Analysis: The Penalty of Death, by H.L.Mencken - Essay Example

Mencken’s “The Penalty of Death” At first glance, it is difficult to tell if H.L. Mencken is for or against the death penalty. He wrote his essay, “The Penalty of Death,” in 1926, almost one hundred years ago, but much of it remains to be timely. Mencken states that there are basically two reasons for supporting the death penalty, and then goes about debunking them. He maintains that there is actually another reason for supporting the death penalty: katharsis, a term devised by Aristotle meaning “a salubrious discharge of emotions, a healthy letting off of steam.

” Mencken accepts katharsis as a natural human reaction to injustice done to oneself or to the larger society. The problem with kartharsis as it relates to capital punishment, though, is that to be really satisfying, it has to be more immediate. In the U.S., criminals languish on death row for many years before their sentence is carried out, so Mencken, with his characteristic humor and wit, does not see how capital punishment benefits society. The need for katharsis is so strong in regards to capital punishment that it even bypasses what Mencken calls “Christian charity.

” Mencken uses other words to say, “The punishment must fit the crime” for capital punishment to be really satisfying. He states, “But when the injury is serious Christianity is adjourned, and even saints reach for their sidearms,” which is a great line. Perhaps one of the reasons the 9-11 Attacks have been so painful for this country, other than the tragic loss of life, is that we did not get enough katharsis out of it. Osama bin Laden is still at large almost ten years after 9-11. We invaded Afghanistan immediately, and we were not able to find WMDs in Iraq.

Mencken would find our reaction a normal human response but would point out that this country’s desire for revenge is not an effective venting of emotion, and that we like the child who tries to get back at his teacher by putting a tack on her chair. In this way, “The Penalty of Death” remains a timely essay for American society.