Shooting An Elephant Imperialism Analysis

British author George Orwell was born in India and, after receiving his education in England, spent five years as an officer of the India Imperial Police from 1922 to 1927. In his essay titled “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell reflects on a specific incident during his term as an Imperial officer which he claims gave him a deeper understanding of the evil nature of imperialism. Orwell explains the negative relationship between Europeans and the Burmese, and provides vivid imagery along with his point of view to identify the evil motive behind imperialism: pride. With the image of the Burmese prisoners, the image of the dead man, and the image of the dying elephant, George Orwell portrays the significant damage that was caused by imperialism.

Orwell begins by informing the reader that he had come to the conclusion that “imperialism was an evil thing”, and that he was more than ready to quit his job as an Imperial officer (323). As an officer, Orwell experiences firsthand “the dirty work of Empire” (323). One of the first images Orwell provides is that of the “wretched [Burmese] prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups” (323). Seeing the gruesome, harmful side to Imperialism on a day to day basis flooded him with guilt, yet he “could get nothing into perspective” (323). Orwell allowed his pride as a European officer in India to fog his logic; he could not let himself look a fool in front of those who already despised him, despite the control he had over

By this time, the elephant was eating in the field, and his “must” seemed to have worn off. A “sea of yellow faces” follows Orwell; the idea of the elephant being shot excites them (326). Orwell informs the reader that he had no intention of shooting the elephant and that he had only brought the rifle as a means of defense if necessary. However, with “two thousand people marching at [his] heels”, it would feel like defeat if he did not shoot the elephant (327). Orwell knew that killing the elephant would be wrong, but he could not risk being laughed at by the crowd of Burmese by whom he was already despised. Although he uses an elephant rifle, the shot is nowhere near deadly to the massive elephant. Orwell shoots the elephant over five times, each shot torturing the animal even further. Although the elephant had brought about death and disaster, it was innocent at the time of its death. The massive elephant who had caused such damage shortly before had become “powerless to move, and yet powerless to die”, just as the Burmese were powerless against the iron fist of imperialism (329). Orwell utilizes the image of the suffering elephant to demonstrate the ongoing suffering that the Burmese faced during the British occupation; he creates a vivid image that resonates within the reader to reflect how the experience resonated within himself, even years