SedarisSocraticSeminarQuestions

General Socratic Seminar Questions for

George Orwell ’s A Hanging

1.) What do you think is Orwell’s thesis or main point of A Hanging? What are some of the key phrases that you think distinctly point out this thesis? Can you state the theme in a single sentence?

2.) What rhetorical and/or literary methods do you think Orwell primarily uses to support his thesis, for instance, illustration, example, citing authorities, citing studies and/or statistics, description, personal experience, or history? Please give specific examples of the method(s) used from the text.

3.) Do you think Orwell uses any special terms or expressions that need to be clarified to understand this essay? Why do you think he uses the type of language he does? This can include jargon specific to a certain field, or an abstract term that holds many different meanings in many different contexts to many different groups. Please identify and explain these terms.

4.) What is the level of discourse of A Hanging? I.E.: what is the audience’s level of educational attainment Orwell presumes? Who is his audience?

5.) What is the purpose of this piece? Is Orwell presenting a value position, and, if so, is he either directly or indirectly presenting his moral framework on an issue, or is he summarizing or describing an issue? Or, is the purpose of this essay to entertain?

6.) What is your opinion of this piece? Did you find it enjoyable, boring, biased, short-sighted, colorfully descriptive, lacking adequate detail, etc.? Please explain your answer. Cite specific examples from the text to support your review.

7.) What is the tone of A Hanging? How did the specific language, structure, organization, and length choices contribute to the tone and purpose of the piece?

8.) Is there a main character in this piece? If so, who is it? Does this person’s character change during the course of the story? Do you feel sympathetic toward the main character? What sort of person is he/she? Does this person have a foil?

9.) Is there a general plot? What pattern or structure is there to the development of the plot? Can you describe the way the events are organized? Is the structure significant to the meaning? Does surprise play an important role in the plot? Is there foreshadowing? Does Orwell use flashbacks?

10.) Is anything about A Hanging ironic?

11.) Is there any symbolism in A Hanging? How does Orwell make the reader aware of symbolic actions, people, or objects?

12.) What is the setting – the time and location? How important are these elements in A Hanging? Is this piece timeless? If so, how? Could it be set in another time or place just as well? Is the setting significant to the meaning?

13.) Describe the atmosphere of A Hanging, if it is important. How does Orwell create this atmosphere?

14.) Who narrates the narrative? Is the narrator reliable? What effect does the point-of-view have on your understanding of the narrative presented? What would be gained or lost if the narrative were told from a different point-of-view (for example, by another “character”)?

15.) How does the title relate to the other elements of the piece and to the overall meaning?

16.) Does Orwell’s style of writing affect your interpretation of the piece? If so, how would you describe the style? For example, is it conversational or formal? Familiar or unfamiliar? Simple or ornate? Ironic or satiric?

17.) Is there a conflict in this piece? If so, how does it affect the apparent protagonist? Is there, therefore, a climax?

18.) Consider the time sequence Orwell uses, what his purpose is for using that sequence, and what impact the arrangement has on the plot, climax, and conclusion.

19.) Is there a subplot (minor complications in the main action) in A Hanging, and, if so, what is illuminated and/or developed through that subplot? Does it reinforce or emphasize the theme?

20.) How does Orwell’s use of dialogue help determine characterization? What do his characters say about one another? How do they respond to one another? What does Orwell reveal about each character’s thoughts and past behavior? What are the characters’ motivations for their behaviors? What contrasts do the foils (minor characters) provide that sharpen the reader’s understanding of the major characters? Why did Orwell include the minor characters? What role do they serve in the work as a whole?

21.) Is there an irony (an upsetting of expectations that has the opposite happen from what would be usual) in Orwell’s A Hanging that contributes to the story’s meaning and effectiveness?

22.) How does Orwell use images (words and phrases that put a picture in your mind) that increase the enjoyment of A Hanging? Are there any that are deliberately repeated, and that, therefore, create motifs that emphasize some important element in the piece and thus convey meaning? If a repeated image gathers significant meaning, it them becomes a symbol (clearly related to something else in the essay). Do you see any evidence of this?

23.) Does the title of this piece in some way point toward or relate to the meaning? Does the title identify the controlling symbol? Does it carry a double meaning? Or does it direct the reader straight to Orwell’s subject?

24.) Does George Orwell's A Hanging say anything about human behavior or the conduct of society? If so, what?