The short story “Shooting an Elephant”, by George Orwell, can be seen as one broad metaphor for imperialism. In the story, Orwell is direct about discussing imperialism from the narrator's point of view. But, if the reader analyzes “Shooting an Elephant” through a historical critical lens then representation of imperialism can be seen in many other aspects of the story as well. Through this lens, we can not only see the effects of imperialism on the policeman and the people of the colonized nation, but we can see it reflected in the plot and what happens to the elephant and its true owner. Britain's colonization of Burma is directly reflected in the European officer’s views and the treatment of the native peoples. The elephant, which is shot by the policeman represents imperialized nations, and the shooter and crowd who came to see him both represent imperialist nations. …show more content…
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Britain was a strong imperialist nation. Britain's vast imperialism can be summed up in the quote “ the sun never sets on the British Empire”. They conquered and exploited many nations (to the point where it was always daytime somewhere the British controlled), including Burma, which was part of Britain's imperialism of India. Britain used India and Burma for profit. There was little to no regard for the culture or lives of people there. Native peoples we mistreated and seen as less by their white european oppressors (people from Great Britain) (Encyclopedia). Knowing even just a surface level history of what was going on at the time “Shooting an Elephant” was written is enough to help a reader further analyze the effects and reasons of events in the
Well known author and journalist, George Orwell, in his essay, Shooting an Elephant, describes his experiences as a Policeman in Moulmein, Burma during European Imperialism. Orwell’s purpose is to convey the ideal that what is right and what is accepted don’t always align. He adopts a remorseful tone in order to convey to the reader the weight of his actions. By looking at George Orwell’s use of imagery and figurative language, one can see his strongly conflicting opinions on Imperialism.
“Shooting an Elephant,” an essay published in 1936, uses multiple devices to inform readers about imperialism and how it negatively affects the oppressed and the oppressor. George Orwell, the author of the essay, was a supporter of democratic socialism and was a strong advocate against social injustices. The essay was based on a time when Orwell was a police officer in colonial Burma. Orwell uses an elephant throughout the essay to effectively explain to the audience the relationship between the Burmese and the British. In addition, he also directly and indirectly talks about his feelings towards imperialism through the use of symbolism, metaphors, syntax, and diction . Orwell
The consequence of imperialism is discussed in “Shooting an Elephant”; The victim of imperialism is not only the natives but also the narrator. Indeed, this essay is about the suffering and the struggling of Orwell who is torn between the Burmese’s actions and the Imperial System.
In George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant”,George explores the complexities of imperialism–and how they are mutually pernicious to both people involved. He wrote, “A story always sounds clear enough at a distance, but the nearer you get to the scene of events the vaguer it becomes.” The idea is demonstrated when he hunts down the elephant. Though the Burmese people warn him of the elephant’s rampage and tell him he’s in danger, he finally finds the elephant peacefully grazing–and it is an entirely different creature than what the people described to him.The idea is noteworthy to the essay because, on a prodigious scale, it uncovers the complex characters of imperialism.
“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.
A renowned novelist and former imperial policeman, George Orwell, in his essay, Shooting an Elephant (1936), addresses the problems of imperialism. He argues that imperializing others, specifically Burma, will force the colonists to lose their own conscience and freedom. Orwell utilizes a variety of rhetorical elements throughout his essay to help bolster his claim. Firstly, Orwell uses first person perspective to showcase his experiences in order to establish his credibility. He then uses word choice to indicate his imperialistic sentiments and emotions. Lastly, he uses imagery to portray the pressure and emotions that were elicited while shooting the elephant. The purpose of Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant is to inform the reader about the inherent struggles that are engendered by imperialism. Orwell adopts a critical, subjective tone for his audience, the readers of his essay, anti-imperialists, and scholars studying imperialism.
When you first read “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell you may think it is a story to entertain you. However, the entire piece is a metaphor about Britain imperialism. Orwell’s views on imperialism is quickly identified when he says “For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing.” (Shooting an Elephant George Orwell) As the story progresses the police officer is given orders to find a “ravaging elephant” who was destroying the village in Burma and its people. Once the officer finds the elephant he contemplates shooting it because it looked so peaceful. In the end the officer succumbs to the peer pressure from the large crowd following him, and he
As society has progressed, the evolution of imperialism has come to a point where people see it has pure history. It has vanished from our daily lives as we have not recently witness a country trying to dominate another. In “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, we are able to envision the lives of the Burmese as they were involuntarily controlled by the British. In the early 1900’s we are told a true story of Orwell himself where he was once established in Burma was apart of his military service. During his service, he describes his living situation by noting that the army as well as himself were not appreciated. He mentions, “As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so.”(1) One day he
In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” a sub-divisional police officer described his position being in Moulmein, in lower Burma which was very anti-European. He described how the native treated Europeans and how he was treated by them each day. He was taunted, baited, and treated so terrible by the people it was hard to keep his cool. He said “imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner his job was done the better”. Then it’s described the narrator’s side on this, which was for the Burmese, and how the narrator wants to jab a bayonet it to the Buddhist priest’s guts because they were always jeer at Europeans, but says it’s a feeling like this in normal by product of imperialism. Moreover the mood changes to a day for the officer to prove his importance. He was called to a wild elephant ravaging the bazaar, but when he
Gisselle Armijos Mrs.Rosenwasser AP English Language and Composition 1/16/15 Orwell Essay Response In George Orwell’s essay “Shooting an Elephant”, the subject is British imperialism. The birth of Orwell’s essay was during the early 1900s, when the British ruled Burma (Myanmar present day).
According to Merriam Webster, Imperialism can be described as "the practice of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions", and over the past centuries, this has been among the most potent force in the world history. Moreover, George Orwell “shooting an elephant” is a story that was first published in the Autumn of 1936 and set in British-conquered Burma. Furthermore, the story mainly describes a white British imperial officer in SouthEast Asia when he had to experience a “ravaging” elephant while he was on duty. “ Shooting an Elephant” is very interesting to analyse regarding narrator of a point of view, as it has raised question including whether it suggests that imperialism acted as something of a double-edged sword which affected both the coloniser and colonised.
Orwell uses this metaphor of an elephant’s rage and destruction of homes, theft of food shelves, and even killings as an example to the inner working of imperialism. Metaphorically, Orwell expands his argument about how imperialism is tyrannical towards to the Burmese people by comparing an elephant’s rage to the British Empire’s invasion of Burma and its destruction of the native life. Similarly, the elephant’s theft of food represents the oppressed of the British Empire’s imperialism has brought upon the Burmese people. They try to implement their aim of domination upon Burma without any care upon the Burmese way of life. This event not only makes the oppressed country become the victims of the imperialism, but it also is the foundation of Orwell’s dilemma regarding the killing of an elephant or the peer pressure he feels towards killing. In short, the use of metaphorical devices found throughout Orwell’s narrative help emphasizing the similarities of imperialism to that of an elephant ravaging through a town, illustrating the true effects it has upon the Burmese people.
Imperialism is rooted in a strong sense of nationalism. George Orwell’s short story “Shooting an Elephant” shows the social effects of nationalism on both occupier and the
The glorious days of the imperial giants have passed, marking the death of the infamous and grandiose era of imperialism. George Orwell's essay, Shooting an Elephant, deals with the evils of imperialism. The unjust shooting of an elephant in Orwell's story is the central focus from which Orwell builds his argument through the two dominant characters, the elephant and its executioner. The British officer, the executioner, acts as a symbol of the imperial country, while the elephant symbolizes the victim of imperialism. Together, the solider and the elephant turns this tragic anecdote into an attack on the institution of imperialism.
Imperialism is a single entity that is still present at this time. In “Shooting an Elephant”, George Orwell shares his experiences of oppression and imperialism by the British as it unfolds in front of him. How does this tie into modern day circumstances, some may wonder. Three Metaphors like being an actor in a leading role, strings being pulled like a puppet, or a conjurer performing a magic trick are just a few Orwell mentions and can be compared to working in an environment with oppressed feelings.