Human Nature
In “Shooting an Elephant” , human nature is the same as it would be in just about any story that we would read or hear. Human nature is no different in Burma than anywhere else in the world. In this story we see different degrees of human nature, from completely normal to in some cases extreme. This essay is mainly focused on peer pressure. “Should I shoot the elephant or should I not?” or “Will I lose face with these people if I don’t shoot the elephant?” In this essay, I will discuss the traits of the different characters.
Orwell was the kind of person that did not have a very high self-esteem. He did not have his ducks in a row, so to speak. I don’t think that Orwell was one to function under pressure. He would give in to what he thought the people of Burma wanted, not to what he wanted. But secretly inside he hated the environment in which he lived, he hated the imperialistic government in which resided in Burma. He hated the residents of Burma. He stated that he would love to stick his bayonette into the stomach of a Buddhist priest. He felt all of this hatred for the people around him, but yet he felt as if he had to go along with everything and everyone else just to live in harmony.
As Orwell was summoned to the “tiny incident” as he called it, taking care of the elephant situation, he found that the residents of the village did not know exactly what was going on with the elephant until they found out that there could possibly be a shooting, or at least some excitement. For example, he asked some of the villagers if they had seen the elephant. Some said that the elephant went to the left and some said that the elephant went to the right and some did not even know about the elephant at all. The people seemed to be only out for themselves. They were not interested in the situation until they found out that they might be able to benefit from it. This is typical of people in any culture, especially in present times.
In the last paragraph of Orwell’s essay, there had been two men that had feelings on the shooting of the elephant.
Every day, each individual will look back on decisions he or she have made and mature from those experiences. Though it takes time to realize these choices, the morals and knowledge obtained from them are priceless. In George Orwell’s nonfictional essay, “Shooting an Elephant”, a young Orwell was stationed in Burma for the British imperial forces, tasked to deal with an elephant who destroyed various parts of the village Moulmein while its owner was away. Backed by second thoughts and a crowd of thousands, he finds himself shooting the elephant and reflecting that it was not justified; however, it was a choice pushed by his duty and the people. Written with a fusion of his young and old self’s outlook on shooting the elephant, Orwell’s essay is a sensational read that captivates his audience and leaves them questioning his decision.
In “Shooting an Elephant” writer George Orwell illustrates the terrible episode that explains more than just the action of “shooting an elephant.” Orwell describes the scene of the killing of an elephant in Burma and reveals a number of emotions he experienced during the short, but traumatic event. Effectively, the writer uses many literary techniques to plant emotions and create tension in this scene, leading to an ironic presentation of imperialism. With each of the realistic descriptions of the observing multitude and the concrete appeal of the narrator’s pathos, Orwell thrives in persuading the audience that imperialism not only has a destructive impact on those being governed under the imperialists’ oppressive power, but also corrupts
When he finial find the elephant Orwell say “I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him.” But when he lays his eyes on the crowd he changes his stance to “but I did not want to shoot the elephant.”(Orwell 199). He felt guilty for shooting the elephant when he describe that the elephant worth more alive than dead, but despite the many reason not to shoot the elephant, he took a shot. Orwell describes “when I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel the kick …I fired again into the same spot…I fired a third time. That was the shot that did it for him.”(199) the shooting of the elephant represent the Burma people trying to stay alive and over powering by the
One day he receives a call from an officer on the other side of town reporting that an elephant in heat had broken free and that assistance was required. Young Orwell grabs his winchester rifle, knowing that it wouldn't be powerful enough to kill the elephant, and heads for the other side of town. Upon reaching the quarter where the elephant had last been seen, he finds the fresh corpse of an Indian man. Within minutes villagers gather around the body and tell Orwell the elephant went into the rice fields below them. Orwell sends an Indian officer to fetch an elephant gun from a friend, although he doesn’t plan on killing the elephant.
Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant.” The Brief Arlington Reader. Ed. Nancy Perry. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 334-339.
Although the Elephant had already killed a coolie ( laborer), Orwell was aware to save his village my preventing to do more danger. He responded the situation by being under pressure to “self-defend” himself to kill the elephant, even though, he got judge by the outcome no matter
Orwell furthers the cycle of brutish imperialism by shooting the innocent elephant, just like the innocent Indian people had been
The resulting shooting of the elephant by Orwell occured due to two notable psychological phenomena: Normative Social Influence and Deindividuation.
The main gist of “Shooting an Elephant” feels like it is asking for an opinion on Orwell’s actions, whether him shooting the elephant was right or wrong. The main theme of the essay is based on the idea that many of our actions are influenced by other people , especially if we are insecure about what we are doing. This idea was expressed through the different literary features that he used including the use of tone, voice, mood and characterization. The tone of voice within Orwell’s essay is reflective because he is explaining a past experience by using words “like at that age”, and “I did not then know” . The essay is written in the first person so this makes it seem like the voice of this essay belongs to Orwell himself; however, Orwell may have written about someone else, but choosing the first person makes the story sound more personal, which also makes it easier for the audience to relate it to their own experiences.
Orwell doesn’t want to shoot this magnificent creature, but when he finds it, he had no other choice. “I was not thinking of my own skin, only the watchful yellow faces behind”. Orwell is so worried about what the people are going to think that he ignores what he thinks and kills the elephant anyway. Why he was worried about the opinion of the people that hate him? I don’t know.
George Orwell uses setting, characterization and symbols to show that true power come from following the dictates of one’s conscience. The state of power established through the imperialistic backdrop show that Orwell should have control over the Burmese. Also, the perspective and ideas given by Orwell show his true character and lessens the overall power set up for him. Lastly, the symbols Orwell uses show representation of traditional forms of power, but take on different implications in the story. These points come together to prove that power exists within one’s self and not through one’s position, conquests or by the items they possess. In the end, it can be said that man’s journey for power will be a continuous struggle until the end of time but that in order at attain power, one must learn to listen to one’s conscience.
On the journey of shooting the elephant there were many obstacles Orwell faced. In the midst of searching for the “must” elephant the town people chose to lead him in a loose duck chase. In which, some said they didn’t see the elephants,others said he went one way and most acted as if they didn’t know what was going on. “I had almost made up mind that the whole story was a pack or lies”, this statement argue that the people were
In “Shooting an Elephant” , writer George Orwell describes a scene of an elephant being killed and describes the sensations that he goes through during the short but extremely dramatic event in the small city of Burma and articulates the sensations of a police officer goes through during this brief but very dramatic event. Rhetorically,George Orwell uses various literary techniques to convey the emotions in the scene, which ultimately leads to a detailed presentation of imperialism. Through descriptions of the crowd and a direct appeal with the narrator, Orwell succeeds in convincing the audience that imperialism has a negative impact on those being governed , but also to those that are exercising that power. As an adversary of political
In this story ,Orwell is taking part in imperialism by proving his power and dignity to the natives presenting imperialism metaphorically through the use of animals. He is using the elephant as a symbol of imperialism representing power as an untamed animal that has control over the village. He uses a large and very powerful animal to represent a significant metaphor for imperialism.. In doing so he leads to the understanding that the power behind imperialism is only as strong as its dominant rulers. Orwell?s moral values are challenged in many different ways, ironically enough while he too was the oppressor. He is faced with a very important decision of whether or not he should shoot the elephant. If he does so, he will be a hero to his people. In turn, he would be giving in to the imperial force behind the elephant that he finds so unjust and evil. If he lets the elephant go free and unharmed the natives will laugh at him and make him feel inferior for not being able to protect the...
Orwell?s extraordinary style is never displayed well than through ?Shooting an Elephant,? where he seemingly blends his style and subject into one. The story deals with a tame elephant that all of a sudden turns bad and kills a black Dravidian coolie Indian. A policeman kills this elephant through his conscience because the Indians socially pressurized him greatly. He justified himself as he had killed elephant as a revenge for coolie.