George Orwell Shooting An Elephant

Shooting an Elephant Analysis. “He wears a mask and his face grows into it.” The shooting of an elephant was Orwell's most defining moment in his life, in my opinion. Not only is this the thesis, but it is also the quote that changes Orwell the most. This is because Orwell found himself through the violence of others, and the duties that he had to carry out. Orwell struggles to find himself, but he does find himself by growing into his mask, and since he did not like the mask he grew into, he decided to find a different one. Shooting an elephant is an essay that George Orwell had written about his work in India as a British Officer. George Orwell talks about what it is like working near the prisons and seeing “the workings of imperialism” up close. Orwell speaks about how the Burmese feel about the British being there, and how he, himself feels about the British presence. There seems to be an alignment of dislike towards the oppressors in this case, the oppressors being the British. Orwell seems to want to be accepted by the Burmese who make fun of him and humiliate him in public events such as playing soccer. He later comes across a report of an elephant that

Orwell says that the Burmese people despise the british and “I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British.” Which is ironic because he was a part of the British command. Orwell makes himself out to be a person that needs acceptance in order to succeed. He loathes the hate bathed laughter of the Burmese people when he gets tripped playing soccer. It seems like Orwell was having an identity problem with himself if anything. It looks like he was more confused on who to be because he did not know what he wanted to be. The conqueror, or the conquered? It seems he wants to be accepted by the Burmese people more than the British. I think that is because the human mind is more attracted towards something that you cannot