8th Amendment Research Paper

Kierra Simmons Professor Stephanie Weatherill English Composition 1 22 March 2024 Five-Paragraph Essay Constitution

The United States of America was founded on a set of principles outlined in the “Bill of Rights,” and as years went on, amendments that were missing from the original bill were added. This system is sorely needed in Oceania, a country in the dystopian world of 1984 by George Orwell. A bill that restrains the authoritarian government, named Big Brother, from excessive and cruel punishments would prevent the deaths and abuses of many people. That is why the United States Constitution’s Eighth Amendment would provide the most safety for the helpless of 1984’s world by protecting Oceania’s citizens, ceasing deadly bombings, and preventing …show more content…
One of the more obscure laws in Oceania is the “Physical Jerks,” mandatory morning exercises for Oceania citizens. It would be a crime to not participate, and the person guiding the exercise makes this clear, “6079 Smith W! Yes, you can, too! You can do better than that. You are not trying to be. Lower, please!” (Orwell, 36). This is an unusual situation as all other people in Smith’s age group would have also heard him being reprimanded. This falls under the Eighth Amendment as an unusual punishment, which includes citizens and those prosecuted by the country. A man was named in front of a court for being unable to touch his toes. This is not the worst for the citizens of Oceania, as Inner Party Members of the government have to worry about being “vanished,” should someone break the unwritten laws, or even if they are getting too knowledgeable for their own good. It is not known what happens to people who vanish, most likely they are dead or sentenced to live out the rest of their lives in the Ministry of Love, which is the prison in Oceania. When someone vanishes, their family, friends, and coworkers are forced to erase their existence, because they disappear from all documents as well (Orwell, 147). It is …show more content…
It is the implementation of the Eighth Amendment that would change Oceania’s cruelty. It is no surprise that Oceania is also breaking the Eighth Amendment for the persecution of international criminals, given their treatment of their citizens. The book does not mention it often, but those under arrest from Eurasia, the country currently at war with Oceania, are treated awfully; they are seen paraded through the streets like cattle, even jeered and hissed at by proles. “Foreigners, whether from Eurasia or from Eastasia, were a kind of strange animal. One literally never saw them.” (Orwell, 116). The prisoners are never seen on trial, or sentenced publicly, except for hangings. When a prisoner is guilty of war crimes, they might be hanged in the park (Orwell, 23). The death penalty is not what violates the Eighth Amendment (Stinneford). What is so unusual about these hangings is their audience, typically filled with children eager to watch a criminal die. The morality of the death penalty can be argued and discussed, but almost everyone agrees that if a person were to die, minors should never be present to watch, as it is disrespectful to the prosecution and harmful to the children. Protection even for the prosecuted has to exist as a basic right. While prisoners

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