"Shooting an Elephant" is an essay by George Orwell. Orwell was born in Motihari, near Nepal, where his father served in the Civil Service. He then lived in Burma where he had a position in the Imperial Police. During the 1920's he wrote this particular essay of his experience. Orwell was intelligently descriptive even then in telling this story of being a European in an Asian culture. .
One example of how he described life as a European, was in Moulmein and everywhere he went the "yellow faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance" (48). He lived in a time where the anti-Europeans just "seemed to have anything to do except stand on the street corners and jeer at Europeans"(48). Orwell hated his job because it was impossible for anybody to take him seriously. He would walk through the jail and see "the wretched prisoners bundling 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- all these oppressed me with an intolerable sense of guilt" (48). .
Another example is when he was called about the elephant to take control of the matter. With the thousands of townspeople marching behind him as he "looked at the sea of yellow faces above the garish clothes- faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun , all certain that the elephant was going to be shot" (51). The whole situation was ironic because nobody in the town seemed to be fond of him, "but with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching" (51). Orwell was almost pressured to stand up against the elephant and take him down immediately, but Orwell had every .
2.
intention of not going through with putting it out of its misery. With feeling pushed he felt that since he had come all that way of bring the crowd with them with a rifle that there was no way of getting out of the situation.
George Orwell, Author of" Shooting an Elephant". ... The article says George Orwell had done a mistake by killing the Elephant. Orwell said(" He did not want to shoot the Elephant")Orwell 136. ... Orwell knows in his Gut that he must shoot the Elephant, So he can earn his stripes again. ... So Orwell shoots the Elephant and the crowd of the Burmese roar with excitement. ...
After reading George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant," one realizes just how ineffective an imperialistic government really is. ... Orwell is faced with the choice of having to shoot or not shoot the elephant. ... However, due to the impotence of imperialism, and the infringement it creates, Orwell realizes it's no longer his decision to shoot the elephant. ... From George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant," it's easy to see just how flawed and what a failure Imperialism really is. ... While the idea of governing a country through imperialism might s...
The short story of "Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell, begins with the author describing his position as a police officer in Lower Burma. ... The Burmese were defenseless, as the elephant had already "destroyed someone's bamboo hut, killed a cow and raided some fruit stalls" (Orwell 1). ... The officer compared himself to "an absurd puppet" being pushed by the crowd to kill the elephant (Orwell 3). ... The officer did wonder if anyone realized he had killed the elephant "solely to avoid looking like a fool" (Orwell 4). After reading George...
"Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell, is an essay about a British police officer in Burma who is called upon to shoot an elephant that has escaped from its owners cage. Running free, the large elephant is quite dangerous and is causing havoc in town. Throughout the story, Orwell allows the main character - as well as the reader - to contemplate things before the elephant is captured. ... The soldiers morals were preventing him from shooting the animal, but the humongous crowd behind him made him feel as if he had to kill it. ... In conclusion, we find out that the elephant was eventuall...
Shooting an Elephant: Orwell's Insecurities Prompted the Murder of a Defenseless Animal The short story "Shooting an Elephant", by George Orwell, is a narration that subtly discusses Orwell's motives for killing an escaped elephant. ... The event was a disruptance where he had to shoot an elephant for the alleged safety of the public. ... Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him"(4) proving when left to his free will and choice Orwell is a person of strong moral fiber. ... The two thousand strong group of locals following Orwell, advocates the killing of the elepha...
The dilemma that George Orwell faced in "Shooting an Elephant" is similar to one many face in his or her life because people are facing different challenges all the time during their lives. In "Shooting an Elephant," the author, George Orwell contends with imperialism. ... When he faced with the issue of shooting an elephant or not, Orwell was forced to shoot the innocent elephant to satisfy the Burmese who isolated Orwell mentally. ... Everyone faces difficult decisions, even Orwell hesitated before shooting the elephant. ... The elephant which killed the coolie gives Orwe...
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 put under British imperialistic rule. "Shooting an Elephant," is illustrated through the eyes of Orwell himself while working as a British Imperial Officer during this time of British rule. ... Likewise, in "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell demonstrates these views by describing his own experience with political and social injustice. ... As the essay proceeds, Orwell is overwhelmed by an unparalleled force pressuring him to shoot th...
Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell was an interesting peace to read. ... It sounded like the only reason the man shot the elephant was to uphold is image for the natives. ... I got from this was that he had to shoot the elephant because he came all this way with his rifle and there was no backing out now or he was loose respect and show that he is weak to the natives. ... I thought that the last paragraph was ironic because of how he did not want to shoot the elephant when he did; the elephant had a long miserable death. I think it was hard for the guy to watch the elephant die like that...
Orwell takes great length in describing the elephant's demise. ... Orwell was reluctant to shoot the elephant at first because he knew the elephant was: I. no longer a danger after his bout of "must " had worn off. ... The natives influence Orwell's decision to shoot the elephant in all the following ways, with the exception of: a. just punishment for the elephant killing the native. b. the threat of native ridicule. c. not being frightened in front of natives d. by doing what the natives expect of him since he is a sahib e. the presence of 2,000 natives created added pressure 18. ...
