...In the story of Shooting an Elephant the author George Orwell uses many themes that can be related to yourself in life. In the story, the protagonist is himself and he explains the empire of the British that controls Burma and the Burmese natives. He is a police man in lower Burma, and is forced to shoot a ravaging elephant that is tearing up the town otherwise the town people would joke and laugh at him. The overall theme of this story is peer pressure from the people and also the power of imperialism that can affect you and others. The story is told in a first person point of view. Orwell describes himself through the narrator’s voice. He described the Burmese people as mean and disrespectful. The village police were often teased and made fun of because of their ethnicity and look. “As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so” (Orwell, G. (1950). Shooting An Elephant.). The police of the town were obviously noticeable to heckle. The readers of the story have to recognize the power of peer pressure. It can cause a big amount of anxiety which can make you think different in different situations....
Words: 633 - Pages: 3
...we will take a critical analysis approach to George Orwell's “Shooting an Elephant” and its use of certain nonfiction elements that it uses. In “Shooting an Elephant” Orwell tells a tale of when he was an officer in Burma under the British empire. He hates his job and he hates the fact that he is forced to subjugate these people, but he also despises them for making his job so hard with their rebellious ways while also sympathizes with them. He is young and he is very confused with life at this point and has come to the realization that imperialism is wrong in any form. The plot of the story is the strongest non fiction element present because it goes so in depth. It has repercussions not just in the story, but you can infer by the writing other things going on around that time with just the little text present. The non fiction element plot is the main focal point in the story to better convey the situation at that time. What is plot? Plot is a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, how the reader views the story, or simply by coincidence. One is generally interested in how well this pattern of events accomplishes some artistic or emotional effect. Plots usually follow the same steps exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Patterson 2 In Orwell's “Shooting an Elephant” plot plays a big role in getting the point of the story across...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...Shooting an Elephant is a short story by George Orwell that details an English police officer’s experience with a disturbance in his town. Commotion is caused by an elephant rampaging through the town. As expected, this event causes great conflict for both the citizens of the town, as well as the police officer. Besides the obvious conflict of physical danger, internal conflicts arise as well. The main external conflict is the fact that a giant elephant is on the loose. Although it is supposed that the elephant is domesticated, it is still large and afraid. Describing the chaos caused by the elephant, the narrator states, “It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut, killed a cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the stock; also it had met the municipal rubbish van and, when the driver jumped out and took to his heels, had turned the van over and inflicted violences upon it” (Orwell). Shortly after this explanation is made, it is discovered by the police officer that the giant animal has also killed an Indian by crushing him into the ground. The elephant’s presence threatens the lives of...
Words: 719 - Pages: 3
...George Peshkov Professor Carra Glatt 10/28/2015 Shooting an Elephant Essay Whether it be financial decisions, how much time to spend on studies, or whether or not to go out for a run, there are always conflicts through an average person’s days. These conflicts are usually met through an understanding of morals(both internal and external), the outcomes of the decision, and how much effort is required. In George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant there are constant showings of conflictions in the narrator’s morals. These conflicts include, the narrator’s social status and powerful authority, how he views the other officers, and whether or not to shoot the elephant. These conflictions in morals leads to a lot of misunderstanding, which is the main...
Words: 1465 - Pages: 6
...“Conflict of Convictions” E. Marshall October 16, 2012 English Composition 1102 Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction page 3 Section 2: Historical Context page 4 Section 3: Common Theme in other literature page 5 Section 4: Analysis page 7 Section 5: Conclusion page 9 Section 6: Works Cited page page 10 Introduction The literary piece “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, highlights the apprehensions of a colonial officer's obligation to shoot a rogue elephant. The author does not want to shoot the elephant, but feels pressured by a crowd of indigenous residents, before whom he does not wish to appear indecisive or cowardly. “Shooting an Elephant”, by George Orwell, utilizes characterization, point of view, and plot to illustrate the moral conflict between one’s beliefs and duties. George Orwell worked as a sub-divisional police officer in Moulmein, Burma, back in the days of the British Empire. Burma was just one of many unsatisfied colonies. Orwell, and his famous social conscience, is a target for the hatred of the natives, who sneer at him and insult him, whenever they can. Although, in principle, he sides with the natives, his position and their anger weakens his compassion, to some degree. One day, George Orwell is told that an elephant is destroying the bazaar and he is asked to take care of this potential threat. Although basically tame, an elephant may still rampage occasionally due to...
Words: 1683 - Pages: 7
...Shooting an elephant - By George Orwell Imperialism is the appellation for a policy, where a ruler in a country attempts to oppress another country. This is mainly the theme and point in the essay “Shooting an elephant” The story is written by the author George Orwell, and centers about this problem which was going on between the British and the Burmese. The essay is written as a metaphor describing the British imperialism, and gives the readers an insight in how George's opposition against the imperialism is expressed. Another theme in the story is the meeting between two cultures – in where it describes the burmese, that despise the British. Apart from that, George himself is going though a process of self-deception, which is showed clearly in this story. George Orwell was born on 25th June 1903, and was a well known English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. George Orwell was one of the most influential English writers in the 20th century, and is mostly known for the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and the novella “Animal Farm”. George Orwell was working in The British Imperial Police from 1922-1927, where he wrote the essay “Shooting an elephant” as a reflection about the British imperialism in India. The setting is in Moulmein in Lower Burma in the 1920's, and is taking place in a poor city. “It was a very poor quarter, a labyrinth of squalid bamboo huts, thatched with palm-leaf, winding all over a steep hillside.” (Page 112, line 12-14) The society...
Words: 989 - Pages: 4
...George Orwell's essay 'Shooting an Elephant' gives remarkable insight into the human psyche. The essay presents a powerful theme of inner conflict. Orwell feels strong inner conflict between what he believes as a human being, and what he believes and should do as an imperial police officer. The author is amazingly effective in illustrating this conflict by providing specific examples of contradictory feelings, by providing an anecdote that exemplified his feelings about his situation, and by using vivid imagery to describe his circumstances. A police officer in the British Raj, the supposedly 'unbreakable'; ruling force, was afraid. With his gun aimed at an elephant's head, he was faced with the decision to pull the trigger. That officer was George Orwell, and he writes about his experience in his short essay “Shooting an Elephant” to save face, he shrugged it off as his desire to “avoid looking the fool” (George Orwell, 77). In truth, the atmosphere of fear and pressure overwhelmed him. His inner struggle over the guilt of being involved in the subjugation of a people added to this strain, and he made a decision he would later regret enough to write this story. In his essay, Orwell describes how the abuses and treatment he witnessed oppressed him with an intolerable sense of guilt, (Orwell, 72). This is not some minor pang, or nagging worry. The shame pressed down on his shoulders with an unbearable weight. He also describes the injustices in detail...
Words: 990 - Pages: 4
...unbreakable tyranny...prostate people”, and he goes on in the same paragraph mentioning the “bayonet into a Buddhist priest’s guts”. “feelings like these are normal by the products of imperialism ask any anglo indian official” Imperialism also promotes racism, prejudice, and resentment. The oppressors continues to break rules and disregards rights in order to stay in power and to show control of the land and people. This increases resentment in natives as shown in the story that even though the elephant does not have any strength the officer wants to make sure that it dies, “lands a bullet after a bullet to put the beast to end”, meaning the oppressor wants to make sure that enough damage is done to those oppressed that they are completely broken and have no ways to resent or to retaliate. Even though the elephant stood their and was calm the officer still made the decision of shooting it basing on the “yellow faces” as he mentions would have thought of him as weak or fool if he hadn’t shot the elephant. This certainly shows that the oppressor would do anything in his power regardless of it being right or wrong, moral or immoral, humane or inhumane, etc...to make himself look powerful and in control and we can also see that in the statement made by the officer Orwell narrates that: “It was a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than i had had before of the real nature of imperialism-the real motives for which despotic governments act.”...
Words: 2021 - Pages: 9
...Shooting an Elephant In all societies we can be forced to do something because it is expected of us. The consideration you go through before taking action can seem interminable. Taking actions on your own is what makes you independent as an individual person. There are people who can handle the pressure from the expectation and there are people who cannot. The short story "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell from 1936 explains the thoughts and the speculation that goes through a person’s head in the heat of the moment. The story takes place in Burma which then was a part of The British Empire. Throughout the story we see the how the European culture conflicts with the India culture and how British citizens are described as superior citizens compared to the natives. The main character was a British sub divisional police officer who got the task to shoot a demented elephant. He did not like the society that he lived in. "For 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" p. 1 l. 20-23. He did not like the imperial government because of how the lower class citizens were treated. "In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters." p. 2 l. 4-5. Even though he is against the empire he is still afraid of what empire or government that will supplant it. When the main character heard about the elephant he brought his old .44 Winchester rifle which he knew...
Words: 574 - Pages: 3
...In one’s youth there are many factors which influence you and help you become the person you are going to be. In the teenage years one is often split or in a conflict with oneself. If you add a little responsibility to that the outcome can be either positive and help you become a more together person, or it can be fatal and result in poor decisions and complicated situations. That extra responsibility can come in many different varieties, for example by taking on the role as a mother for your younger siblings because of absent parents, or as in this story being given the authority of a town and licence to kill when you don’t feel old or wise enough for it. In ”Shooting an Elephant” we have a first person narrator. For instance: “I was hated by large numbers of people. ” The “I” easily gives away our narrator. In the informative text at the beginning of page 1, we are told that the author George Orwell was a police officer in the Indian Imperial police force from 1922 to 1927. The plot in the story indicates that it is his own experiences he has written down. The story is written in past tense, most likely because Orwell is looking back upon his time in Burma, this contributes to the feeling of reading through a diary. Orwell uses everyday language, but he also makes long descriptive sentences I assume that this is the result of him being a writer, because he is trained in drawing his readers in with his lush descriptions. Another trait which makes the story seem like an extract...
Words: 1233 - Pages: 5
...SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT PRATIK THAPA "Shooting an Elephant" tells a story of George Orwell as he struggles between his moral objection to not shoot an elephant and legal responsibility to shoot it. Throughout his adventure, he decides that it is best to kill the elephant however he believes that It is against his rationale. Though, he feels bad about killing the elephant, he kills it at last and he tries to justify his act throughout the whole essay explaining how pressuring and compelling the situation was and why he had to do it. First of all, he describes how destructive the elephant was. I think this, as his first justification for killing an elephant. He thinks it is important to kill something that is endangering public lives and public property. He quotes, “It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut, killed a cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the stock; also it had met the municipal rubbish van and, when the driver jumped out and took to his heels, had turned the van over and inflicted violence upon it.” Even with this judgment, it seems difficult for him to decide if he really has to kill that animal and he waits for alternative. Secondly, he continues to describe the Elephant being more violent. As he passes, the village, he sees many acts of the elephant that he describes as cruel and unkind. He also sees “a dead man’s body sprawling in the mud.” His use of words such as “head sharply twisted to one side”, “the teeth bared and grinning with an...
Words: 764 - Pages: 4
...the highest class over time. In this paper, I would focus on what part of Orwell's exposition Shooting an Elephant makes it a work of art. Moreover, I would introduce one book related novel called A Passage to India by E.M Forster and a musical composition by Bob Dylan entitled Rolling Stone. which I would be contending on why these authors and artist works are worthy of being consider classic and on the off chance that they can be considered similarly great. George Orwell is best prominent for his last two books, the anti-powerful, controlling government works Animal Farm and 1984. He was an exceptionally adroit and experienced writer . Among his most puissant essays is the 1931 self- portraying essay Shooting an Elephant, which Orwell reflects on his experience as a police officer in pioneer Burma. Shooting an Elephant can be identified as one of the most classical essays in the English language. It is an extraordinarily composed article and a dynamite for a topic of portrayal. Throughout the essay, Orwell develops his proposition on the impacts of colonialism on the general population who are abused as well on the general population abuse individuals, also. The theme, of Shooting an Elephant is to uncover the issues between the law and one's ethical feeling of good and bad as this relates to British government solidly. One major key aspect that makes Shooting an Elephant a classical is that it deals with the evils of imperialism. Imperialism has been edified throughout...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...The short story “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell is a narrative based on an experience that Orwell had whilst working in the territory of Burma (Myanmar), within British Raj, as an English police officer with the Indian Imperial Police. The conflict the British police officer internally struggles with is the issue of imperialism, specifically stated as an “evil thing” (Broadview, pg 1403), despite working and living within a British colony of Burma. For Orwell, his major drawback is within the fact that he does not agree with the supremacy that is held over the Burmese people. As explained “ Theoretically- and secretly, of course- I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British” (Broadview, pg 1403). Orwell repeatedly mentions evidence of British cruelty, exhibiting this is in images throughout his story, such as is the depiction of prisoners in cages. Moreover, the language employed by Orwell depicts an English colonial, in that he refers to the natives of Burma as yellow. Throughout the story, Orwell is presented with the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of imperialism through his experience of coming into contact with the elephant. He explains he did not want to shoot the elephant, but as an officer of...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...Everyday every person faces to moral dilemma .According to urban dictionary a moral dilemma is a conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action.Like in the essay “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell finds himself in a moral dilemma. Our main character a police officer in the British Raj, and he writes about his experience or moral dilemma in his short story, 'Shooting an Elephant. To save face, he shrugged it off as his desire to 'avoid looking the fool'; (George Orwell, 283). In truth, the atmosphere of fear and pressure overwhelmed him. His inner struggle over the guilt of being involved in the subjugation of a people added to this strain, and he made a decision he would...
Words: 788 - Pages: 4
...Shooting an elephant ”Shooting an elephant” is an essay written by George Orwell and published in 1936. The text is told by a first person narrator, who tells us about being a policeman in Burma and about his doubt, whether to kill an animal or not. The man who tells us the story is an unhappy young policeman who lives in mental isolation. He hates British imperialism, he hates Burmese natives, and he hates his job. He feels like a target for the Burmese people. The natives are treating him very badly; they are making fun of the white man. They laugh at the protagonist and sneer at him when he passes them. “In the end the sneering yellow faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves.” We still don’t get the impression that the narrator hates the natives, we get the feeling that he understand them. He puts himself into the same positions as they are; he is in the same position- also oppressed and hated, but cause by his own nation’s occupation. The Indians are also oppressed by the British and the white man. The story is written in a period where England had colonies all over the world. The British are trying to make an empire far away from home; they conquer other countries and try to assimilate the population to their own rules and traditions. The white man has an thought, that they are the chosen people to civilize primitive races. They are clever, educated, and rich and therefore...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
