...choices an individual must make can have ever-lasting effects. In the story "Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell, the author recalls an experience from his past when he was twenty years old in which he had to choose one of two lesser evils. Several years later, the memory still haunts him. The short story takes place at some point during the five depressing years Orwell spent as a police officer in Burma. He dislikes where he is in life, and when he is confronted with a moral dilemma, a vital work animal must die to preserve his pride. George is a displeased young cop who lives in mental isolation. He despises British imperialism, he despises Burmese natives, and he despises his job....
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...messages and/or themes from George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant. Peer Pressure, peer pressure is when one person does something against their morals/beliefs or even wants because the people, usually a group of people, tell or expect this person to do. There are many ways to be pressured into doing something that one may not agree with, and there are many people who would push for whatever task to be done. George Orwell was an early twentieth century poet, he lived from 1903 to 1950. Orwell is most commonly known for his novel Animal Farm, which was set in 1984. As well as an established writer, Orwell also was the creator of the common terms such as, “big brother,” and “newspeak.” One of Orwell’s essays called Shooting...
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...March 20, 2012 Shooting an Elephant and Decolonising the Mind In life, we as humans often make decisions that we would not have made on our own if we would not of had influence by someone else. In both “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell and “Decolonising the Mind,” by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o both Orwell and Thiong’o received the British colonial education. As humans, others' opinions mean a great deal to us, and in "Shooting an Elephant", and “Decolonising the Mind,” they both have one thing in common: English. "Shooting an Elephant" is the story of a British policeman in Moulmein, a city in Burma, that is torn between shooting or not shooting an elephant that has gone ramped. Many people may misinterpret George Orwell's tone in the essay "Shooting an Elephant." People often construe that the story is about Orwell's decision to either shoot the elephant, or to just peacefully observe it until the mahout came to tame the animal. The story is actually about the struggles Orwell faces because of his position "in between" the Burmese and the imperialistic system. Orwell portrays a distinctive amount of irony in this piece of writing because after he reviewed the situation and started this essay, he spotted a lot of irony in the actions between himself, the people of Burma, and the British Empire. Thiong’o gives a powerful image of how British government tries to control the culture of Kenya. In “Decolonising the Mind”, Thiong’o illustrates his childhood: “All the...
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...extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force” (Oxford Dictionary). In the essay “Shooting An Elephant” by George Orwell, imperialism is portrayed as a corrupt act in which the British Empire imposes itself on Burma. Orwell use rhetorical techniques to describe how imperialism can create grotesque effects on both the British and Burmese. In Orwell’s essay, characters such as the police officer, the local Burmese people and the elephant display the brutal reality British imperialism. The British police officer serves his country in Burma and is constantly mocked by the local Burmese. But, one day they praise him when he kills the outrageous elephant that is let loose in the neighborhood. George Orwell effectively depicts the theme of imperialistic depravity through the use of symbolism, irony and visual imagery in “Shooting An Elephant.” George Orwell exemplifies the immorality of British imperialism through the use of symbolism. In “Shooting An Elephant,” the elephant becomes wild and starts raging through the Burmese neighborhood. Its angry outburst and temper tantrum destroys “somebody’s bamboo hut, [kills] a cow” (257) and injures a Burmese local. The Burmese are “helpless against it” (257). The elephant symbolizes British imperialism as its power is untamed and dangerous. The fact that the natives are unable to control the elephant also emphasizes Burma’s impotence under...
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...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 history but Orwell's narration can consider...
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...In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell is placed in a situation with an “untamed” elephant. Orwell is a police officer stuck on duty in Burma from which he desperately wants to leave. He is well aware of the fact that the Burmese people do not like him at all; however, he is the one who they call on when there is trouble. According to me, Orwell uses his story of shooting the elephant to exemplify the peer pressure he feels in Burma from its people. As we read in his essay, after much debate with himself of how the elephant did not intentionally harm anyone he still decides or is pressured into shooting the elephant. Complications of his ego, and fear of losing his dignity puts the life of the harmless beast in secondary priority. The unexplainable love-hate situation between the colonizer and the colonized is one of the factors of Orwell’s decision of shooting the elephant. According to Orwell, the colonizer he feels that whatever is happening in Burma with the colonized is wrong. "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. Theoretically - and secretly, of course - I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British" (Orwell 525). Though he likes the Burmese people they still don’t give him the same respect. By shooting the elephant he thinks he will gain their respect. We can...
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...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...
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...their actions without being forced to follow a certain course by either by the influence of others or by natural laws. For many theists, free will is regarded as a special gift from God. The notion of human free will is also an important premise for a lot of what happens in human society - in particular, when it comes to our legal system. Free will is necessary for the notion of personal responsibility. If people do not have free will, then it is difficult to argue that they are personally and morally responsible for their actions - and if that is the case, how can they be punished for their misdeeds? In fact, how can they be praised for the good things they do, if those actions were not also freely chosen? George Orwell did not have free will when it came to shooting the elephant. Orwell expresses his conflicting views regarding imperialism through three examples of oppression by his country, by the Burmese, and by himself on the Burmese. Thus he was not morally responsible. This made Orwell realize his role in society and has made him a stronger man. But first let’s see what led to his feeling toward the Burmese people. The building up of the feeling of pressure starts with Orwell feeling humiliated and disrespected from the Burmese and shifts to a feeling of authority and presence as a result of the elephant's closeness. It was a common feeling for the Burmese to be bitter towards Europeans as a result of imperialism. It seemed as though the Burmese had grown a feeling of...
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...this essay 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...
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... “Shooting an Elephant” Background Eric Arthur Blair is the real name of the author in “Shooting an Elephant.” George Orwell was Blair’s pen name. He was born June 25th, 1903 in Motihari, India and died January 21st, 1950 in London, United Kingdom. His role models include Charles Dickens and Aldous Huxley. The British novelist and essayist also became a teacher at Hawthorns High School in Hayes, West London in April of 1932. Orwell’s publications include Burmese Days (1934), Animal Farm: A Fairy Story (1945), Why I Write (1946), and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). His work mainly focuses on controversial topics, such as imperialism, fascism, and...
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...Deception Debra Winger once said ''Most bad behavior comes from insecurity''.At some points in our lives, we are all overcome with insecurity in many different ways and our mind is full of self-defense mechanisms. Insecurity can sometimes turn us into someone we are not and make us act in a dismissive way. This essay will focus on two characters from two different proses; Blanche DuBois: a southern beauty from A Streetcar Named Desire and George Orwell: a sub-division office from Shooting an Elephant. Even though both characters differ in many different aspects such as background, upbringing, era, and class, both characters have something in common; their insecurities make them act in a negative way to compensate for their void. Each character expresses their insecurity differently; DuBois feels the need to act superior to others to mask her inadequacy, whilst Orwell feels the need to act against his better judgement to impress others. Although they are completly different characters, they both fear rejection and humilation by those surrounding them. Adding to that, their past experiences have impacted and influenced them into believing and acting in the way they do. Therefore, although both characters are extremely different in many ways, their insecurities and past experiences have caused them to act in negative and unpleasant ways. Blanche DuBois is supposedly a southern belle, representing delicacy, beauty, and innocence. However Blanche is anything but this. She is...
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...Peer Innocence (An Analysis of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell) Pressure is a common obstacle throughout the journey of life. Whether it is stress, a big due date, or peer pressure, it is experienced nearly every day. Peer pressure is defined as getting forced into something that was not wanted by other people, friend or not. It is considered a form of bullying. In the story Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, is a personal narrative of what happened to him when he was a police officer in Burma, India. Peer pressure was what made him make the decision he did and due to that he has to live forever with the consequences. Certainly, we have all fallen to some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure can greatly influence decisions, always...
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...According to Orwell’s depiction of Imperialism as one of his main themes in the story, which can be found all over the story at many points, it causes tensions between the natives, it affects both sides, it promotes immorality to gain the oppressors needs, and it makes people such as the officer take decisions that they ought not to in their daily lives. For example Orwell states that “the British Raj as an 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...
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...every day. From my understanding of existentialism is making your own choices and later on having to dwell on the presumptions of that choice that you made. In such as Orwell having to dwell on the choice that he made of shooting the elephant. According to his essay, “existentialism” Sartre explains the beliefs and conditions of existentialism. The most important beliefs that Sartre had was that there is no human nature. “If existence really does precede essence, there is no explaining things away by reference to a fixed and given human nature.” (Sartre 1131.) He also believed that God does not exist. “On the other hand, if God does not exist, we find no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. (Sartre 1131.) Meaning, we are the ones to blame for our own actions and choices that we make, if God doesn’t exist were not able to put our blame on him. George Orwell is a writer that I think is an existentialist. In his essay “Shooting an Elephant” I believe that Orwell was existentialism. His central choice that he makes was, he didn’t know if he wanted to shoot the elephant or not. Orwell stated “As I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty I ought not to shoot him. It is a serious matter to shoot a working elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow. (786.) His writing...
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...Shooting an Elephant: The Death of Free Will George Orwell’s essay, Shooting an Elephant, was first published in 1936 in the autumn issue of New Writing, a London periodical. According to Adrian De Lange, Shooting an Elephant is one of Orwell’s most famous essays (Bloom 9). It cannot be established whether or not it was an actual account of something that Orwell experienced, something he witnessed or if it is solely fictitious, but is accepted that this essay was written out of Orwell’s experiences while he was a member of the Imperial India Police Force in Burma, described by Orwell as, “five boring years” (Abrahams 194). There are many apparent and some not so apparent themes in this work. The harmful results of Imperialism, prejudice, and living by your own conscience are all valid and thought provoking themes. A theme that is also valid and beneficial to examine is the dangers of isolation and alienation and how those states can manifest in dangerous, even deadly ways. Isolation and alienation can be very damaging on the human spirit. That damage can lead to actions that do irreparable harm to an individual as well as a community. In Shooting an Elephant the narrator finds himself isolated because of his role as policeman in a foreign country and by the hostility and mistrust of the Burmese citizens he must police. This isolation leads to vulnerability and weakness when faced with mob pressure. When given into, peer pressure leads to death:...
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