In the final days leading up to his imminent death, he writes down his innermost thoughts and fears. The reader is not informed of the prisoner’s crime, yet there is a hint of murder. We are introduced to a man with no name as he is condemned to die by execution in 19th century France.
The Last Day of a Condemned Man, first published in 1829, perfectly encapsulates Hugo’s stance on the matter by portraying a tale void of compassion for a prisoner trapped in a hopeless situation. In his eyes, the guillotine was a tool of barbaric cruelty, one that had been turned into a public spectacle. Victor Hugo was a lifelong proponent for the complete abolition of the death penalty.
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