How Is Imperialism Justified

Imperialism is a recurring theme in the history of the world. Stronger countries see themselves as superior to other societies and believe their ways are right. They force religion, government, and practices on countless foreign lands. At the very end of the nineteenth

As an anti-imperialist writer, the author explains his hatred and guilt toward the arrogant system that cause him to denounce British Imperialism by demonstrating the incompatible relationship between the powerful

Europeans were encouraged and convinced that the white race was superior due to the evolution ideologies theorized by Charles Darwin, the well renowned scientist. A British imperialist in Africa, Cecil Rhodes, exemplifies these false interpretations in Confessions of Faith, published in 1877. She arrogantly states that “[Britons] are the finest race in the world, and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race”. She then continues to express that colonizing is their duty because they would also be expanding the “Anglo-Saxon race”, assuming to “better the world.” The enforcers were blinded by their self inflated thoughts to realize the damage they caused. In 1903, a report made by Roger Casement, an Irish human activist and anti-imperialist, interviewed African natives on the colonialism. One quoted Congo Basin chief, Moyo, “our country has not many people in it and we are dying fast. We are killed by the work you make us do, but the stoppage of our plantations, and the breakin up of our homes”. This proves the harsh reality colonizers were putting into effect on the natives. They only cared about the land resources they could gain to benefit themselves and enslaved the natives to do the dirty labor. The racial bias was a lousy excuse to acquire territory and was a problematic factor of progressive force during the new imperialism which lead to the killings of innocent

“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.

“Shooting an Elephant” is an essay written by George Orwell, who was an Assistant Superintendent in the British Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927. The essay was published in 1936. Burma was occupied by the British over a period of 62 years (1823-1886) and it was directed as a province of India until it became a separate colony in 1937. In the essay, Orwell narrates the scene of the killing of an elephant in Burma and expresses the feelings that he goes through during the event. The writer’s theme is that imperialism is not an effective way of governing. It can be decoded through his

This quote, stated by Ludwig von Mises, presents the idea that imperialism has led to the most unjustified bloodshed in all of human history. This quote deals with whether the bloodshed caused by Imperialism is justifiable or not. I find Ludwig von Mises’ perspective on imperialism agreeable because I think killing and conquering people is morally wrong. Imperialism has affected many nations politically, economically and socially.

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

The quest for power is one which has been etched into the minds of men throughout history. However, it can be said that true power is not a result of one’s actions but comes from the following one’s own beliefs without being influenced by others. This principle sets up the story for Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell. The protagonist, Orwell himself, is a sub divisional police officer in Burma, a British colony. Orwell must try to find and use his inner power when he is faced with the decision of whether or not to kill an elephant which has ravaged the Burman’s homes. The state of power established through the imperialistic backdrop show that Orwell, as a colonist, should be in control. As well, the perspective and ideas given by Orwell

Captain Alfred T. Mahan, head of the Naval War College, cautioned that America’s survival depended on a strong navy to patrol the Pacific. The creation of this naval force would require the establishment of bases in the Pacific to provide the needed supply and coal for the ships. Britain had already secured Hong Kong and Singapore, so the United States sought to negotiate with Japan to open ports in the region. . Domination or acquisition of pacific islands opened new trade opportunities with China. “Mahan believed that the U.S. economy would soon be unable to absorb the massive amounts of industrial and commercial goods being produced domestically, and he argued that the United States should seek new markets abroad.” American land acquisitions

“Imperialism is the creation and maintenance of an unequal cultural, economic, and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination. Imperialism functions by subordinating groups of people and territories and extracting everything of value from the colonized people and territories” - unsetting Americans. (https://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/cultural-appreciation-or-cultural-appropriation/) They are talking about being harmful and unequal but they are just the same. They are talking about how their ancestors killed some people but they have no fault in it. History is the past and the generation now has nothing to do with

In Shooting an Elephant, Orwell introduces the reality of a country, such as England, whose expansionist doctrine results in the suppression and mistreatment of the native inhabitants in their colonies. The short story is narrated by a British police officer stationed in Burma, a British occupied territory. The story begins with an acknowledgement of the horrible conditions in which the Burmese people live and the officer describes his own hatred towards Britain for causing such a state, “The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, the scarred buttocks of the men who had been flogged with bamboos” (Orwell). By having a British officer admit the flaws in Britain’s imperial system, Orwell is telling his readers that the system of imperialism is so cruel that even those who reap the benefits of imperialism don’t approve of it. Through this Orwell points out the double sided nature of the imperial system, “This paradox governs the of the men who serve the system.

According to the textbook, World History: Modern Times by Glencoe. Imperialism is said to be “extension of a nations power over other lands” (page 430). The power included control of politics, economy, and culture life of other countries. Imperialism was global and was controlled by France, Britian, and the United States. Over time other countries became a part of imperialistic rule. There are four forms of imperial rule that included: colonies, protectorates, spheres of influence, and economic imperialism. Colonies were in categories by two different kinds; direct rule and indirect rule. Direct rule meant that officials from France were sent to be in charge of the colonies. Indirect rule meant that rulers from that area were in charge.

George Orwell begins his essay by setting the tone of the whole piece. He is a police officer that is “hated by many large numbers of people”. He was hated due to the fact that he was European, more specifically British. British at this time was controlling Burma but people didn’t like that. He thinks that these Burmese people are “little beasts”. We usually portray beasts as big. George Orwell also thought that imperialism was horrible. He stated that “I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing.” George Orwell, even though he was British, said that imperialism is bad. He stated, “I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British.” Even though he is British he doesn’t support what they are doing. He doesn’t support how they are treating the people bad. Imperialism is evil. Through the use of vivid details and images, Orwell is able to prove his point that imperialism is evil. He states, “The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups, the grey, …” These images all show how imperialism has affected the Burmese population. All of these negative images show how they are mistreated because of how they look. They look so bad that Orwell finds himself guilty because he is the puppet that is appointed by the British. George Orwell then begins to describe a “tiny incident” that shows the true imperialism. George Orwell uses symbolism as a way to convey his main point. The elephant represents imperialism. The people are helpless against this elephant and can’t stop it. We can see this when he states that “the Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it.” The Burmese people are poor and barely survive so they can barely fight against imperialism. Then Orwell uses vivid images once again to show what the elephant has done. He mentions a cow getting killed, a hut being destroyed, and a van being flipped over.This is able to convey his main point because through the multiple wars Britain has ruined their economy, their resources, and their supplies that they need to have to survive.

Orwell?s extraordinary style is never displayed better than through the metaphors he uses in this essay. He expresses his conflicting views regarding imperialism through three examples of oppression: by his country, by the Burmese, and by himself on the Burmese. Oppression is shown by Orwell through the burden of servitude placed upon him by England: Orwell himself, against his will, has oppressed many. British Imperialism dominated not only Burma, but also other countries that did not belong to England. At the time it may appear, from the outside, he shows us that the officers were helping the Burmese because they too were against oppressors; however, from the inside he demonstrates that they too were trying to annex other countries. Though Orwell?s handling of this subject is detailed, in the end, he subtly condemns imperialism. Orwell finds himself in a moral predicament no different than the ones placed on the white men in the East. He justifies his actions, driven by the instigation of the Burmese. Orwell also feels forced by the natives to kill the elephant, hindering his

The essay, “Shooting an Elephant” written by George Orwell, talks about his personal experience from when he was about twenty years old and in during which he was forced to choose between two cruel choices. In the introduction of the essay, Orwell effectively sets the tone of the essay by describing his surroundings in Burma working as a British Police officer. Feelings of depression are described by the author as he continues to recount his experience in Burma. Even though he has reigned a certain level of authority over the Burmese natives as a British officer, Orwell is consistently humiliated by the natives themselves. Orwell uses his first paragraph by recounting the British rule over the Burmese. He then narrows the focus effectively onto an escaped elephant who