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The Power Of Imperialism In Shooting An Elephant, By George Orwell

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In “Shooting an Elephant”, by George Orwell, the author battles with events that took place in his younger life and he is forced to make a decision where there is no right or wrong choice. Orwell appears to not only be the author but also the police officer in a time where Imperialism is the ruling authority in Burma. In the story he discusses one tragic event that has left him affected many years later even though he is able to justify his actions.
Orwell appears to hate everything about his situation and life in Burma. He is unhappy with the people he is governing, he is unhappy with governments rule and the reflection of power that he must emanate in order to keep the peace. He knows that he is outnumbered by the population if there was an uprising but fear keeps them from taking any action against the government. He knows that he has a job to do and is not respected by the people of Burma as they heckle the British every chance they get. He does not agree with Imperialism and views it as “an evil thing”, however, he has to represent the government. He sees the British rule as “an unbreakable tyranny” and oppressed the Burmese people. Secretly he is rooting for the Burmese to rise up and crush the British rule, however, he knew at this time they would never be able to fight the power of a Imperialistic leadership.
As the story goes on, Orwell is drawn into a chain of events that cause him to make a decision that changed his life and perspective of right and

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