In Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell uses harsh Irony and clever metaphors to illustrate how everything is not always as it appears. The short story is like Aesop’s fable that reveals how Orwell became disillusioned with British imperialism. He uses this cynical and grim tale from his own life to bring others to his same conclusions.
Foremost, George Orwell’s use of harsh irony throughout his story alludes to false appearances. A great example is when Orwell realizes the futility of Imperialism. When he felt the the collective will of two thousand Burmese forcing him to shoot an elephant his so called British power was diminished to ridiculousness, and he realized that it was impossible to completely rule a people. In the beginning of