Shooting An Elephant Analysis Essay

651 Words2 Pages

Mathew Moody
Barbra Jones
English 1302-54
19 March 2014
Literary Analysis
Literary Analysis- Shooting an Elephant
“In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people — the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me. I was sub-divisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter.” This is one of the strongest quotes from the powerful literary piece that foreshadows the mysterious events to come. The author George Orwell was an English novelist, an essayist a journalist and a critic. He is one of the most talked about novelist of his time because he is commonly ranked as one of the most influential English writers of the 20th century. It is also said that he is one of the most important chroniclers of English culture of his generation.
Shooting an Elephant is an essay written by George Orwell that was first published in a literary magazine. George Orwell starts off this piece by stating his perspective on The British Imperialism. He states that the British Imperialism is not only evil, but he is against such oppressors. He was a British officer himself at the time but he also felt guilty. There was a certain hatred he felt towards himself, his empire and the “evil-spirited little beasts”. Orwell writes about the personal experiences with the elephant and his views on the metaphorical matter. He feels hostel towards Imperialism, The British, and their justifications for their actions in for taking over Burma.
Orwell was highly disgusted by “disgusted by the inhumanity of colonial rule that he witnessed while stationed in Burma”. He used his writing to show the conflict that happens within by an imperial police offic...

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...ader that he would have looked like a fool if he did not shoot the elephant, yet Orwell denies saying that he also would have upheld a higher standard of ethics and honor for him if he hadn’t of pulled the trigger and killed the elephant.
Although the elephant’s death might have disturbed the reader, Orwell does not openly say that he has made a mistake by killing the elephant, which shows no remorse. In fact the essay ends before the reader can really understand the author’s deeper feelings as to why the elephant was killed. The elephant received sympathy from the readers because of its painful death. The memories of the slobbering open mouth, red velvet blood, and shrunken figure are the punishment Orwell must live with for submitting to the will of the Burmans. Orwell deserves the integrity he lost and the guilt he must endure from the suffering of the elephant.

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