Shooting An Elephant Symbolism Essay

In George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant", many examples of symbolism can be found. The Burmese people, the elephant, and the rifle are all examples of symbolism. The Burmese people can be seen as a strong symbol of hate, such as when Orwell talks about the Buddhist priests and says, "...and none of them seemed to have anything to do except stand on street corners and jeer at Europeans" (323). This is also ironic because Buddhist priests are supposed to be people that are of a peaceful lifestyle, but instead they instigate and act out with hate. The Burmese people can also be seen as a symbol of resistance, such as when they constantly targeted Orwell and harass Europeans. Orwell shows how they targeted him when he says, "when a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter" (323). Orwell also shows how the Burmese people did small things to resist when he says “but if a European woman went through the bazaars alone somebody would probably spit betel juice over her dress” (322). Fear is another symbol in which the

The elephant is a significant example of oppression, such as when it is kept chained up by its merchant. Orwell says, “It had been chained up, as tame elephants always are when their attack of “must” is due” (324). The elephant is also a significant symbol of the desire for freedom. This can be seen when the elephant goes “must” and breaks from its chain and ravages the bazaar. Not only does the elephant symbolize oppression and the desire for freedom, but it also symbolizes imperialistic control. When the elephant escaped from its chains, Orwell was called upon to deal with the elephant and had to make the decision whether to shoot the elephant or not. Orwell shooting the escaped elephant represents how resistance to oppression is dealt with under imperialism by using