Shooting An Elephant By George Orwell

George Orwell is an amazing writer of the 20th century who is famous for his short stories and poems. In many of his essays, he seeks to entertain and educate the audience about a particular aspect of society. Among his best works include “Politics and the English Language” and “Shooting an Elephant”. These two stories are written very meticulously in order to show the audience how easily we as humans tend to change the things we say, along with our behavior due to others influence on us. The two essays share some similarities when it comes to their writing style, but differ greatly when it comes to their tone.

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

Haley Collins Professor Henery English 100 February 17, 2016 Shooting an Elephant The essay “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell is set in time during the 1800’s when the country of Burma had been conquer and then controlled by the British. In “Shooting and Elephant,” the essay is illustrated through the eyes of a British Imperial Officer who undergoes a life-changing event that demonstrates the true effects Imperial control. In this essay Orwell describes the horrific killing of an elephant and the emotions and frustrations the Officer endures while deciding the initial fate of the animal.

Most people believe that others have authority and control over their own actions. However, contrary to belief, authority controls people's actions. Peer pressure can have an effect on the decisions people make. In this short story, the policeman (the protagonist) is hated by the majority of people in the city of Moulmein. He is hated because he is secretly on the Burmese people’s side instead of the British. Along with conflict of the British and Burmese people, an elephant escapes and causes chaos throughout the city. It is killing people and destroying buildings. The policeman decides to step in and help, but he is faced with the peer pressure of the crowd to kill an elephant that he has no intention in killing. The protagonist is faced with lying to other people and regret for his actions. In, “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell explains how the policeman struggles between the decisions of shooting an elephant to please the authoritarian crowd that can treat him better and accept him.

Due to George Orwell’s many successful works, he has remained a recognizable and respected author from his first moments of fame until now. Orwell’s novels and essays touch on aspects of government and human nature that will always remain relevant. With America’s changing values and controversial times, Orwell’s warning seem more relevant than ever and prove that with strong ideas, a novel can remain current beyond lifetimes.

and disrupting the little bit of peace that they have. So in that instant he

Story is about a Burma village where an elephant got loose and wreaked havoc on the town and kills a villager (a man). George Orwell is the sheriff and ultimately makes the choice to kill the elephant.

George Orwell’s 1930 short story “Shooting an Elephant,” demonstrates the total dangers of the unlimited authority a state has and the astounding presentment of “future dystopia”. In the story, Orwell finds himself to be in an intricate situation that involves an elephant. Not only does the fate of the elephant’s life lie in Orwell’s hands, he has an audience of people behind him cheering him on, making his decision much more difficult to make. Due to the vast crowd surrounding his thoughts, Orwell kills the elephant in the end, not wanting to disappoint the people of Burma. Orwell captures the hearts of readers by revealing the struggles he has while dealing with the burden of his own beliefs and morals.

There are many examples of political domination between the readings from Orwell, Douglass, Obama, and Wong. Whether it’s an extreme example such as imperialism or whether it’s a smaller example such as different culture, political domination can be found in all these readings. Each of these authors use an “unexpected event” to show off how their experience of being an outsider. In George Orwell’s, “Shooting an Elephant”, the story begins through the eyes of a colonial policeman in British Burma who is hated by the Burmese people.

When you know that everyone wants you to do something and their will is pushing yours, even if you feel like what they want done isn't what you believe should be done. This is the problem that George Orwell faced, he was pushed by a crowd to kill the the elephant even though he felt it was wrong.  The essay shows through the language that Orwell uses that his pride pushed him to kill the elephant and the deep regret he feels afterwards.

If put in a situation where you were expected to do something you did not want to do, would you be able to do it? This situation occurs in “Shooting an Elephant” written by George Orwell. This story recounts the events Orwell faced during his time as an Imperial police officer in Burma, India. “Shooting an Elephant” focuses on a day where an elephant was causing mayhem in Burma. The elephant destroyed houses, food stands, and even killed a laborer while roaming the city.

In the essay written by George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant,” he aims to promote the idea that the oppressor would end up losing his freedom at the end, opposing imperialism. Orwell uses metaphors to describe the police officer—Orwell¬—and the situation in which he felt pressured into killing the elephant by the crowd in Moulmein, Lower Burma: Orwell is “seemingly the lead actor,” playing the part of an oppressor in front of the Burmese people. He is also “an absurd puppet,” who is being used by the British government. Orwell’s portrayal of himself “seemingly the lead actor” relates to the metaphor “absurd puppet” because he is being manipulated and he is performing unusual actions against his will.

Have you ever been pressured into doing something you didn’t want to, but felt like you had no other option? The narrator in Orwell's, “Shooting an Elephant” had a very similar experience. He was pressed by the Burmese into committing a senseless killing that he did not deem necessary. This transformation of the main characters mentality and morals gives the audience a terrific example of characterization, which would not be possible without the effective use of point of view in Orwell's story.

The short story “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell describes Orwell’s experience as a police officer of a town in the British colony of Burma. George Orwell, a military occupier in the Burmese land is much hated by the civilians. The hatred he receives from the locals makes him despise the British Empires mistreatment on the Burmese people. However, he also resents the locals in the village for revolting against him, for he is only a worker of the British Empire. “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell discusses the author’s views and experience on peer pressure through the structure, quality, and applicability of the information shared.

George Orwell, author of 1984, “Politics and the English Language,” “Shooting an Elephant,” and several other works, examines in his writing the strenuous relationship between the powerful and those below them. In the context of 20th century society – the frame in which Orwell works – “the powerful” mostly relates to government, and its ability to quietly control the lives of its subjects. Specifically, Orwell’s works warn society about language and its ability to, when manipulated, cause oppression. He argues that the most important aspect of being able to garner and maintain power is dominance over language, and that this is often used by powerful people to control society.