, floated from the distant barracks. The superintendent of the jail, who was standing apart from the rest of us, moodily prodding the gravel with his stick, raised his head at the sound. He was an army doctor, with a grey toothbrush moustache and a gruff voice. ‘For God's sake hurry up, Francis,’ he said irritably. ‘The man ought to have been dead by this time. Aren't you ready yet?’ Contrast to thin, weak prisoners Francis, the head jailer, a fat Dravidian in a white drill suit and gold spectacles, waved his black hand. ‘Yes sir, yes sir,’ he bubbled. ‘All iss satisfactorily prepared. The hangman iss waiting. We shall proceed.’ ‘Well, quick march, then. The prisoners can't get their breakfast till this job's over.’ We set out for the gallows. Two warders marched on either side of the prisoner, with their rifles at the slope; two others marched close against him, gripping him by arm and shoulder, as though at once pushing and supporting him. The rest of us, magistrates and the like, followed behind. Suddenly, when we had gone ten yards, the procession stopped short without any order or warning. A dreadful thing had happened — a dog,
Simile highlights the inhumane conditions - not being treated fairly basic human rights Basic conditions to be trapped in nothing exciting left in their lives - trying to break their spirit. “wisp” suggests he is barely there malnourishment and neglect. Shaven head suggests they all have had their identity taken away and all look the same. “vague” suggests lack of purpose. Suggests threat. “lashing” has connotations of repetitive pain torture - shows how little care they had. Simile - idea of something desperate to get away or struggling helplessly evokes sympathy.
Either bored or trying to avoid the guilt of what he’s about to do.