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Shooting An Elephant Rhetorical Analysis

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“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” This quote by Vera Nazarian sums up the reason for reading. Especially in “Shooting An Elephant”, readers can learn so much about the world and the people who live in it. For example, elocutionists learn many details about the nature of man by analyzing George Orwell’s style in this literary work. As a result of George Orwell manipulating the elements of style such as tone, pace, and character development in “Shooting An Elephant”, readers can conclude that there are many sides, or natures of men. Orwell’s speech throughout his work allows perusers to put the nature of man into perspective. By examining Orwell’s tone throughout this short story, lectors can deduce that a nature of man is to be bitter. For example, when the protagonist confesses that he opposes the European empire, he displays his hostile attributes. The raconteur in this chronicle also speaks with exaggeration. He reveals this when he says that two thousand people where following him when there were actually many less than that. The speaker in “Shooting An Elephant” also …show more content…

The human inclination to please others exists in this allegory through the storyteller. He only shoots the elephant with the motive to charm and delight his peers. Mankind’s tendency to dominate clearly portrays itself throughout Orwell’s work because a number of characters are yearning to monopolize. For example, the chronicler aches to prevail over the elephant so he can be accepted by those around him. This anecdote also allows readers to conclude that man cares about their self-image. The narrator attempts to protect his ego so he will not feel rejection from his community. The character development throughout “Shooting An Elephant” allows readers to relate and sympathize with the literary

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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.

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In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, there is a relationship unfolding, a complex relationship difficult to understand. The relationship is revealed by a conversation between a man and a woman, a topic of conversation that people rarely discussed in the period that the story was set. After researching interpretations, it is consistently said “She is pregnant, and he wants her to have an abortion” (Weeks 76), to which I agree that this conversation is about abortion. With the man seemingly pushing the topic and the girl hesitant and questionable, it is unsure as to the result of their conversation. However, it is my belief that she chose to follow her heart and not get the abortion.

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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.

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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.

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The narrative styles of “Shooting an Elephant” and “Why My Mother Can’t Speak English” are quite different from each other. Orwell tells the story in the first person. Through the whole story, it is what “I” see, feel and think that promote the plot development. In contrast, Engkent narrates the story using dialogues between him and his mother. The readers are just like the audiences of his mother and gradually reveal the reason that why his mother can’t speak English.

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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.

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There are numerous themes in this short story such as British imperialism and colonial resentment however the most prominent theme in this story is fear of humiliation and the effect peer- pressure has on an individual. The setting of Burma helps work with this theme as it provides an area for the plot to take place and develop. After marching miles to the destination of the elephant, a crowd had surrounded George Orwell and encourages Orwell to kill the elephant. George Orwell is compelled to kill the once ravaging elephant due to the fact that Orwell wants to avoid looking like a fool. George Orwell is willing to sacrifice his role of doing the right thing and fulfilling the Burmese wishes in order to save himself from

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In Animal Farm, George Orwell warns how power will often lead to corruption. Napoleon was placed in a position of power after Major died, and he slowly starts to lavish in his power and become addicted to the lush life of a dictator. When Napoleon first becomes a leader, he expresses how everyone will work equally, but as his reign goes on, he shortens the work hours. At the very end of the novel, the observing animals even start to see that pig and man had become the same. The irony present in the above example, illuminates how regardless of how much a ruler promises to maintain equality and fairness, the position of power that they hold, will corrupt them.

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Since their conception, emotions have been one of the most defining characteristics humans have assigned to themselves. While dolphins, other primates, and, more recently, computers have been found to have levels of intelligence rivalling humanity’s, how they’ve felt about it has remained more or less unique. Though they are often considered one of man’s greatest strengths, emotions are also a method of entry for manipulation attempts from other people. An excellent source for examples of this is The Aeneid. Written over two millennia by the Roman poet Virgil, The Aeneid is filled with a wide range of human emotions and situations in which they influence people’s decisions.

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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.”

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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”.

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Animal Farm Essay How are allegories relevant when discussing societies issues of human nature? George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm explores this question through the characters in his book. The Novel was based around people and events of the Russian revolution that occurred during 19… and revealing many truths of human nature and existence throughout the novel. George Orwell portrays his characters as animals with human traits and allows readers to infer what he is revealing about human nature through these characters.

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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.

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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.”

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The Burmans slight acts of rebellion by spitting and laughing at the British is represented by the elephant going “must”. Orwell 's self-imposed task of upholding the British Empire’s mask of control can be related to the Empire’s goal of controlling or “taming” Burmese society. Orwell is aware that his reputation reflects that of all the other Europeans. This awareness plays a role in his deciding to shoot the elephant because if he didn’t, the Burman’s would question British authority and think of them as weak (Orwell).

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