Shooting An Elephant Imperialism

Predetermined Decision Pressure may be a positive or negative impact on people depending on the situation. It can be an influence that may feel compelling to do something uncomfortable. To a teenager, being surrounded by thousands of people would be an influence especially in a hostile environment. It is very unlikely that a competent and opinionated individual would sacrifice their beliefs and morals in order to adapt to the circumstance at hand. In the short essay Shooting an Elephant, written by George Orwell, identifies the issues of imperialism and stress has on the narrator. As well as addressing attention seeking motives. The short story takes place in Moulmein, in lower Burma. The British government expanded colonies into south Asia.

Even though the narrator didn’t want to shoot the elephant at first, he did it anyways to prevent any aggravation the villagers had and ultimately benefited the British from further mockery. Although it is noticeable that imperialism and colonialism ruined native populations such as Burma, it is ironic that the narrator is chained by fulfilling ideas that aren’t his. Without shooting the elephant, the narrator would have continued to be ridiculed by the Burmese people. The elephant rifle gave him power and a different acknowledgment, rather than the daily police treatment they usually gave him. Even though it was legal for the narrator to shoot the elephant, and the owner did not control their property, it was an absurd reason to have shot the elephant. “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool” (Orwell 4). The narrator did not shoot the elephant to protect himself or the Burmese people since the elephant presented no risk or danger to anyone after its must. It is satirical that the narrator did not want to appear as a fool but because his motives were a fallacy, it made him immature to want acceptance instead of having moral judgment. The narrator acted out of emotion and sought approval instead of operating as a police officer. According to the narrator, any publicity is good publicity. It is bigger than the shooting. Not only did the people of Burma experience destruction through imperialism, but also the narrator lost his humanity. The speaker appears partial because he receives word from the older men who approves of the shooting and hears from younger men who believe the elephant is worth more than the coolie who got stomped on. Afterwards, he then continues to justify the shooting, instead of realizing how irresponsible it was to shoot the elephant out of careless