The Penal Colony
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Death by Tattooing
"In the Penal Colony" is another disturbing story on the subject of proper punishment. In this story, a commandant has created a death machine, the Harrow, that pierces the victims back with the words of his or her crime until he or she passes away. The first man to be put to death in this manner has committed the unthinkable act of sleeping on the job. I hate to think of the thousands of lives that America would lose if this were the law here. Like a deadly scarlet letter, the condemned man faces death through the tattooing of "Honor Thy Superior" being inscribed on his back. However, before the man is executed, the explorer, a man invited to witness the execution expresses his great concern of such a wretched machine, and the officer who is supposed to operate the machine throws the man off and takes his place, engraving the words "Be Just" on his own back. The machine ultimately breaks, but not before taking the officer's life. This story raises the question of whether or not convicts sentenced to death should receive a pleasant or harsh form of execution.
In my opinion, harsh forms of death, like the Harrow, stoning, crucifying, hanging, or even the electric chair are unnecessary. The death row inmate knows that their life is about to end, isn't that enough...