George Orwell Shooting An Elephant

Imagine being placed in a situation that holds the fate of a breathing elephant, the largest land animal in the world. Would you spare its life or begin the end of it in a blink of an eye? In Eric Arthur Blair’s essay Shooting An Elephant, George Orwell, arguably Blair himself, was once confronted with this very question. As an English police officer in Burma during the Age of Imperialism, Orwell was called upon to investigate an aggressive elephant that was ravaging a local bazaar and later discovered, even killed a man. When he finally located the mammal, “at that distance, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow” (Orwell 2). Orwell’s immediate thoughts were that he ought not to shoot the creature “I had no intention of shooting the elephant--I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself if necessary” (2). However, Orwell’s initial thoughts would not be put into action. Orwell would later go on to kill the elephant with three shots aimed at the brain as over two thousand native people

There are many different reasons as to why George Orwell chose to shoot the Elephant in the short story, ”Shooting an Elephant”. In the following essay, there will be a wide and deep response of why George Orwell chose to shoot the elephant in the end.

In George Orwell essay “Shooting an elephant” he wrote about his experience of being a police officer and the fear of other opinions (peer pressure). Which can influence decision making leading Orwell to shoot the elephant even when he didn't intend to. Orwell produces this essay to inform reader to understand that peer pressure and what people think about you can determine the result of your action and it’s important to always go with what you believe in and not care about other opinions or scared to someone judging you.

In George Orwell’s Shooting An Elephant, he compromises his belief on British imperialism and even his belief on shooting the elephant. It is implied in the essay that Orwell thinks that British imperialism is bad, and he compromises this belief by being a police officer for the advantage of the British in the country of Burma, now known as Myanmar. Likewise, he compromises his belief on what he should do about the elephant, and ultimately decides that he has to shoot it. “Has to shoot it.” I say this because the Burmese people do not like Orwell, and he wants to gain their trust and friendship, and get rid of the hate against him.

In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant,” Orwell kills the elephant who had been destroying the town bazaar as well as killing a coolie. Although knowing he had the option to not kill or hurt the animal but instead find a way to get him back to his owner, he still killed the elephant. The reasoning behind this is that Orwell did not want to feel humiliated if he did not kill it. He did not kill the elephant to take care of the situation, he did it to not make a fool of himself, making everything that occurred in the story a reason to justify for his actions.

Picture this, you are a police officer in the town of Moulmein, located in Lower Burma. There is no doubt that you are the most hated person in the town. Not a single person in that town likes you, not even the town’s priests. You are constantly harassed and occasionally tripped by the civilians. You have seen many brutal things such as: prisoners in unsanitary cages, the faces of long-term convicts and lastly, and the scarred buttocks of men who have been beaten by bamboos. You feel very guilty; you know that your morals do not agree with the job. This is something George Orwell dealt with at a young age.

Everyone has a moment in their lives that changes the way they think, or identifies our true views; an event that reveals a part of them that was never known before then. For example, in the essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, Orwell himself is working as a British police officer in Burma in the 1920’s. He does not like his job because of his hate for the oppressive nature of the British government. However, he does take the job seriously. One day, he gets a report about an elephant tearing through the town. He quickly gets his gun and rides to the scene with his horse. Once Orwell arrives, the elephant is long gone, but he sees all the damage it has caused, even killing a man in its rampage. Orwell asks for a larger gun, only to be used as a last resort against the elephant, and sets off to find the elephant. Many miles away, in a field, the elephant stands. However, it seems to have calmed down and is now eating as if nothing happened. By this point, Orwell has attracted the attention of hundreds of the natives, who have followed him in anticipation of seeing him kill the elephant. Although Orwell did not want to kill the elephant, he felt as though he had to, because of the position of power he held over the natives. He shoots the elephant, but is not content with his decision. Orwell believes that it was his position of power in the community that forced him into shooting the elephant, to avoid looking like a fool. It was through this event in his life that

George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant is an essay depicting the perpetual cycle of the personal desire for power and dominance within colonial imperialism. It focuses mainly on a European guard who supposedly struggles with loyalty to his country and the guilt of his country’s treatment of the native peasants. However, as the story progresses it is evident through the narrator’s thoughts and actions that he has no sympathy for the natives. He only cares about himself and his self image. This mental state is the byproduct of colonial imperialism which turns all the people involved into a self serving population.

The purpose of George Orwell’s gun was for protection. It was never intended for anything else, like to harm animals. When Orwell came across the elephant, he didn’t think anything of it, he didn’t even think to shoot it because it seemed peaceful. When he saw the thousands of people looking at him, he got nervous and felt pressured to shoot it. He felt like he was expected to shoot it. He knew that the elephant would provide food and other things for the natives, but still didn’t see why he should shoot it. If I was in Orwell’s place I wouldn’t have shot the elephant. Even if it made me look like a complete fool in front of the thousands of people, I would have felt better knowing I didn’t cause pain to such a beautiful animal. I wouldn’t even have the guts to point the gun at the elephant, because I just love animals that much.

Analysis of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” In the 1936 essay ‘Shooting an Elephant’, George Orwell depicts one of his personal experiences during his time in Burma as a colonial police officer. The main theme of this essay revolves around the shooting of an elephant that was causing menace among the people of Moulmein. Orwell himself was involved in that shooting and he claims that, he did not want to shoot the elephant.

Angela Cagnoni Mr. Golitko English IV – 1st hour 8 May 2015 Title The population around a single person can cause one to do an act they would not normally do. Throughout the story Orwell was pushed by the locals of Burma and the government to do a job he believed he was incapable of doing. The immense pressure and control of surrounding people can cause a man to become a tyrant and lose himself in the process such George Orwell did in “Shooting an Elephant”.

Burma, known as Myanmar, is a dominating ethnic group that lacks legitimacy and poor human rights. The country was taken over by the British colonial rule around the nineteenth century and thus created a state of civil war between the Burmese people and the British government. This led to oppression and torment to the Burmese people and showed their attitude as hate, pain, and in some situations happiness.

In one of George Orwell’s famous works The Road to Wigan Pier the man famously quoted “In order to hate imperialism, you have to be a part of it. (goodreads.com)” This quote symbolizes George Orwell’s attitude toward imperialism that is clearly expressed in two of his most famous essays, Shooting an Elephant and A Hanging. The quote also makes one think about what being a part of imperialism really means; For example, in both stories George Orwell’s character is portrayed as an English figure of authority in the occupied area of Burma. In both of George Orwell’s writings the groups of people that are split from each other are the British and native Indians. Orwell used many Symbols throughout his two famous writings to describe

A large number of successful authors have one common trait in their writing: they create a powerful narrative or argument through the concept of an other, a person or group who opposes the authors view. To choose one side of a conflict is to give an indication of what the persons beliefs, motivation, and identity are. In the case of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, he establishes his beliefs with the actions of Burmans, which he portrays as the others. He states that, “It was a bit of fun to them…it made me vaguely uneasy. I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself” (438). Orwells point is to make a sharp contrast between the narrator and the Burmans so that their values could be

The narrator is a colonial policeman in British Burma who is disrespected from the natives. He strongly opposes the oppressive British rule of Burma and the rest of India. When Orwell hears about an elephant on the loose that injuries a man and ends up killing him he feels compelled to kill the elephant in ordered to not be humiliated by the town.