Shooting An Elephant Utilitarianism

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

In Orwell’s “shooting an elephant” he gets stuck in a situation where he has to choose between what the people want him to do, or what he believes is right. An elephant escapes and is loose in the town. Orwell decides that since he is an officer, it’s his duty to help return the elephant back to where he came from. Orwell gets a rifle, and chases after the elephant. When the elephant calms down, he and a crowd of people watch the elephant as it eats. Orwell is the only one with a rifle, and the Burmese people want him to shoot the elephant for its meat and for their entertainment. Orwell does not believe shooting the elephant is the right thing to do. He believes that the elephant can be returned safely; however, Orwell shoots the elephant,

In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell is presented with a task that causes him a great deal of stress as he battles with his internal conflict throughout the story. Orwell has mixed feelings after he kills the elephant. He feels wrong for killing the elephant because he feels that there could have been a more peaceful solution and killing it will bring more harm than good. He also feels that he killed it just because of his own pride. Although killing the elephant may seem wrong to Orwell, it is definately necessary to prevent further harm. Orwell has a number of reasons that justify killing the elephant. He has to shoot the elephant because the elephant is a danger to the villagers, he is an authority figure, and for his

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, much like 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 says that, 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.

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.

To sum up the reasoning behind George Orwell shooting the elephant, one must conclude, that there had been put great pressure on his shoulders. He had two ways to go, both with major problems. Some might say he chose the right thing, while others will be opposed, but one thing is right. He did it for the better of

Never Forgotten. The Essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell shows that colonialism is an inhumane thing. “Shooting an Elephant” takes place during the colonialism of Burma by the British. During this event George Orwell had an encounter with an elephant that was terrorizing the village, George Orwell was peer pressured into shooting that elephant.

In the essay “Shooting an Elephant” (1936), by former policeman George Orwell believes “when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys”. Orwell supports his belief by telling the reader an anecdote about shooting an elephant which is a metaphor for his dissatisfaction with imperialism by he had no intention of shooting the elephant, but because of the pressure from the Burmese people, he has to murder the animal. The author’s purpose is to reveal the problems that come from imperialism in order to inspire the oppressed to fight back against their oppressor. He writes in an informal tone to allow the reader to see him not as a imperial police officer, but a human being; this is evident in when he described how he felt

George Orwell starts his essay Shooting an Elephant by clearing stating his point of view about British Imperialism. He says that it is evil and that he is for the Burmese and was against their oppressors, the British. Even though Orwell is a British officer at the time, he feels guilt and hatred for his empire, himself and the “evil spirted beast who made his job impossible,” the Burma people. Orwell writes about not just his own experiences with the elephant but the metaphors imperialism and his views on the matter.

“Shooting an Elephant “is an essay written by George Orwell in 1946. This is a primary source. Its intended audience is the general public, especially British and local people in Lower Burma. In the story, George described his contradictory psychology he had in Lower Burma which was once a colony of Britain.

Utilitarianism is a moral theory that has long been the subject of philosophical debate. This theory, when practiced, appears to set a very basic guideline to follow when one is faced with a moral dilemma. Fundamental Utilitarianism states that when a moral dilemma arises, one should take action that causes favorable results or reduces less favorable results. If these less favorable results, or pain, occur from this action, it can be justified if it is produced to prevent more pain or produce happiness. Stating the Utilitarian view can summarize these basic principles: "the greatest good for the greatest number". Utilitarians are to believe that if they follow this philosophy, that no matter what action they take, it

In “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell, being a police officer, is going through some tough times. The reason being was because many of the people in the area, in which he resided, hated Europeans. In the story, Orwell is told that an elephant has gone on a rampage and is asked to deal with the situation. The elephant’s rampage had come to an end and it was peacefully eating grass “He took not the slightest notice of the crowd’s approach. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his knees to clean them and stuffing them into his mouth” (George Orwell, 142). He wanted to leave the elephant be, because he then felt the obligation of having to shoot the elephant because that was what he was expected to do. “For it is the condition of

In 1936, George Orwell, a prominent British novelist and police officer in lower Burma published an essay titled “Shooting an Elephant”. In this essay Orwell argues that imperialism ruins both the oppressor and the oppressed. Orwell furthers this claim with rhetorical devices to legitimize his work. Orwell uses sympathy to evoke feelings in the reader that are relatable, such as him working for something he does not believe in. Orwell also applies his perspective throughout the whole essay to allow for his thoughts to influence the reader's thoughts. The final strategy Orwell used is deductive reasoning in deciding whether to kill the elephant. All of these devices are used in order to develop the purpose for Orwell writing this

In George Orwell’s narrative, “Shooting An Elephant,” Orwell recreates his experience as a soldier trying to end imperialism in the country of Burma by shooting an elephant. George Orwell recreates this experience of imperialism being evil through the use of literary devices.

Utilitarianism is a limiting ethical theory that fails to grasp ethically reality. “The greatest good for the greatest number” is not ethically right in every situation. Although the majority would benefit, the minority will heavily suffer. Considering the overall consequences of our actions, the good may not always outweigh the bad, but this does mean that the good will be the ethically right thing to do. One may think they are “maximizing the overall good,” but in reality, harming many.