Hanging Of The Mouse

Hanging of the Mouse

“Hanging of the Mouse” is one of the most touching stories I have ever read. It talks about how in the old days, to teach moral lessons, they hung the prisoner(s). People would watch them publicly, and the people would enjoy them. The people saw it as a source of entertainment. They believed that by watching them, it would teach people that if you do something wrong you would be punished. Something more like a moral lesson.

Bishop would not agree to this. I believe that she does not believe in public executions. Just seeing the fake mouse hanging over the chair made her feel unpleasant. Just imagining the little feet curling up when the mouse finally passed, just got to her. Actually witnessing an execution, I believe, would make her not feel like it was a moral lesson learned. It would only make her feel uncomfortable inside.

“Who hangs one corrects a thousand.” I believe Bishop would not agree with this either. Again I think it makes her feel very uneasy. Also I think she believes in a fair fight. Whoever did wrong should be able to maybe get out on parole or good behavior. Sometimes when you make mistakes it may not be on purpose. Some people act on impulse.

Another reason that she may not believe is because even though people have watched these executions, they still commit crimes. So this just proves that even though you are trying to show a “moral lesson” people do not take it that way. It is just like they used this source of punishment as a form of entertainment.

I believe that the cat felt a certain emotion that most did not feel at the scene of the execution. I think that the cat represented Bishop. If she had witnessed the death of the mouse she would have cried. She would have felt that sense of emotion no one else did, while everyone was laughing as his screeches.