Shooting An Elephant Persuasion

“Persuasion is Powerful” In the world today, people are persuaded into doing things that they do not agree with or would not normally do to feel accepted. In the short story, “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, the narrator begins by describing how he was hated by many, not only was he white man, he was an officer of the law. This story clearly demonstrates how the narrator was persuaded into shooting the elephant by the crowd of Burmans that were present at the time. At the very beginning, the narrator makes it very clear that he never had any attentions of shooting the elephant, even though he sent for an elephant rifle before he went to look for the elephant. Orwell states, “I had no intention of shooting the elephant- I had merely

From the first moment of seeing the elephant, he knew that the elephant should not be killed. Orwell says “As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him” (573). The police officer continued to watch the elephant, thinking to himself of many reason why he should not kill the elephant. Comparing the elephant to an expensive piece of machinery, because the elephant was a work elephant. As he continued to watch the elephant, the writer thought he would stay awhile, and if the elephant was still peacefully eating he would go home. Orwell says, “Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him. I decided that I would watch him for a little while to make sure that he did not turn savage again, and then go home” (573), but that decision would soon change due to the crowd of Burmans that followed him . Orwell says, “But that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me”. From that moment, the officer started thinking about what the Burman expected from him, and what effect it would have on him if he did not shoot the elephant. The officer also began to think about what the Burmans thought of him; how he went from being a nobody to