Rhetorical Analysis Of Shooting An Elephant

George Orwell’s ‘Shooting an Elephant’ (Orwel, 1936) represents a number of strangers being involved in a combined encounter. The situation throughout the essay represents the unjust British occupation of Burma, the hatred towards him as a British officer and the elephant symbolising the British. The part of the text chosen clearly exemplifies how a forced duty can lead to hatred. The text chosen displays that he is forced to encounter the Burmese people yet they despise him. Although the encounter with the Burmese improves with the arrival of the elephant, Orwell still has a sense of isolation. Throughout the text Orwell questions the presence of the British in the East exploring that the encounter with the Burmese should not have took place.

This story is a representation of George Orwell’s perception of British imperialism around the world. It is a firsthand account of how imperialism affects both rulers and the oppressed using a short story. The author shows how imperialism is a prison to not only the Burmese, but also the British. The message can clearly be seen though Orwell’s regret in being forced to kill an elephant. The purpose of this essay is to explain Orwell’s true message of anti-imperialism using the nature of tyranny and the British Empire as examples.

All the fuss, actions he was encouraged to make, lead back to his job he had to do, which was one he despised. Orwell’s introduction makes it very clear he doesn't not like being a police officer and especially does not like imperialism. “For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better.” (Orwell,1963,pg. 1) He wanted nothing to do with imperialism, he was all for the Burmese. He didn't believe in the cruel ways the British had forced him to act on. His words are spread among many sentences created this harsh tone. He was furious he was considered part of the imperialism. He was in the group though, and being part of this came with responsibility and standards. Orwell had to prove he was worthy and could hold up his end

Orwell?s extraordinary style is never displayed better than through the metaphors he uses in this essay. He expresses his conflicting views regarding imperialism through three examples of oppression: by his country, by the Burmese, and by himself on the Burmese. Oppression is shown by Orwell through the burden of servitude placed upon him by England: Orwell himself, against his will, has oppressed many. British Imperialism dominated not only Burma, but also other countries that did not belong to England. At the time it may appear, from the outside, he shows us that the officers were helping the Burmese because they too were against oppressors; however, from the inside he demonstrates that they too were trying to annex other countries. Though Orwell?s handling of this subject is detailed, in the end, he subtly condemns imperialism. Orwell finds himself in a moral predicament no different than the ones placed on the white men in the East. He justifies his actions, driven by the instigation of the Burmese. Orwell also feels forced by the natives to kill the elephant, hindering his

George Orwell did hate the Burmese for the way they treated him, but he did not agree with the way they were treated. Not only did the Burmese disrespect him but they also pressured him into doing the one thing he didn’t want to

“I was young and ill-educated and I had had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East.” Orwell was referring to his attitude as a policeman in Burma. While he felt opposite to the British Empire, he was still too young and uneducated to be able to communicate his opposition. Perhaps the description of the deceased Indian man further characterizes the struggle that lied within the Orwell’s conscience.

Gisselle Armijos Mrs.Rosenwasser AP English Language and Composition 1/16/15 Orwell Essay Response In George Orwell’s essay “Shooting an Elephant”, the subject is British imperialism. The birth of Orwell’s essay was during the early 1900s, when the British ruled Burma (Myanmar present day).

In “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, Orwell paints a picture of an event he faced in Burma. As an unexperienced British officer of the British Raj, he was ridiculed and disrespected by the community. Robert Carr says in “Concession & Repression: British Rule in India 1857-1919”, “The period 1857-1919 in the British Raj can be seen as one of concession and repression” (3). The essay displays more than just a simple storyline, it was life changing. Towards the end of the story Orwell ends up shooting the elephant.

On the other hand the British Empire is represented as cruel and oppressive rulers, but ones that lack reason. This is because Orwell has “already made up [his] mind that imperialism was an evil thing” - he is “all for the Burmese and against their oppressors, the British”(1). The contradicting ideals of Orwell’s conscience and his job form the perceptions of the British Empire and the Burmese people

George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is a story about the experience of the narrator who was asked to shoot a wild elephant. He was a police officer who worked for British imperialists and killing the elephant would help him receive good judgement from the villagers in Burma. Orwell says that imperialism is evil and should be eliminated while others think that it is good for the public. The purpose of Orwell’s story is to show the audience that imperialism is harmful and not as good as people think. Orwell uses various literary techniques to show the irony of the whole situation. Orwell’s tone is very blunt and outspoken. He convinces the audience that imperialism has a negative impact on those being governed under the imperialist’s power by using his background, ethos, pathos, and imagery.

The British receive consistent ridicules from the natives. This translates to the British despising the Burma people in return. In the story, Orwell narrates on the tension that prevailed between the two opposing parties. Inevitably, the author is exposed to a situation of dilemma as a police officer who was a representative of the imperial power. The people of Burma were averse on the British Empire thus their hate was extended to Orwell who was the face of the Empire.

Thematic Interpretation of George Orwell’s “Shooting and Elephant” In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, the narrator experiences three main conflicts. One conflict being with the British Empire, due to it’s unjust occupation of Burma, another with the Burmese people because of their mockery and disrespect toward him, and finally, he is in conflict with himself due to his struggle with his conscience and self-image. All three conflicts complicate his ability to make objective, clear-headed decisions.

In order to fully understand and appreciate a story, it must consist of a good structure, or framework. The structure of this story begins with a setting in lower Burma. Orwell uses a fourteen paragraph narrative approach to connect with his readers in this story. We are given our setting, lower Burma, in the first paragraph followed by several negative person experiences. These experiences help us relate to the narrator on a personal level and feel compassion for him. The paragraphs flow beautifully giving us great insight into his day- to- day life and exactly why he succumbs to peer

Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives in mental isolation. He hates Burmese natives, British imperialism and his job. He is completely alone with his thoughts since he cannot share his idea that, "Imperialism was an evil thing" (Orwell) with his fellow people. Orwell sees the British rule as, "An unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down. . . upon the will of prostate peoples"(Orwell) because he witnesses the punishments and imprisonments that the British give to show their dominance. Nor can he talk to the Burmese because of the "utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East"(Orwell). This "utter silence" results from the reasoning behind imperialism that says, "Our cultures are different. My culture has more power than your culture. Therefore, my culture is superior in every way, and it will rule yours"(Marks). a member of a higher culture must not share confidence, make jokes, or

In 1936, George Orwell published his short story ‘Shooting an elephant’ in an English magazine. Since then, it has been republished dozens of times and holds a place as a definitive anti-colonial piece of literature, in an era where the British Empire was at its peak and covered almost 1/3 of the Earth’s surface. George Orwell believed that “…imperialism was an evil thing...” and uses much themes, symbolism and irony to convey his strong anti-colonialist feelings.