George Orwell Shooting An Elephant

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Recommended: Critical analysis of shooting an elephant by george orwell

“Shooting an Elephant” is a self-portrait of George Orwell. In “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell details an unforgettable incident while he was stationed as a military officer in Burma. In detailing acts of violence in shocking detail as well as using violent metaphors throughout his essay, George Orwell indicates that Burma is a place charged with racial tensions that threaten to explode into chaos.

George Orwell was being humiliated and hated by Burmese, many incidents reveal the harassment faced by him, like on the football field when he was tripped up the native, “the crowd yelled with hideous laughter”.(Orwell,436). He says tat young natives used to insult him a lot and was most offended by the hatred nature of the young Buddhist priests. Burmese used to stand on the corners of the streets and give mocking remarks to Europeans. The author was felt that “I[He] was struck between the hatred of the empire I[He] served and his[His] rage against the …show more content…

The incident of the Elephant “give me [Him]a better glimpse” [437], “ of the real nature of the imperialism” [437]. He relates the Elephant with the natives. The wild activities that the elephant had been doing related to those rebellious activities by the Burmese. He calls himself feeble and uncomfortable by relating with “a cloudy, stuffy morning at the beginning of the rains”.[437]. The author did not have any intention of killing the poor creature, but he got under the pressure of the natives who saw him a rifle, they shouted to kill the animal. The whole incident for the natives was a piece of fun and they wanted the author to kill the animal for meat. They were watching him as a “conjurer [was] about to perform a trick” [439]. The author was afraid of the humiliation and got under the oppression the public as “ I[He] realize that I[He] should have to shoot the elephant after

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