Imperialism: Unwelcome Authority
Control of other countries by a dominant nation is most greatly retaliated bythe oppressed and the given elicit power results in corruption. George Orwellfocuses on the British in Burma aspect of Imperialism and expresses it though acolonial officer's obligation to shoot a loose elephant. In doing so, GeorgeOrwell shows the reader many views regarding the position of foreign authoritiesin a hostile country. Although the story is a relatively a short piece, it packsan amazing deal of thoughts and ideas that express his views and perceptionscleverly. Orwell's story presents his moral dilemmas as a police officer of animperialist British Empire and how he abandons his morals to escape the mockeryof the native Burmese. It was quite obvious of Orwell's negative views onBritish Imperialism and his sense of guilt towards the Burmese. Orwell's moral conflict branches from his position as the hated Imperialist inthe colonized country of Burma. Ironically though, Orwell states that during hisemployment with the British Imperialist Police: "For at the time I had already
" Orwell's story represents him asbeing smothered under a mask which he immensely disliked. He sadly reflects on hisironical realization that "when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedomthat he destroys. " Orwell fears the mockery of the natives morethan losing his own life! In Shooting an Elephant as Orwell "stood there with the rifle in my hands," he"first grasped the hollowness, the futility of the white man's dominion in theEast. " This shows us Orwell's perceptions of the Empire and how hedisagrees with it just as much as any Burman he came across. Theoretically and secretly, of course Iwas all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British. Despite Orwell's support for the Burmese, Orwell endured their resentment andhatred because of his job as police officer for the Empire: "the sneering facesof young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me got badly on mynerves. "Orwell feared: "And if that happened it was quite probable that some of themwould laugh. " Orwell nowunderstands that the Imperialistic corruption diminishes both the oppressor andthe oppressed. " Orwell's story arouses compassion for the powerfulimperialist who suffers from his own corruption. The moment when he confronted the elephant Orwell stated: "The solethought in my mind was that if anything went wrong those two thousand Burmanswould see me pursued, caught, trampled on, and reduced to a grinning corpse. " Orwell amounts his feelings of guilt with his feelings about beinghated by the Burmese: "All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of theEmpire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried tomake my job impossible. While the British could control the politics and economics oftheir colonies, they could not control the mockery and hatred of the Burmesenatives. Orwell presents the pitiful virtue of his entire life and "every white man'slife in the East," which "was one long struggle not to be laughed at.
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Acceptance Essays
