As an opponent of political and social injustice, author George Orwell shows his disapproval for political corruption and political injustice through the display of pathos. Likewise, in “Shooting an Elephant,” readers detect George Orwell’s subjective opinions on imperialism through persuasion using pathos. Throughout the essay, the narrator uses expressions and feelings of fear, hatred, anxiety, doubt, and distress at the fact that he is in a position of no authority to inform the audience of his disapproval.
In the beginning of, “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell establishes that the separation of power in colonial Burma resides more than just black-and-white. While it seems he holds symbolic authority and military supremacy as a British police officer, Orwell is still powerless to stop the hatred and abuse he receives from the oppressed Burmese. This hatred, that may be perceived, will become an influential reason as to why he would feel guilty regardless if he would have have or haven’t taken responsibility for his actions. Orwell, in the beginning, views the elephant as,”... not a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone ‘must’”, but he later realizes, that the elephant itself, represents more than just an animal. Orwell is able to better comprehend
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.
Shooting an Elephant: Orwell on Imperialism: Making The Abstract Appear Natural George Orwell creates a powerful argument against imperialism through the presentation of its many flaws in his essay “Shooting an Elephant”. This essay describes his life as a young police officer in Burma when he is called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant against his better judgment. In this essay, he asserts that imperialism dehumanizes both the perpetrators and the native people while creating unnatural situations and conflicts. It also forces the perpetrators to watch their every action, acting in ways with which they may not be comfortable. Orwell’s argument is further reinforced because he presents it through a personal story in order to exhibit the awful traits of imperialism as well as strengthen his stance by providing supportive evidence.
Influenced by Pride The story Shooting an elephant, by George Orwell, gives the reader a small glimpse into the authors radicalistic perspective and first-hand experience. In a nutshell, George Orwell was a sub-divisional police officer for the British Colonial Empire in the country of Burma(Myanmar). He stated that he was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, but the Burmese hated Europeans and would try as hard as possible to give them a hard time. As a police officer, he was an obvious target and was mortified of being humiliated even more than what he already had been.
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
George Orwell’s essay, Shooting an Elephant, describes his experience killing an out of control elephant while working as a police officer in the British colony of Burma. It highlights the cruelness of imperialism by showing the effects of Britain's control of Burma. In his essay, Orwell utilizes figurative language in order to explain his opposition and hatred towards the system of imperialism. To begin with, Orwell objects the idea of imperialism through the use of imagery.
Orwell conveniences the reader that imperialism has not only a negative impact on those run by imperialist, but also degrades those holding the power of an imperialist. Like other works Orwell has written they too have expressed his opinion on social and political aspects. In “Shooting an Elephant,” readers can recognize his opinions on imperialism through the narrator’s display of pathos. Orwell over and over expresses his hatred, fear, doubt, and distress for authority of imperialist. The narrator states “As for the job [he] was doing, [he] hated it more bitterly than [he] perhaps make clear.”
Learning From Tragedy (A Discussion on the Three Messages from Killing an Elephant) George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is a short essay centered around the killing of an Elephant by a rich white man that presents many more problems other than just killing an Elephant. This white man is faced with so many things. Some are inevitable but others seem very evitable. Racial disputes seem to be the main problem between the white man, sent to kill the Elephant, and the native blacks, that told him to come and kill it.
George Orwell, in “Shooting an Elephant”, works as a soldier for the imperialistic British in Burma. He sees the effects of imperialism on a weaker nation first hand. One day on the job, Orwell has to kill an escaped elephant. When Orwell kills the elephant, he
In his essay, “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell describes his experience of killing an elephants when he was an officer in Burma. He explains how the local Burmese hated him and saw him as the authority of the repressive white British. He mentions that he also had the same feeling about the local Burmese. Even though he hated the Thyestean imperialism but he also hated what he called the yellow-faced and evil-spirted Burmese people. One day, he was told that an elephant was destroying the bazaar and killing people.
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.
George Orwell held a unique perspective on Britain’s involvement in Burma. Through his own experiences in Burma, he developed an inner struggle between following orders and opposing imperialism, that he expressed in the story Shooting an Elephant. Orwell was born under the name Eric Blair in colonial India. As an adult, he joined the Imperial Police stationed in Burma, where he soon discovered a conflict brewing within himself. He was naturally a reflective person, analyzing what he saw to be obvious disparities in the two sides of an Imperialistic relationship.
In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, he encounters the pressure influenced by the Burmese and the way it affected his decision. Orwell uses symbols such as the police officer, the yellow faces, and the elephant to represent the evil of English imperialism. The Police officer symbolizes his weakness of authority, the executioner of the elephant, and guilt. Orwell explains “I was hated by large numbers of people.”
For centuries, Imperialism has affected many societies around the world. In the sixteenth century, the British Empire colonized places such as Burma, India. In George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant”, he gives a first person account of imperialism. His retrospective story entails a moral dilemma he faced as a British police officer in Burma. Orwell uses the themes of imperial representation resentment to demonstrate the true nature of imperial colonialism and its effects on both the victims and prosecutors.
