Under Sentence of Death; Or, a Criminal's Last Hours

"Under Sentence of Death; Or, a Criminal's Last Hours" by Victor Hugo is a fiction story that throws us into the mind of a prisoner counting down his final hours. Facing execution, the condemned man struggles with despair, remembering the life he's about to lose. The story explores ideas about right and wrong, fairness, and what it means to be human, as we feel sympathy for a main character known only by his grim sentence. For weeks, the death-row inmate has wrestled with the looming execution, recalling sweet memories now overshadowed by despair. As he prepares for his last moments, the stark walls of his cell and the world's judgment bear down on him, stirring deep thoughts about his actions, his family, and whether justice is truly being served. Prison guards, a priest, and others sentenced to die appear in his thoughts, each adding to the mournful mood as he waits for the inevitable end.