ipl-logo

British Colonialism In George Orwell's 'Shooting An Elephant'

871 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Orwell's shooting an elephant analysis

Elephent of a Nation “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell is a story about his time as a police officer working for the British Empire in Burma. Orwell discusses his clear disapproval of the European intrusion into the country of Burma. Orwell mentions that he struggled with the fact that he empathized with the Burmese against their oppressors, yet he found himself stuck between hating the Empire and the disdain he felt towards the people he was supposed to protect. Until finally, something happened that allowed him to get a certain level of perspective on British colonialism imperialism he did not have before; he received a call that an elephant has gone “must” and his help was required. After some time tracking down the animal and talking …show more content…

This allows you to experience the country's culture while still having the feeling of back home close by. This has its benefits but also directly affects the way the culture is presented to you and also how you are viewed. Every restaurant had someone who spoke english and without ever exchanging words we were labeled as military personnel. The effect that has on you as an individual means that everything you do is looked at as a representation of the US. Most of the time this isn't a problem but when someone breaks the law it affects every military personnel in the area. Suddenly one individual's sins are placed upon everyone's shoulders, inflicting the repercussions of the guilty onto all those representing the US military. Orwell experiences this in a slightly different situation by being the one forced to act on behalf of the Empire. He is the one the set that expectation for the other police officers stationed in Burma. In Orwells essay he paints a picture of being forced to make a decision he doesn't moraley support because of the power he was to represent. This same idea works in the opposite way, I was constantly looked at not as an individual from a nation but instead I was judged by the same words that described the US. Luckily for me that wasn't always a bad thing wherever

Show More
Related
502 Words | 3 Pages

1. Winston Smith is the protagonist in 1984. 2. O’Brien is the antagonist. 3.

Read More
894 Words | 4 Pages

Mr. Igal Sarfaty is a Managing Member of SB Pacific Group, LLC, which he co-founded in 1986. Mr. Sarfaty is responsible for strategic management of the firm, as well as identifying, evaluating, and selecting investment opportunities for SB Pacific Group. Prior to founding SB Pacific Group, Mr. Sarfaty used his entrepreneurial skills to establish several small companies, including a contracting business which he continues to operate today. He has held a real estate license since 1989. His experience as a contractor and his eye for opportunity have helped Mr. Sarfaty negotiate lucrative real estate transactions that have created lasting value.

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

In the passages How to Tell a True War Story by Tim O’Brien and Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, there are many similarities and differences between the two passages, but the differences exceed the similarities. While both sections talk about a shooter, human death, and animal death; they differentiate in the shooters motives, pacing, and narration structure. Just as How to Tell a True War Story has the death of Curt Lemon, Shooting an Elephant also has the death of the coolie. In Tim O’Brien’s story, Curt Lemon is killed by a boobytrapped bomb in which O’Brien leads himself to believe is the sunlight. The passage goes on to describe the events leading up to Lemon’s death and how O’Brien believes that Curt Lemon would have thought the sunlight killed him and not the 105-round, “It was not the sunlight.

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

Hannah Edmiston Boudreau AP Language Friday 25 September, 2015 Shooting an Elephant Analyzing Rhetorical Devices Shooting an Elephant, written by George Orwell in 1936, describes his experience working as a British officer located in Moulmein, Burma. He writes his essay to reveal the cruelty and disastrous outcome of imperialism he witnesses. Orwell uses strong resource of language such as symbolism, metaphors and imagery to express his disdain for British imperialism. Orwell uses symbolism to connect the character of the elephant to the effects of imperialism.

Read More
990 Words | 4 Pages

Rhetorical Analysis: “Shooting an Elephant” Contrary to popular belief, the oppressors of imperialism lack freedom. Imperialists are usually powerful and maintain control over the native people of the land they are taking over. It is expected for someone with great power to have choices and freedoms, however, that is not necessarily the case. Sometimes power can limit or restrict the choices one makes.

Read More
537 Words | 3 Pages

At a young age, parents tend to teach their child right from wrong. They teach you this to become responsible, so when your an adult you do not have to rely on them while making decisions. In George Orwell's Shooting an Elephant, we notice he wanted to do the right thing by not shooting the elephant but gave into peer pressure to fit in. The narrator felt the need he had to shoot the elephant because the people of Burma were frightened and he wanted to be their hero. Peer pressure can lead people to do bad things for what they think are good reasons but are actually not.

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

Well known author and journalist, George Orwell, in his essay, Shooting an Elephant, describes his experiences as a Policeman in Moulmein, Burma during European Imperialism. Orwell’s purpose is to convey the ideal that what is right and what is accepted don’t always align. He adopts a remorseful tone in order to convey to the reader the weight of his actions. By looking at George Orwell’s use of imagery and figurative language, one can see his strongly conflicting opinions on Imperialism. Orwell begins his essay, Shooting an Elephant, by explaining the actions of the Burmese people and by expressing his contempt for imperialism.

Read More
1093 Words | 5 Pages

Whenever you want during this dangerous occasion Orwell could have created the decision to do as opposed to what the mob of Burmans desired. When he was experienced with the choice of whether or not to capture the elephant he could of created the decision to not to capture it. In reality, that is exactly what he desired to do: “I did not want to kill the elephant.” Actually, his choice to pay attention to the mob and not to his own moral sense was, in itself, an act of freedom. Totally freedom is unbreakable and existing in all choices.

Read More
1480 Words | 6 Pages

In George Orwell 's short story titled “Shooting an Elephant” presented an event that changed a countries civilization. George’s life in Burma, and the prejudice placed by the people he oppressed inspired his writing through the uses of setting, style, and theme. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” Orwell no specific event influenced this piece rather it was an accumulation of many small events of prejudice and hate by an opposing group of

Read More
1021 Words | 5 Pages

Zachary Conners SUNY – Eng. 12 Mrs. O’Malley December 15, 2014 “Shooting an Elephant” is a persuasive rhetorical piece written by George Orwell used to describe Orwell’s feelings about imperialism. Orwell uses pathos, logos, and ethos to convey his feelings towards imperialism and how destructive it can be. Born 1903, George Orwell, novelist, essayist, and critic, was best known for his novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty- Four. Son of a British servant, Orwell spent most of his days in India, where his father had been stationed.

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

Is modern America on the brink of being under total control just like the novel Brave New World? In the novel Brave New World author Aldous Huxley depicts a somewhat utopian society but the more the reader finds out the more they realize how it’s a dystopian society. There is a lot of major themes present in the novel, but the one that surpasses them all is the thought of science as a means of control. Even though Aldous Huxley wrote this novel in the early 20th century, his idea of science as a means of control in Brave New World has striking similarities but yet some differences to today's modern day society.

Read More
925 Words | 4 Pages

George Orwell’s 1984: How Doublethink is the Most Powerful Weapon for Control Being able to believe two paradoxical statements at one time sounds impossible but it is more common than believed. It is called doublethink, which is the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs on a topic and wholeheartedly believing them both at the same time. This term was coined by George Orwell and it becomes the main tool for control over the citizens of Oceania in his novel 1984. Orwell created a totalitarian future in hopes it would serve as a warning to preceding generations as to how the government can metamorphose into having complete power over a population to the point where they even control the thought process of the human mind.

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

Orwell begins his piece of writing with an extremely weak character that has been mocked and laughed at by the people of Burma. Orwell depicts his job situation in which he was “stuck”

Read More
1926 Words | 8 Pages

Throughout “Shooting An Elephant” , Orwell’s narrative style brings out internal and external conflicts that are relatable in society today. The narrator faces multiple internal and external conflicts. One external conflict being the Burmese and how they mock him because he is a representative of the British Empire, but he will do what it takes to show them he is not a fool. "I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.

Read More
370 Words | 2 Pages

Who has never dreamt about a society where everything would be perfect? A place where everyone would have what they want. While for some it would be about being rich, having a mutant society like X-men, others would ask for justice, freedom and equality. All of them are acceptable; it is your point of view of a perfect society. This type of society is known as Utopia (which, according to Merrian-Webster is “an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect”).

Read More

More about British Colonialism In George Orwell's 'Shooting An Elephant'

Related Topics

Open Document