Shooting an Elephant
This is a story of a man with a will to survive in a land where he is not liked. For the reason of looking different, he was not a native. Having a position of authority, being a police officer, he was not given any, He says, " When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter. He was in a land all different and new where many did not like him. Not until his services were needed, did he get some respect. That was all out of need for his assistance because that was his job. Then one day a stray elephant was spotted ravaging the other side of town. He was asked to go and do something about it. It was his duty. This was an elephant which was tame but his attack of "must" had been due. He brought a small riffle and headed on his pony to the other side of town. This was a small village in lower Burma. Where he was hated by many people, in an aimless, pretty kind of way all anti-European feelings was very bitter. He was a ill-educated young man, and was forced to deal with all of his problems in silence and alone. This was brought on any Englishman in the east. The yellow faces of young men hooted at him from safe distances
When he arrived the villagers didn't know where the elephant went, this was a sign that it was no concern to them. He had day-dreams of driving a Bayonnet through the gut of a Buddhist Priest. When he was given the call that an elephant had escaped and ravaging the town, he was puzzled. This elephant had been a tamed animal but his attack of "must" was due, and had broken his chain and escaped from his owner. The elephant took the slightest notice of the crowds approach, and then returned to breaking branches and eating them. He didn't know what to do but he wanted to see what was going on. He didn't want to shoot the elephant once and it seemed to him as if the elephant just became paralyzed. And the owner had gone in pursuit but had chosen the wrong way and was not twelve hours away. Even though he didn't want to he had to because it was his butt and his duty. This upset him very much because in sense he was the oppressor, and living with them was a crime. Not until something happens do they need to give respect to the Englishman. This is where he shows them who is boss. Except that it disgusted him how ruthless the Burmese were against their oppressors. He lived his life as an outcast and without any knowledge of the culture. After he had requested for the gun, the villagers ran over with excitement that he was going to shoot the elephant.
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