Orwell and the Burmese Perspective

             Orwell's essay entitled "Shooting an Elephant" is a recollection of a rather poignant event in Orwell's life. He describes in detail an event that happened while he was living in Moulmein, a part of Burma. Orwell was forced to shoot a domesticated elephant that had broken loose during an attack of must (sexual heat). Although he asked for a high-powered gun, Orwell comments that he never had any intention to kill the animal. The local crowds made him feel as if he had to shoot it. He felt sorry for the elephant and for what he, unfortunately, had to do to it. However, I think this action was seen as a necessity to the Burmese. According to Orwell, the Burmese never liked him but after this event, I believe that the Burmese appreciated Orwell's presence in Moulmein. They would have been thankful that he exacted revenge on a horrible creature that had scarred their town and killed one of their own.
             Orwell says that even from the beginning the Burmese disliked him. After reading about Orwell in "The Norton Reader," I could understand why. Orwell was a man born in India but was educated in England and had a very English name, Eric Blair. Suddenly he was back in India working as a police officer. The Burmese might have seen this as him coming back to the country that was not good enough for him. They might have thought that Orwell believed the living conditions and education in India were not respectable or of good quality. Since he lived and was educated in England and not his home country, the Burmese hospitality would have been sparse at best.
             During Orwell's time, parts of India and Burma were still under English control. Many Indians and Burmese wanted independence and Anti-European sentiments were very high. I imagine an English police officer in Burma was not a welcome sight. Many wanted to break free from England and an English police officer would have been seen as England trying to exercise some measure of control over ...

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Orwell and the Burmese Perspective. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:28, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/12629.html