Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant
The white man’s burden is an idea that the white men have a job to take care of the uncivilized beings and develop them to be a more socially endowed race. Their belief that they are superior to the natives is where this is rooted. This idea excused racism and portrayed it as more of a positive element in our society, rather than the destructive mechanism that it actually is. It also caused white men to truly believe that they are better than any other race out there. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†by George Orwell, the narrator’s brain is subconsciously imbedded with this notion. He claims to be opposed to imperialism and everything about it while also hating his job and the people associated with it. These two things cannot go hand in hand. The narrator claims that he hates imperialism in the beginning of the text. He secretly rooted for the Burmese, which were the natives in this area, and hoped they would break free of the oppressor. This could cause the reader to instantly sympathize or start to like the narrator because it makes them believe that he’s not a bad guy. On the contrary, he also expresses his disdain for the natives that he is always surrounded by. He claims that due to his profession, he is often a target for ridicule and harassment. Once while he was playing football, a Burmese man intentionally tripped him and the referee looked the other way. The narrator also talks about how there are young Buddhist priests who stand on street corners and make fun ofShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words  | 4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words  | 5 PagesEnglish 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamental Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is faced with a moral dilemma, a valuable work animal has to die to save his pride.{3} Orwell is an unhappy young policeman who lives in mental isolation.{4} He hates British imperialism, he hates Burmese natives, and he hates his job.{5} He is completely alone with his thoughts since he cannot share his idea that imperialism was an evil thing with his countrymen. Orwell sees the British rule as an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down. . . Upon the will of prostate peoples because he observes firsthand the cruel imprisonments and whippings that the British use to enforce their control.{6} Nor can he talk to the Burmese because of the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East. This utter silence results from the reasoning behind imperialism that says, Our cultures are different. My culture has more power than your culture. Therefore, my culture is superior in every way, and it will rule yours.{7} If one is a member of a superior culture, one must not makeShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words  | 4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words  | 5 PagesEnglish 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamental Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant Grant Sinclair Smith English 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamental values, principles and reasoning, by killing the animal, â€Å"solely to avoid looking a fool†(6). Orwell is faced with a Hamlet-like quandary, to shoot or not to shoot, that is the question. Orwell makes a decision to shoot the elephant while under perceived group pressure. Afterwards, Orwell is haunted by the incident and is deeply remorseful for not following his own fundamental values, principles, and best judgment by doing what he knew would be the right thing under the cir cumstances. However, Orwell does ultimately take responsibility for his moral misconduct. Orwell’s honest confessions seem clearly cathartic and he seems to make major strides toward mitigating his guilt regarding the incident that occurred many years earlier when he was a young man. In addition, Orwell is able to use his traumatic experience to address the evils of a much greater villain, imperialism. Orwell uses his confession of culpability to demonstrate the evils ofShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words  | 4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 941 Words  | 4 PagesKylie Murphy Professor Wilson WR 122 5 February 2015 Analysis Essay         George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is a story about the experience of the narrator who was asked to shoot a wild elephant. He was a police officer who worked for British imperialists and killing the elephant would help him receive good judgement from the villagers in Burma. Orwell says that imperialism is evil and should be eliminated while others think that it is good for the public. The purpose of Orwell’s story Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant The area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice telling us whether we should do something or not, the inner fight between right or wrong, the real question is do we listen to that voice. By analyzing this story in a Biographical approach we will understand that when George Orwell wrote this he had been in Burma only 15 years earlier, as a police officer. So as far as I understand this story is more of a biography than a mere fiction story. However, I also feel like this story can and should be analyzed in a Historical approach. When George Orwell wrote this story, it was several years after he was stationed in Burma, and I feel that he did this story as a way to look back and appreciate or remember what he went through at that point in his life. This essay will explore George Orwell’s trials and tribulations between his stint in Burma and his hatred for the British Colonialism. It is understandable that Orwell was probably afraid during his stay in Burma, surely it was a scary time. Afraid people were looking at him, talkingShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words  | 5 PagesEnglish 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamentalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 941 Words  | 4 PagesKylie Murphy Professor Wilson WR 122 5 February 2015 Analysis Essay         George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is a story about the experience of the narrator who was asked to shoot a wild elephant. He was a police officer who worked for British imperialists and killing the elephant would help him receive good judgement from the villagers in Burma. Orwell says that imperialism is evil and should be eliminated while others think that it is good for the public. The purpose of Orwell’s story Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant George Orwell: Killing an Elephant Throughout history, empires from all over world, from different time periods, have been successful in acquiring vast majority of land from powerless nations. All of this is better known as imperialism. Empires look to expand and gain capital by acquiring raw materials, land, and labor. There is benefit for the conquering nation, but the oppressed victims are often left with their physical and mental health impaired as they are constantly exposed to long work hours in harsh conditions. In George Orwell’s short essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell is a young sub-divisional British officer in Burma who describes his personal experience in dealing with the Burmese and the Elephant. He does this through use†¦show more content†¦He sees their suffering and sides with them because he strongly believes imperialism makes one carry out duties that one normally would not do. Imperialism can be a disguise that makes people of power feel strong, but it really just sca res innocent people and makes them feel weak. The elephant represents the British who are the imperialists. Orwell opposes the British because of how they treat the Burmese so that is the reason he kills the elephant. The elephant escaped and caused disarray all throughout the village. He sees that the elephant killed an Indian man and feels a deep impact on his conscience because in a way he feels responsible. One might view the elephant as the British Empire, a strong despotic government causing conflict and chaos among the â€Å"The Burmese population [who] had no weapons and were quite helpless against it [the elephant]†(Orwell 603). Overtime the Indians developed a feeling of hates towards the British as a result of their unjust oppression. They want to be free from British rule, but there is not much they can since most are too scared to revolt because of how inferior the British are over them. The British hold the ultimate power over the Burmese who are weak. Orwell recognizes and realizes that he cannot be part of an empire that does this to people and causes this kind of violence. Orwell’s decision to shoot the elephant comes from him wanting to end theShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words  | 4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words  | 5 PagesEnglish 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamental Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant The author of Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell, describes his moral troubles as a police officer in Moulmein in lower Burma (known as Myanmar in the twenty-first century) when encouraged by its citizens to kill a rogue elephant in town. Orwell details how nearly every citizen in Moulmein had a grudge against Europeans, and would, as a result, antagonize any European in the town. Orwell was a sub-divisional European police officer and had a particularly difficult time in Moulmein. Orwell explains one particular Burman tripped him at a sporting event, ignored, as the Burman tripped him, by the referee, and laughed at by the crowd. The Burmans antagonized Orwell, and would always find a time to insult him when the time was right and a safe distance between the two. Orwell mentioned Buddhist priests, as thousands of them inhabited the town without much to do, were the worst of his aggressors, and would mockingly taunt Europeans. The Burmese abhorred Orwell, and would antagonize him when possible. Orwell, however, felt different feelings towards the Burmese people. He had secretly been for the Burmese cause, and against their aggressor ― the British. His job as a sub-divisional police officer gave Orwell further insight into the ‘dirty work’ of the British Empire, and caused him to strongly dislike his occupation. The British huddled the oppressed, naked, abused prisoners and long-term convicts into stinking, dank jails and struck them into submission with bamboo. ThisShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words  | 6 PagesRhetorical Analysis of George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,†but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in BurmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Orwell Shooting An Elephant 1189 Words  | 5 Pages                               â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant†: Effect of Imperialism in Burma Imperialism is a state of mind, fueled by the arrogance of superiority that could be adopted by any nation irrespective of its geographical location in the world. 1. Evidence of the existence of empires dates back to the dawn of written history in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, where local leaders extended their realms by conquering other states and holding them, when possible, in a state of subjection and semiRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words  | 5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words  | 6 Pages Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 951 Words  | 4 Pagesthe iron first, does not necessarily rule. In George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting An Elephant,†the narrator clearly illustrates that power, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. He implicates that power is an illusion of the oppress, and instead held by the oppressed, which ultimately renders the holder impotent. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is the story of Orwell’s experience as an officer of the Imperial British government during a stint in Burma. Orwell constructs a parallel between the devastation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words  | 4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words  | 5 Pagesâ€Å"Shooting an Elephant†â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†is about the guilt of British colonialism that George Orwell faces as a sub-divisional police officer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distanceRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 854 Words  | 4 PagesSociety is what pushed the narrator in George Orwell’s â€Å"shooting an elephant†to shoot the elephant. He should have not followed society and formed his own individual opinion. â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool†(Orwell 139). He was more preoccupied with what the natives thought of him then doing what was morally correct. He did not do what was ethically correct and just leave the elephant alone and wait for the owner. The societalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words  | 4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?†Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words  | 5 PagesEnglish 1301 02 December 2014 Shooting an Elephant In George Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell recites a personal experience in which he shoots and kills an elephant while working as a British police officer in the British colony of Burma. While his actions were legally justifiable, Orwell describes his feelings of guilt for his true intentions and rationale for the killing, which he admits to himself as unnecessary and unjust. In slaying the elephant Orwell acts contrary to his own fundamental
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