Shooting An Elephant Analysis

“Shooting an Elephant” is an essay written by George Orwell, first published in the journal New Writing in 1936. In this essay, the author tells his own story about when he was working as a police officer for the Indian Imperial Police in Burma.

George Orwell’s 1930 short story “Shooting an Elephant,” demonstrates the total dangers of the unlimited authority a state has and the astounding presentment of “future dystopia”. In the story, Orwell finds himself to be in an intricate situation that involves an elephant. Not only does the fate of the elephant’s life lie in Orwell’s hands, he has an audience of people behind him cheering him on, making his decision much more difficult to make. Due to the vast crowd surrounding his thoughts, Orwell kills the elephant in the end, not wanting to disappoint the people of Burma. Orwell captures the hearts of readers by revealing the struggles he has while dealing with the burden of his own beliefs and morals.

“Shooting an Elephant” is a short anecdote written by George Orwell. The story depicts a young man, Orwell, who has to decide whether to bend the rules for his superiors or to follow his own path. George Orwell works as the sub-divisional police officer of Moulmein, a town in the British colony of Burma. He, along with the rest of the English military are disrespected by the Burmese due to the English invading their territory and taking over. Over time, Orwell, the narrator, has already begun to question the presence of the British in the Far East. He states, theoretically and secretly, he was “all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British.” Orwell describes himself as “young and ill-educated,” bitterly hating his job. Orwell uses powerful imagery and diction to convey a depressing and sadistic tone to the story. At the end of the story, he faces a dilemma: to kill the elephant or not.

George Orwell, author of, "Shooting an Elephant" reveals his inner conflicts to the audience by offering in depth description, using intensity, and symbolism through the act of shooting the elephant. His narration helps him do so by giving descriptive scenarios in the story. Orwell's narration can also be used to examine the role of India and Great Britain at the story's time in history. The narration then allows Orwell to use symbolism in place of description. Orwell uses narration to help explain his inner conflicts and to what is happening in each setting of the story.

Shooting an elephant is a true story about George Orwell as he is an Imperial policeman in lower Burma. He is called one day about an elephant that is loose, and is wreaking havoc. When he arrives he wants to scare the elephant away but eventually shoots the elephant to save face. While he is looking for the elephant he asks the villagers which way the elephant went. The villagers give conflicting reports of the elephant's whereabout. The killing of the elephant, the information provided by the villagers, and the pressure of the crowed Orwell says “I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, Irresistibly.”(323) are examples of metaphors for the tensions between the villagers and the British.

Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell is an essay mainly describing a white British imperial police officer’s experience in Burma when he encounters a ravaging elephant while he was on duty. The story is set in the British-conquered Burma. Throughout this essay, the narrator describes his encounters with the natives and the way he feels towards them and how they they respond to the Europeans. Through the description and portrayal of imperialism the narrator attempts to convey that being a conqueror does not necessarily mean having total control, as the conquered might have control over the conqueror, but in a different way.

George Orwell describes to us in “Shooting an elephant” the struggle that his character faces when to win the mobs approval and respect when he shoots down an innocent animal and sacrifices what he believes to be right. Orwell is a police officer in Moulmein, during the period of the British occupation of Burma. An escaped elephant gives him the opportunity to prove himself in front of his people and to be able to become a “somebody” on the social

Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, is a short story about British colonialism in South Asia, during the 1900s. Orwell was inspired to write this story from his own experiences as part of the Indian Imperial Police for the British Empire (Eilers). Most readers often forget that law enforcers do not follow orders blindly and that they do contemplate the orders that are given to them. Orwell’s accounts gives readers a unique perspective of the dichotomy of living as an enforcer for the oppressive British rule, alongside the oppressed, but tantalizing Burmese. This short story is not only about an elephant being shot, but also about shifts in power and the importance of nationalism in colonial

Throughout history the most famous poets have devoted their entire lives to literature and in doing so, have become very well known. George Orwell easily became one of the most famous poets of the modern century. Although he did not grow up as an avid writer, he quickly made a name for himself. The officer would write one of a kind stories about his own experiences and the lessons learned from them. Resulting in a great amount of attention and praise for his excellent work. Cindy Johnson, a biographer explains, “He wrote numerous essays and reviews over the years, developing a reputation for producing well-crafted literary criticism.” This obviously meaning that Orwell endured a great deal of criticism in his officer duties as well as in his writings. One of Orwell’s most famous poems is, Shooting An Elephant, in which he explains the messages of the effects of peer pressure, the realization of the importance of experiences long after they have happened, and the disappearance of imperialism.

George Orwell, Shooting An Elephant Shooting An Elephant is an essay written by George Orwell. In his essay Orwell is surrounded by Imperialism and is hated by almost everyone in the town of Burma. Although the Burmese despise him, he catches their attention and support when it comes down to Orwell shooting the elephant. Orwell expresses many different emotions in this imperialistic situation such as guilt, anger, and pressure. Guilt is a feeling that oppresses Orwell several times throughout Shooting An Elephant.

In George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant,” he reflects on his experiences as a young British imperialist officer in a position of high authority in Burma; during this time, his understanding of where the true power lies in imperialism is altered. The narrator, a young, more naïve Orwell, is called in to handle a situation in which a ravaging elephant has escaped and killed a native Burmese man. Young Orwell is forced to choose between his own moral beliefs, by sparing the elephant’s life, or conforming to what the majority of the people want, by killing the elephant. After much contemplation, Orwell falls under the pressure of the natives, ultimately killing the elephant.

George Orwell’s short story, “Shooting an Elephant”, demonstrates the harsh environment, and survivalist mode that the people of Burma are in. The Burmese people had been unjustly seized over, the British Empire was crumbling therefore they invaded the space around them. The narrator starts preparing the essay manifesting his perspective on British Imperialism. He claims that it is evil and he is contradicting the oppressors. Although he is a British officer in Burma, he feels a certain hatred and guilt towards himself, the empire, and the “evil-spirited little beasts,” (Orwell) the Burmese people.

It is 1936, in British-controlled Burma. While serving a country he hates and protecting the natives, this Englishman is put in a situation in which he is torn: to shoot or not to shoot. There is a wild elephant and it has been tearing through villages, yet the elephant is found, peacefully with its owner. Facing thoughts of responsibility, pride, and embarrassment, the Englishman makes the decision to shoot. “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell, depicts this scenario in a short story that can be analyzed through both a historical and psychological critical lens.

Since the publication of George Orwell's, "Shooting an Elephant" in 1936 many philosophers have engaged in conversation about humanity, violence, politics, power, dominance, race, culture and principles. "Orwell was in fact a genius plain and simple, though in a very complicated way" (Firchow 94). George Orwell brings you into his essay with lucid and vivid details the entire way starting from the setting, "I remember that it was a cloudy, stuffy morning at the beginning of the rains,"(25) to the characters attitudes towards one another, "if a European woman went through the bazaars alone somebody would probably spit betel juice over her dress" (23). The essay starts with the narrator, whom we assume is Orwell, a white man working as a sub-divisional police officer in Moulmein, Burma where the British have a colonized. Being English, the narrator—Orwell—is hated by many of the natives, "When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter"(Orwell 23). One morning, Orwell receives a call about an elephant ram sacking the town and even killing a native Burman. Ultimately forcing Orwell into a dilemma of his own morality of what he ought to do and trying not to let down the "immense" crowd of "yellow faces" (26). Orwell shoots the elephant essentially killing him. The elephants death shows the complex range of human

In the essay “Shooting an Elephant”, George Orwell, the author shows us that the unexpected decisions one is forced to make strike long-lasting side effects. The author remembers a time in his life when he was around twenty years of age in which he had to choose between two of the hardest decisions he ever made. He goes through discontent in his life, unwillingly plays out his role as a British officer and kills an elephant in order to not look like a fool. The main points Orwell gets across are that Imperialism causes racism, hatred and rash decision making.