ipl-logo

Rhetorical Devices In Shooting An Elephant

716 Words3 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.
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” …show more content…

This narrative piece is an effective expository technique that describes the narrator’s thoughts and tone. Orwell uses oxymoron such as “grinning corpse” and paradox phrases such as “the story always sounds clear enough at a distance, but the nearer you get to the scene of events the vaguer it becomes”. Another paradox statement is shown in “I perceived this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys”. Orwell’s decisions were briskly altered as he was deciding on whether to kill the elephant or not. His mind altered from “I ought not to shoot him” to “I had got to do it” and also to “But I did not want to shoot the elephant”. All of those depictions related to the “immense” crown that had followed the narrator expecting him to kill the elephant. This can be analyzed from his own words: “I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind”. “And he also realizes that to shoot the elephant would be not only unnecessary but quite immoral. But he is not a free agent; he is part of the impartial system (Ingle,

Show More
Related
905 Words | 4 Pages

In class we learned about nine different modes of rhetoric and we were asked to use three of them to compare two of the multiple stories we read in class to each other. The two stories I chose were Learning to read and Write by Frederick Douglass and Shooting an elephant by George Orwell. Learning to Read and Write is a non fictional memoir about Frederick Douglass’s life as an african american slave in the south, and the challenges he had learning to read and write. The second story is shooting and elephant by george orwell which is also non fiction about Orwell's time as a police enforcer for the british empire occupying India and how he struggles to deal with an elephant. A theme of both these stories is oppression and how Douglass and Orwell both feel the same way about it, even though one is the oppressed and the other is the oppressor but are both stuck in their social roles and can’t change their situations.

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
480 Words | 2 Pages

With this paradox, the reader takes a deep breath and realizes that as soon as he sent for the gun, the elephant's life was over. Since the white man’s position in society is one that must be upheld, Orwell is force to do what the crowd wants. “He wears a mask and his face grows to fit it.” This metaphor explains how when you put on your uniform, outside forces control your will. You are not free to make your own decisions once you control the fate of so many other people.

Read More
669 Words | 3 Pages

In this moment, when the “white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom he destroys” (2). The narrator realizes that he is forced to put on a façade of power when the people demand it. As Orwell mulls over the critical decision, he comes upon the realization that the “white man” must display strength and authority when the people demand it. In this scene, Orwell also juxtaposes the powerful “white man” against an “absurd puppet… a hollow, posing dummy… about to perform a trick” (2). The narrator is equated to a helpless doll forced to move whenever the native demand.

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
629 Words | 3 Pages

Even though Orwell did commit the crime of shooting an elephant, throughout the story he used ethos, pathos, and figurative language to convince the audience if given the opportunity he would never shoot an elephant again because the elephant represents the innocence of people.     First and foremost, Orwell establishes his ethos. As stated in Everything’s an Argument, ethos is described as the author's credibility. He establishes his ethos right from the beginning of the story when he states he works for the British but he despises them.

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
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
393 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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
1260 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

Orwell’s vivid description of the elephant’s rampage, “The people said that the elephant had come suddenly

Read More
1419 Words | 6 Pages

" Shooting an Elephant " written by George Orwell describes an ugly nature of imperialism. The story is about one European police officer who served in Moulmein, in lower Burma. While he was doing his job he faced many difficulties because of local people's anti- European attitude. This negative attitude overcomplicated his job. He had already realized that he wanted to get rid of his job as soon as possible.

Read More
1588 Words | 7 Pages

George Orwell’s “Marrakech” is a non-fictional essay written in the year 1939 that explores the central concerns of the text that were going on within the Moroccan town such as colonialism, racism, oppression and poverty. Orwell describes his time within Marrakech and details the oppression and unfair treatment of the original natives of the land. He very cleverly evokes intense emotions in the reader by opening up his writing to interpretation and in-depth analysis rather than just trying to give a flat out negative opinion which would not have been nearly as effective. Due to this, our appreciation and sympathy towards the text is enhanced and is furthered even more through the use of techniques such as personal anecdote, powerful images and comment and opinion.

Read More

More about Rhetorical Devices In Shooting An Elephant

Related Topics

Open Document