George Orwell Evil

Integrity of the Sahib
According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “sahib” is a word meaning “sir” or “master”. In Orwell’s account of Shooting an Elephant, however, this word means much more. Throughout the course of the story, George Orwell was faced with many conflicts both internally and externally. He had a difficult time agreeing with the British raj over the Burmese people. He questioned his own authority and eventually gave in to the wants of the people by killing an elephant. Orwell’s thoughts, emotions and actions in this story reinforce its primary theme: Take responsibility for your actions.
In the opening lines of Shooting an Elephant, one main internal conflict was introduced. The imperial army had taken control of the Burmese

Once he saw the dead man, he ordered an elephant riffle. He was going to kill it. By killing a human, this “tame” animal was no longer worthy of life. The entire town cheered him on as he approached the elephant. “It was an immense crowd, two thousand at the least and growing every minute,” (Orwell, 4). Some people were happy to see the elephant die, but others were just there to be entertained. Orwell felt he had no choice. In uniform, Orwell was a symbol of authority. He felt he could not let the elephant live without appearing weak to the people. Having felt the pressure, Orwell hesitantly continues toward the elephant. The crowd followed. “I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind,” (Orwell, 4). Orwell feeling trapped and pushed around by the people could symbolize the British Imperialist Army trapping and pushing around the Burmese. It came full circle when he knew the elephant was tame and should not be killed, but he feared the people would disrespect him if he let it

In this context, a sahib is the man in charge. Orwell felt that his authority would be questioned if he did not shoot the elephant. In his eyes, he must appear sure, and confident in order to keep his position professional. He wanted to make it appear as if he was killing the elephant for his own pleasure, when in reality, he killed the elephant to please the people who followed. Caught up in his own self-image, Orwell described his fear of humiliation. “The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man’s life in the East, was one long struggle not to be laughed at,” (Orwell, 5). He took another look at the innocent elephant and questioned himself. Did he want to shoot the elephant? Still questioning, Orwell approached the elephant. He made a deal with himself. “If he charged, I could shoot; if he took no notice of me, it would be safe to leave him until the mahout came back,” (Orwell, 5). Sinking with every step he took, Orwell knew that if the elephant charged and he missed his shot, he would become another victim of the beast. If he was killed, humiliation would be his only