Shooting An Elephant

563 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Conclusion summary of Shooting an elephant by George Orwell

The Meaning Behind Shooting An Elephant by George Orwell
(An Analysis of three Messages from George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant)

George Orwell was the most important novelist of his century. Orwell wrote about the future of the future world. He predicted that things were going to go ad for the British colony because of imperialism. Shooting an Elephant, a personal narrative, was set in a town called Burma. Orwell explains his intense situation where he had to make a choice on shooting a raging elephant or letting him live. In the story Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell expresses three major messages.

In the personal narrative Shooting an Elephant, James Orwell expresses the fear of humiliation as a message. Orwell was worried about the bystanders laughing and mocking him if he didn’t shoot the elephant and got trampled by the raging beast. This compels him to kill the, now peaceful, animal. The elephant represents the Burmese society while Orwell’s fear symbolizes the motive of the broader British colonial project. Orwell, the imperial police officer, sacrificed his knowledge of doing what’s right to not be humiliated in front of the citizens. “But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me.” (pg. 1322)Orwell is explaining how he …show more content…

The story is filled with examples of warped power dynamics. There is an imbalance of power in the text but Orwell uses his ability to kill the elephant for the exchange of more power. As the story goes on, it becomes more clear that Orwell and the British colonists don’t have complete power over their colonial subjects. Orwell feels that he should gain power in killing the beast, therefore the colonists will respect him. “It was perfectly clear to me what I ought to do” (page 1324). Orwell knew he shouldn't shoot the elephant but his mind took control of his actions, therefore he wanted to gain power, so he shot the

Show More
Related

  • Merton's Identity

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the story, Orwell described how he was heavily pressured by the Burmese into shooting an elephant, stating that he became "... an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind" (Capote 583). Through Orwell's diction it became known that Orwell was hated by the majority of his residing village since he upheld the position of a sub divisional police officer for the British Raj in colonial Burma. Orwell was driven to killing the animal out of desperation of the public dropping all forms of hatred towards him. Although killing the elephant was against his will, Orwell went through with the deed earning a new profound identity known as the elephant

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis of the Solutions Used in the Two Texts, Shooting an Elephant, and No Witchcraft for Sale

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    Initially, in the text Elephant, by Orwell, the speaker, who is actually a younger Orwell back when he was a policeman for England stationed in Burma, is faced with the decision to shoot an elephant that is running around like crazy, destroying everything because it is in must, or in heat. Although the elephant is destroying things, it is also a very important animal to the people of Burma, because they use it for farming, and other things. The thing that really messes Orwell up is the fact that there is peer pressure mixed into his feelings. The other police officers believe that killing the elephant is the ri...

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Shooting An Elephant And George Orwell

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    When he finial find the elephant Orwell say “I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him.” But when he lays his eyes on the crowd he changes his stance to “but I did not want to shoot the elephant.”(Orwell 199). He felt guilty for shooting the elephant when he describe that the elephant worth more alive than dead, but despite the many reason not to shoot the elephant, he took a shot. Orwell describes “when I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel the kick …I fired again into the same spot…I fired a third time. That was the shot that did it for him.”(199) the shooting of the elephant represent the Burma people trying to stay alive and over powering by the

    Read More

  • Epiphany In Shooting An Elephant

    187 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although shooting the, now seemingly calm, “mad elephant” is morally wrong to George Orwell, in his narration of Shooting an Elephant, he has to do so as he is a representative, or more so a pawn, of the British authority in the occupied country of Burma. Being such, he wages a war with his inner self to seek which decision needs to be carried out. With two outcomes in mind, one being that he will be seen as a fool if he does not shoot the elephant and the other being an authority of the law by truly showing it and protecting the villagers, he has an epiphany. With such an authority, the law and someone’s moral conscience diverge. He then realizes what must be done and shoots the elephant to protect the imperialistic authority. As the excitement

    Read More

  • Shooting An Elephant Analysis

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    The essay “Shooting an Elephant,” was written by George Orwell. Orwell was a British author best known for his essays and novels. In “Shooting an Elephant,” the title essay of his 1950 collection, Orwell is a British Police Officer in Lower Burma. After an elephant comes rampaging through the village in must, killing an Indian man, Orwell is looked upon to take care of the problem. The intense scene causes Orwell to make a crucial decision, reflecting on the vicious imperialism with the military in Burma during this time. The author portrays his feelings through the theme of the narrative with feelings such as, guilt, hate, and pressured.

    Read More

  • Shooting an Elephant

    422 Words  | 1 Pages

    A police officer in the British Raj, the supposedly 'unbreakable'; ruling force, was afraid. With his gun aimed at a elephant's head, he was faced with the decision to pull the trigger. That officer was George Orwell, and he writes about his experience in his short story, 'Shooting an Elephant';. To save face, he shrugged it off as his desire to 'avoid looking the fool'; (George Orwell, 283). In truth, the atmosphere of fear and pressure overwhelmed him. His inner struggle over the guilt of being involved in the subjugation of a people added to this strain, and he made a decision he would later regret enough to write this story.

    Read More

  • Explain This Please

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell has conflicting problems concerning his position when it comes to shooting the elephant. Where Orwell was stationed at, in Burmese, he found himself being treated horribly by the Burmans because they didn’t welcome the British officers in their territory. One day, an elephant is in must and stomps around a village and terrorizes the villagers. Orwell has no ch...

    Read More

  • The Use of Metaphors in Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this story ,Orwell is taking part in imperialism by proving his power and dignity to the natives presenting imperialism metaphorically through the use of animals. He is using the elephant as a symbol of imperialism representing power as an untamed animal that has control over the village. He uses a large and very powerful animal to represent a significant metaphor for imperialism.. In doing so he leads to the understanding that the power behind imperialism is only as strong as its dominant rulers. Orwell?s moral values are challenged in many different ways, ironically enough while he too was the oppressor. He is faced with a very important decision of whether or not he should shoot the elephant. If he does so, he will be a hero to his people. In turn, he would be giving in to the imperial force behind the elephant that he finds so unjust and evil. If he lets the elephant go free and unharmed the natives will laugh at him and make him feel inferior for not being able to protect the...

    Read More

  • Shooting An Elephant Analysis

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story by George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant” brings into sharp light the nature of humanity, the narcissism and callousness we exhibit when it comes to creatures we consider to be a rogue animal. Within the story a rogue elephant going through a bought of “must” has escaped its owner, gotten into a town and caused damage and a death. At the point that help arrives the elephant is no longer being a terror, and is peacefully eating grass, and yet finds itself shot anyway, and left to die an agonizingly slow and painful death. The narrator of the story explains that he did not want to look foolish and be laughed at as his ultimate reason for killing the animal. This leaves the audience wondering, should that elephant really have been killed, and why do we immediately kill animals before trying to help them?

    Read More

  • George Orwell's Shooting an Elephant as an Attack on Colonialism and Imperialism

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbolic story in the Shooting an Elephant is an attack towards imperialism. Orwell presents the ironic truth that imperialism benefits neither the imperialist nor the countries they colonize. It is perhaps sad to see that men were once willing to buy in to the fraudulent and ephemeral glory that imperialism have offered. Hopefully, men have learned their lessons and no other animal will be sacrificed for men's greed.

    Read More

  • How Does Orwell Create Tension In Shooting An Elephant

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “Shooting an Elephant” writer George Orwell illustrates the terrible episode that explains more than just the action of “shooting an elephant.” Orwell describes the scene of the killing of an elephant in Burma and reveals a number of emotions he experienced during the short, but traumatic event. Effectively, the writer uses many literary techniques to plant emotions and create tension in this scene, leading to an ironic presentation of imperialism. With each of the realistic descriptions of the observing multitude and the concrete appeal of the narrator’s pathos, Orwell thrives in persuading the audience that imperialism not only has a destructive impact on those being governed under the imperialists’ oppressive power, but also corrupts

    Read More

  • Conflict In Shooting An Elephant

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    He describes, “I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro” (60). He is dealing with the internal conflicts of who he should align with: himself, the British, or the Burmese. If he were to acknowledge his beliefs and align with himself, he could be the start of an uprise. Surely, others would follow. He even confirms his “thought of the British Raj as an unbreakable tyranny” and says, “Ask any Anglo-Indian official, if you catch him off duty,” referring to the hatred of the English empire (58). By expressing his dislike for the British, Orwell is finally attempting to stand up for his beliefs. The fact that his character is unable to execute his beliefs, though, highlights him trying to not look foolish in the presence of others. Clearly, he is in an unbearable circle of self-deprecation and doubt. By the end of the narrative, Orwell’s character regrets his decision to shoot the elephant. This ultimately represents Orwell’s uncertainty as he goes through life. He, like all of us, is struggling to predict which path is the best for him to go down as he ventures through his existence. Because of this, his actions for shooting the elephant are justified. He is just trying to accomplish all that he can while simultaneously dealing with his own questions of identity. This allows Orwell to be seen as a humble individual who is just trying

    Read More

  • True Power in "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    The quest for power is one which has been etched into the minds of men throughout history. However, it can be said that true power is not a result of one’s actions but comes from the following one’s own beliefs without being influenced by others. This principle sets up the story for Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell. The protagonist, Orwell himself, is a sub divisional police officer in Burma, a British colony. Orwell must try to find and use his inner power when he is faced with the decision of whether or not to kill an elephant which has ravaged the Burman’s homes. The state of power established through the imperialistic backdrop show that Orwell, as a colonist, should be in control. As well, the perspective and ideas given by Orwell show his true character and lessen the overall power set up for him. Lastly, the symbols shown are representations of traditional forms of power, but take on different implications in the story. In Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell uses setting, characterization and symbols to show that true power comes from following the dictates of one’s conscience.

    Read More

  • Shooting An Elephant Imperialism

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though the narrator didn’t want to shoot the elephant at first, he did it anyways to prevent any aggravation the villagers had and ultimately benefited the British from further mockery. Although it is noticeable that imperialism and colonialism ruined native populations such as Burma, it is ironic that the narrator is chained by fulfilling ideas that aren’t his. Without shooting the elephant, the narrator would have continued to be ridiculed by the Burmese people. The elephant rifle gave him power and a different acknowledgment, rather than the daily police treatment they usually gave him. Even though it was legal for the narrator to shoot the elephant, and the owner did not control their property, it was an absurd reason to have shot the elephant. “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool” (Orwell 4). The narrator did not shoot the elephant to protect himself or the Burmese people since the elephant presented no risk or danger to anyone after its must. It is satirical that the narrator did not want to appear as a fool but because his motives were a fallacy, it made him immature to want acceptance instead of having moral judgment. The narrator acted out of emotion and sought approval instead of operating as a police officer. According to the narrator, any publicity is good publicity. It is bigger than the shooting. Not only did the people of Burma experience destruction through imperialism, but also the narrator lost his humanity. The speaker appears partial because he receives word from the older men who approves of the shooting and hears from younger men who believe the elephant is worth more than the coolie who got stomped on. Afterwards, he then continues to justify the shooting, instead of realizing how irresponsible it was to shoot the elephant out of careless

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Shooting an Elephant" is perhaps one of the most anthologized essays in the English language. It is a splendid essay and a terrific model for a theme of narration. The point of the story happens very much in our normal life, in fact everyday. People do crazy and sometimes illegal moves to get a certain group or person to finally give them respect. George Orwell describes an internal conflict between his personal morals and his duty to his country to the white man's reputation. The author's purpose is to explain the audience (who is both English and Burmese) about the kind of life he is living in Burma, about the conditions, circumstances he is facing and to tell the British Empire what he think about their imperialism and his growing displeasure for the imperial domination of British Empire.

    Read More

More about Shooting An Elephant

Open Document