Shooting an Elefant by George Orwell
In the essay "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell describes an internal conflict between his personal morals and his duty to his country-moreover, his duty to the white man's reputation. Orwell's decision to kill the elephant is a direct result of oppression. Oppression perhaps goes deeper than the average man would imagine, noticeably hindering even the lives of the oppressors. Orwell's moral values are challenged in many different ways, ironically enough while he too was the oppressor. Orwell's extraordinary style is never displayed well than through "Shooting an Elephant," when he seemingly blends his style and subject into one. Orwell expresses his conflicting views regarding imperialism through three examples of oppression by his country, by the Burmese, and by himself on the Burmese.The British author George Orwell, pen name for Eric Blair, achieved prominence in the 1940's as the author of two brilliant satires. Orwell was born in 1903 in the Indian Village Motihari, which lies near the border of Nepal. Orwell's family led a relatively privileged and fairly pleasa
Though Orwell's handling of his subject is detailed, in the end, he subtly condemns imperialism. George Orwell makes his decision to shoot the elephant appear to be reasonable. The elephant represents imperialism; therefore, the slow destruction of the elephant must represent the slow demise of British Imperialism. Orwell uses metaphors to do this: "They were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a trick". At the time it may appear, from the outside, that the officers were helping the Burmese because they too were against oppressors; however, from the inside, they too were trying to annex other countries,: "I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom he destroys". Orwell justifies his actions, "solely to avoid looking a fool," driven by the instigation of the Burmese. Orwell despised both the British Empire as well as the Burmese natives, making everything more complicated and complex. Since the coolie is killed it gives Orwell a justifiable reason to kill the elephant. Underneath it all he questions his actions just as he questions those of the British. British Imperialism dominated not only Burma, but also other countries that did not belong to England. The style of this essay is generally very simple, but it is strong enough to merit numerous interpretations. Oppression is shown by Orwell through the burden of servitude placed upon him by England: " All I knew was that I was struck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beast who tried to make my job impossible". Imagine yourself in Orwell's position: hundreds of Burmese, who speak no English, like an army following behind you, misunderstanding your purpose and expecting a climactic death. In Orwell's case the coolie killed by the elephant represents the invasion of Burma by the British.
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Acceptance Essays
