George Orwell Decision

Justifying a decision Making a decision requires an input of whatever information you have and analyzing it to determine the choice that will be made. George Orwell, had to face a decision whether or not to kill an elephant. The elephant was a tame one that had broken its chain the night before and escaped. The elephant went a “must” and ended up killing an Indian when it caught him with his trunk and ground him into the earth. Ultimately, the elephant was found and shot by Orwell in a paddy field while it was eating brush. To determine if he is justified in killing the elephant, take a look at what led him to his decision. Things to consider while determining if he is justified are: the environment in which he is in, the role in which he must fulfill as an officer, and his morals. He was faced with a difficult decision and in the end he justified his choice. George Orwell was a sub-divisional police officer in Lower Burma under the control of the British Empire. He did not like his job. He was bullied and hated by large numbers of people. As a police officer he states; “I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so” (Orwell 237). The feelings he had toward his job were

He was experiencing what it was like to represent someone he did not want to be. He wanted the Burmese people to like him but he still needed to represent the British as a police officer. With his job duties as an officer, he had to react to the elephant getting loose. He had to be a leader and figure out how to handle the situation that was unfolding. Once the elephant was found it was no longer a threat, however, he was still expected to do something because the elephant had killed a man. He had to go against his moral decision not to kill the elephant just to keep from looking like a fool to the people. He was able to justify his decision in shooting the elephant because a man was