ERP

"A Hanging" by George Orwell
Recall a time you witnessed someone being punished and the circumstances of the offence.How did the incident affect you and your understanding of the purpose of punishment?

My face was hidden behind a storybook and I tried to indulge in it, yet I was unable to concentrate. My ears were filled with the rumbling noise of a group of people sitting two seats away from me. I managed to overhear something obscurely.

“Have you all heard that Jason made Henry cried just now?”

“Yes.”

“He is going to be punished by Miss Lee.”

“Why? I thought the rumor was that Henry touted his results in front of Jason and mocked him because he failed his Chemistry test.”

“That’s true but you need to know that Henry is Miss Lee’s only child. She loves him a lot.”

Suddenly, a student rushed into the classroom and announced the imminent arrival of the teacher. Everyone quickly return to their respective seats. There was then total silence in the classroom. A few seconds later, Miss Lee walked into the classroom with heavy footsteps. She slammed the door behind and a loud creaking noise could be heard. The atmosphere was dreadfully tense.

The usual joyous expression was absent from her face. Her menacing eyeballs were sweeping around the classroom, searching for their little prey. Then, a loud croaky voice broke the silence.

“Jason Tan, can you please come to the front?”

Scornful glances now fell onto Jason. He looked very anxious. Curling up his arms and shoulders, he walked slowly to the front. His legs were reluctant to push him forward. When he reached the front, he was already panting nervously. I kept noticing him rubbing his hands towards one another.

“Are you going to admit that you hit Henry this morning until he fell onto the floor and suffered serious injuries?”

“B..b..but it wa……s Hen…..ry who pro…….voked the fi….i…ght.”

Jason voice wavered tremendously and it was virtually impossible to hear what he was talking about.

“I just want to know whether you hit him.”

“Y….eeeee…s”

“Then, the problem is solved. I am very happy that you are bold enough to admit your misdeed. Unfortunately you deserved to be punished.”

After finishing her last sentence, Miss Lee brought out her favorite weapon, the long thin cane, normally used to treat students who are naughty.

“Lift one of your palms, please.”

Jason closed his eyes tightly. His hands were shaking violently. His fear was so conspicuous that I could sense it from behind. Miss Lee tweaked his fingers slightly, intending to search for the best position. She then flung her cane forward and dealt a serious blow onto Jason’s palm. Instantaneously, his fingers crumbled together. Tears could be seen flowing out of Jason’s eyes while he wept.

“Again.”

The memory of this particular incident is still clearly embedded in my mind as it has completely changed my understanding of punishment. I understand that punishment is carried out to teach those who have misbehaved a lesson. Jason did fight with Henry and injured him. He did not think rationally but let his emotion took control of him. Therefore, he deserved to be punished as inflicting harm to other people without a reasonable reason is totally unacceptable in our society. However, I felt that punishment is sometimes administered unfairly. It depends on the preference of the person who carries out the punishment. Henry roused the fight in the beginning but did not receive any reprimand. This was totally ludicrous. I realized that relationship between the culprits and the person who perform the punishment can affect the way punishment is carried out.