Topics: Identity and perspective
Structure:
INTRO
Body 1: Death penalty dehumanises people beinge executed
Opening paragraphs
Diction
similes
imagery
characterisation of the prisoner as dehumanised
Body 2: It is morally wrong and unnatural to kill a man as a punishment
The characterisation of the prisoner as an equal human being in the paragraph -”Until that moment..”
Shift in pronouns from I to we
Enumeration of biological functions of men to show the miracle of life
The way the dog treats him as a person like any other- dog as symbol of innocence and compassion
The pathos of appealing to our sympathy for a fellow human being
The metaphor – one mind less, one world less
Body 3: The death penalty forces those who have to carry it out to deny their own humanity
The irony of the prisoner’s dignity and poise and the – guards fear, shame and callousness
The callous tone of detachment when describing the hanging and the aftermath
The jarring shift in mood at the end of the essay
The juxtaposition of the last line