Shooting an Elephant

should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly” (4). The presumption that a ruler has absolute power over the people is proven as invalid once the ruler is dictated by the wills of the commonalty. Because of this shift in power, the speaker recognizes how a tyrant does not always have control over the masses. In “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell, he reveals that imperialism, a way of governing in which powerful countries seek to seize control and extend their authority over weaker countries, destroys the freedom of not just the Burmese, but also the imperialists as well. In order…

essay Shooting an elephant tells a story of a policeman serving for the British government is battling with inner values along with humanity and political dominance whose imperialism is torturing other people from different races. -His struggle with his job, his empire and within himself is expressed throughout the essay. 2. Summary The story takes place in Moulmein, Burma, a colony of the British government. The main character is an English police officer working there who is…

In the story, “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, he is essentially powerless because even though he is an authority figure he feels he must do what the Burmese people expect him to do or he will be laughed at or humiliated. Orwell ends up shooting and killing an elephant, “a tame one which had gone must”(Orwell, p.140), which is aggressive behavior triggered by mating instincts(footnotes). He did not want to kill the elephant but he ended up doing it anyways because he felt pressured by…

The story “Shooting an Elephant” the author talks about him getting forced into doing something he didn't want to. It all happen when he was told that an elephant was out of control he had to do something before the elephant caused more harm to the public. He got a rifle and headed where the elephant was located at. The elephant was there peacefully eating showing no signs of danger. He didn't want to shot the elephant and more people were coming behind waiting for the elephant to be shot. As…

“Shooting an Elephant” “Shooting an Elephant” is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Orwell says, “ the sneering yellow faces of young men… the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distance.”(323)…

Critique on ‘Shoot an Elephant’ In todays’ society, we are influenced by many peers. Even though many may say to ourselves, “I make my own decision, I am my own person, I will do what I think is right.” With that being said by most of us, are we really doing what ‘we’ think is right, or are our decisions being made being influenced by other individuals? It comes across that George Orwell’s essay reflects what many may go through today. The struggle to do what is morally right when an entire…

Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell is a tragic short essay about the Burman’s and the control that the British Empire brought upon them called imperialism. The Burmese reside in Southeast Asia which seems to be a world away from Europe, and the British Empire. But the thing about imperialism is that it is a power that is extended far beyond the country’s borders, the country’s power and influence can be enforced through diplomacy or military style. The Burman are unhappy, in fact, they are…

author of non-fiction. In his non-fiction story “Shooting an Elephant,” published in 1936, Orwell discusses his experiences working as a sub-divisional police officer in Burma and how his experiences changed his perspective on imperialism and society. Orwell uses a variety of literary techniques in order to portray the deteriorating state of the British Empire, as well as his own waning innocence; however, his use of vivid descriptions and symbolism are his strongest tools. He published…

his own heart. Throughout “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell attains many main accomplishments. At first he shows us his personal experience while he stayed in Burma. This story was full of metaphors which pointed out the main themes. The elephant is a metaphor for many things like the man's job, the british empire and the native people. He used the metaphor of the elephant to describe what Burma looked like while it was under the British Imperialism. Imperialism is a policy in which a strong…

Conflicted Tones in “Shooting an Elephant” In George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant”, the narrator kills an elephant, despite his reluctance to do so. An escaped elephant runs through a village and he follows in an attempt to corral the beast. The narrator carries a gun with him as a safety precaution, but has no actual plans to kill the elephant. However, the Burmans surrounding him push him to kill. This causes him to feel a large amount of cognitive dissonance. Orwell conveys this…