Åbo Akademis bibliotek

In the damp morning air of a Burmese prison, a man is led to the gallows. As the routine execution unfolds, a moment of startling clarity reveals the fragility and value of a single human life. With precise observation and unflinching honesty, the narrative captures the quiet horror of state-sanctioned death and the casual cruelty of colonial rule. A Hanging is one of George Orwell’s most powerful essays—an unembellished yet profound reflection on mortality, justice, and the human cost of imperialism. Through vivid detail and stark prose, Orwell forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths that remain as relevant today as when they were first written.

GEORGE ORWELL was born in India in 1903 and passed away in London in 1950. As a journalist, critic, and author, he was a sharp commentator on his era and its political conditions and consequences.