ipl-logo

Injustice In George Orwell's 'Shooting An Elephant'

47 Words1 Pages
Moreover, injustice may be addressed within the dualism present within a composer’s text, for they establish conflicting perspectives to influence their responses. In light of this, George Orwell's “Shooting an Elephant” mirrors the dissent held towards British imperialism through the torn narrator symbolic of Orwell’s views. Exemplified
Show More
Related
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
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
225 Words | 1 Pages

Grann and Orwell's writing uses empathy to create perspective, putting the reader in the place and mind of the protagonist. In Shooting An Elephant by George Orwell, the narrator is faced with the task of killing an elephant that has gone wild. He does not want to kill the elephant, yet the roaring crowd leads him to ending the animal's life. He even calls the elephant grandmotherly. To shoot a peaceful, living creature seems wrong.

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
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
672 Words | 3 Pages

Prior to prominence, George Orwell was a police officer in Moulmein, Burma. During this time, Moulmein is under British control and Orwell writes a story about his duty and how he struggled with the choice to be in accordance with the crowd and shoot an escaped elephant roaming the lands or follow his morals and do what he believed was right and wait for the animal control to rescue him. Choosing to go against his morals, saying it was peer pressure and not feeling ashamed is a struggle that disregards his own ethics. Morality and Colonialism are reoccurring themes in Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant. These themes create conflict within Orwell because he claims to be an anti-imperialist and sides with the Burmese.

Read More
1021 Words | 5 Pages

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.”

Read More
206 Words | 1 Pages

n "Shooting an Elephant", Roleplaying is used heavily by Orwell considering he was an officer that people didn't really care for. He pretended to care for the people that didn't care for him at all. Orwell reveals his role very well when he describes how the people in the town treat him. His view on imperialism is much different than everyone else's and they know it which is the main cause of the bad treatment. The serious role-playing comes in when the elephant becomes any issue for the townspeople.

Read More
440 Words | 2 Pages

Although Orwell had already elucidated his stance on imperialism when he said that he was “all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,” he later refutes this and suggests that imperialism harms both the persecutor and the victim by comparing himself to “the leading actor of the piece,” feeling nervous as the “theatre curtain go up,” highlighting his weakness. Furthermore, by likening himself to a puppet, he points out that having to “spend his life in trying to impress the ‘natives’,” and “do what the ‘natives’ expect of him,” makes the Burmese people dominant over the British. By incorporating metaphors in in “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell offers the audience an interpretation of his realization that he may as well be the victim of the Burmans rather than the other way

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

A Critical Analysis of the Rhetorical Strategies Used in Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, the author begins with a definite statement about his views toward British Imperialism. Orwell uses pathos to appeal to the readers emotions about his situation and also uses logos when trying to decide on shooting the elephant. His powerful technique of illustrating the message, “Imperialism was an evil thing” and that it affects both the oppressor and the oppressed is effective with the use of description, classical appeals, extended metaphors, and rhetorical devices.

Read More
601 Words | 3 Pages

Orwell, unable to further stand in the presence of the suffering elephant and unable to watch and listen to it, goes away. The elephant, like the Burmese people, had become the victim of the British imperialist’s need to preserve his

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
775 Words | 4 Pages

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton) This quote is telling us that when people get into roles of absolute power they tend to become corrupt, as a result of that power. This quote can be applied to Napoleon from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, because at the beginning of the novel Old Major’s words inspired Napoleon. As a result, he believed that humans were evil for forcing animals to work for them and that animals should be able to live freely, not under anyone’s control; however, as the story progresses his belief changed and the animals did not get to live their utopian dream. At the start Napoleon and the other pigs strongly believed that all animals were equal and had the right to live in a place that took care of their well being.

Read More
1228 Words | 5 Pages

To begin “Shooting an Elephant,” Orwell covers the narrator’s thoughts on imperialism and how the British control had affected his life. By reading the passage, the reader learns that the Orwell believed imperialism was “evil”

Read More
1170 Words | 5 Pages

Back in history, many leaders are overthrown and killed because corruption of power. Due to the fact, power was not distributed properly to the people they often feel uncomfortable and leads to rebellion. Yet, power corruptions are common these days, it is proven that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely by history and in modern days. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Lord Acton’s statement, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” applies to much of the rulers in Animal Farm that show dictatorship and violence.

Read More

More about Injustice In George Orwell's 'Shooting An Elephant'

Related Topics

Open Document