In "The Execution of Tropmann," Ivan Turgenev examines the morality and effectiveness of capital punishment after attending the execution of spree killer Jean-Baptiste Tropmann and being horrified by the "medieval procedure" of the event.
The purpose of the essay is to question the purpose of capital punishment and the ethics of the procedure. Turgenev asserts that the purpose of public executions, crime deterrence, is lost on the public. Turgenev observes that soldiers were present at the execution, despite the rule against this, because lawlessness among the crowd was feared, paradoxical to the idea that the execution is meant to provide civilians with an example of law and order. This ideal was indeed lost on the public, as members of the crowd would shout random, wordless phrases and chant folk tunes, showing that for the common folk, the execution, designed to bring order, was little more than a show. The procedure of the execution is also brought under moral scrutiny, as it requires "undressings, dressings, hair-cutting, [and] journeys up along corridors and up and down staircases" by the condemned, and the entire procedure goes on for half an hour before the execution. Turgenev also establishes his belief killing a human being for any reason, as he states Tropmann's face "could have been described as handsome," in an attempt to gather reader sympathy for Tropmann.
The strengths of Turgenev's argument include the reactions of the crowd to the execution and demonstrating the drawn-out procedure of the toilette du condamne. These points show the purpose of the public execution is not apparent to the public and creates sympathy for the condemned. His description of Tropmann as polite and handsome while maintaining innocence also causes doubt in the reader as to if Tropmann actually committed the crime he was accused of. The argument is weak in that the execution it describes is not typical of all forms of capital punishment. If an execution was made private and quick, Turgenev's argument would not stand up. The argument also primarily appeals to emotion as opposed to logic or authorities on the subject.
Turgenev's tone could be described as uneasy, disgusted, and indignant. At the beginning of the text, he stands that he only attended because he was invited and did not want to be considered a coward, and later regretted his decision. He is disgusted and shocked by members of the crowd, who seem not to understand why they are there and treat the event like a party. He also shows disgust at the drawn out toilette procedure.