Reaction Paper Short Story 4
Reaction Paper Fiction Short Story
Theresa Flournoy
University of Phoenix/Axia College
October 15, 2013
Dr. Dolores Kiesler
An author named Elizabeth Bishop wrote a short story called “The Hanging of the Mouse”. Bishop wrote this story triggered by something she did toward her cat. She once hung her cat’s toy mouse up on a string to the back of a chair. She was not really thinking about what she had done because based on Bishop it looked sad seeing the mouse hanging from the chair. “The Hanging of the Mouse” is a well written story that I find sad throughout the whole ordeal of the execution of a mouse.
Bishop tries to convey to some of the reader how the death penalty can take place; however, she uses animals in the place of human beings. In this story a mouse has supposedly committed a crime and is being executed for the crime in the presence of the whole town of animals. We as the readers have no idea whether the mouse is really guilty of the crime but we are led to believe the mouse is guilty because of the execution on this particular day. The author does not convey any opinions on the death penalty of capital punishment in this story. However, Bishop shows the different animals that played a role and played a part in this execution. First there were the two enormous beetles in armor who escorted the mouse to the execution hall. Second there was a raccoon wearing a black mask who was the executioner. He was very stern and did just what he was supposed to do. Third there was the praying mantis that was in charge of the ceremony. He was rather reluctant to perform the ceremony based on the fact that he could not begin right away. Fourth there was an overweight bullfrog that was the king’s messenger. He read the scroll of the execution. Finally there were all the animals that made up the town that witnessed the execution. The animals in the town either waited up to...