Imperialism is often viewed as a win-lose situation. However, the characteristics of imperialism are not so simple; rather, it involves paradoxical power plays that sometimes switch the typical roles of a dominant and submissive group. In the essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, the complications of imperialism are illustrated through the contradictions between the idea of his authority versus the reality of his authority.
In George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant, Orwell suggests just that; one can form his own ideals, but they will either be changed by the media (symbolized in his essay by the Burmese natives) or constructed from...
In George Orwell's essay "Shooting An Elephant," he writes about racial prejudice. Orwell is a British officer in Burma. The author is, "for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British"(842). Orwell feels caught in the middle of this cultural struggle. He sympathizes with the oppressed people of India, but is treated poorly, since he is viewed as one of the oppressors. He comes to terms with the role he plays in this vicious cycle of oppression , as an imperial servant, and the influence it has on him to shoot an elephant.
Throughout Orwell’s literary career, he avidly stood against totalitarian and imperialistic forms of government. His two most famous works (1984 and Animal Farm) both exemplify this point, but at the same time weaken it. These two works were written in protest of those governments, but in a fictional back ground. In Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant, he uses a personal experience to more clearly emphasize the impact of imperialism at the sociological and psychological level, in conjunction with other literary elements. This symposium of devices help drive the purpose of his paper and ultimately creates a more substantial impact on any reader.
George Orwell dramatically writes about his time in Burma as an Imperial Officer in his essay “Shooting an Elephant”. He communicates in detail how he disagrees with the concept of imperialism but likewise dislikes the taunting Burmese community. Orwell goes on to recount the time an elephant rampages the village and how enlightening of an experience it was. Symbolism is a heavy orchestrator in this essay, with Orwell relating the concept of imperialism to several events such as the elephant’s rampage, the dead coolie, and the actual shooting of the elephant.
Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell is an essay about his experiences in Burma as a sub-divisional police offer while working for the British Empire in the 1920’s where it had imposed its power onto the Burmese. Orwell felt this strong disagreement with imperialism because how oppressed the Burmese were, but in a way of guilt and sympathy. To better understand what imperialism means we must get a clear definition of it; imperialism is the policy of extending power of a nation over another nation; with the addition of the possibility of economic and political gains through control. With Orwell having the position of being a police officer, he plays the role of being an oppressor and; and because of this, the Burmese look at him and make him – and other Europeans ¬– a target of hatred and frustration. And Orwell also uses a plethora of rhetorical strategies to explain his own sympathies and frustrations with the Burmese, but uses the elephant
elephant: ?Here I was the white man with his gun, standing in front of the
The author began the essay with his perspective on British domination. He stated that it is evil and alongside of that it is oppressive. He felt hatred and guilt toward himself and the Burma people. He used allegories to describe the experience of the British imperialism and his own view of the matter. The audience became more aware of Orwell’s mental state is drawn to his pathos appeal as the essay continue in the story. Orwell describes the scene of the killing of an elephant in the British controlled island in the Caribbean. The authors used multiple techniques to express the feeling and irony in the story. The story eventually leading to a satirical demonstration of British domination. Orwell convicted the audience that the British are controlling imperialism does not negative impact on Burma people. He is well-known authors and political satirist.
In the 1930’s Imperialism took the world by storm. Larger and more powerful countries were invading and controlling smaller, undeveloped countries. As a result tension is created between natives and the foreigners. In “Shooting an Elephant” Orwell’s use of irony and diction plays a key role in demonstrating the impact one's surroundings may have on their thoughts and actions.
In "shooting an elephant," Orwell's writes about Burma when it was a British colony.The story told by a first-person narrator who is a British policeman serving in Burma. His relationship with the Burmese natives wasn't that good; he was hated by everyone because he was a foreigner and a authority figure of white English society. The action of the story starts with a rogue elephant that has killed a Burmese man. The narrator finds the elephant standing peacefully in a field. He does not want to kill the elephant, but he knows the large crowd of people who have followed him to the field expect
With Shooting an Elephant, Orwell reveals to his audience how this incident with the elephant gave him a “better glimpse than [he] had before of the real nature of imperialism — the real motives for which despotic governments act” (Orwell, 407). With the use of the literary strategies of logos, ethos and pathos, as well as, the use of images and symbolism, Orwell take us on a journey by successfully portraying his arguments on how imperialism effects everyone involved. Shooting an Elephant does more than just show the negative effects of Imperialism. By the careful use of words and descriptions, Orwell expands his argument to describe the effect that pressure has on people.
George Orwell, an ardent opponent of endemic social inequality, records in his persuasive essay Shooting an Elephant a life changing moment that discloses far more than just shooting an elephant. In his essay Orwell eloquently describes the scene of killing an elephant and articulates the sensations he feels during the brief yet emotional event. Orwell utilizes a myriad of literary techniques to convey the situational ironical presentation of imperialism. Orwell objective is to convince his audience, the working class of Britain, that imperialism both has a negative impact on those governed and degrades those exercising their power.
Orwell is a colonist within a colony and is therefore bestowed with a influential position of authority. As part of the white police force, he has strict obligation to his country and the British empire; anyhow, he rejects the political injustices of imperial life and despises the “real motives for which a despotic government act”. Because Orwell's actions, such as his reluctance to carry out his assignment advice as well that he is not agreeing with what his duties demand. Anyhow, he regrets having shot the elephant but more to the point he regrets having been part of colonialism and imperialism; he thinks those were harmful to both colonized and colonizers and he regrets his involvement. Orwell does not believe in imperialism; his original intentions were intimidating the elephant into submission “I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to” however, those intentions changed when he realized that the Burmese were expecting him to execute the elephant “The elephant was going to be shot. They were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a trick” His own beliefs were sacrificed for his own country’s political conquest. Moreover, Orwell himself is a symbol of that everything was bad with the colonial British rule and he himself is aware of it “The young Buddhist priest were the worst of all. There were several thousands of them in town and none of them seemed to have anything to do
In Burma, the Indian Imperial Police consisted of British officers who, in theory, supported the extension of power and dominion of a nation, which is the basis of imperialism. George Orwell decided to follow family tradition when he went to Burma to work for the Indian Imperial Police, yet "when he realized how much against their will the Burmese were ruled by the British, he felt increasingly ashamed of his role as an alien police officer" (Britannica). In his narrative, "Shooting An Elephant", George Orwell realizes that throughout his entire rule in Burma he is actually the victim of the Burmese, and it is their expectations of what he should do with his power that force him to do what they want.
In the story “Shooting an Elephant”, George Orwell recounts an experience where he was faced with a moral dilemma during the unpleasant years he spent working as a British police officer in Burma. Due to the British empire's dictatorship, the natives ridiculed and mocked his foreign presence and authority. Triggering Orwell to hate his job, hate British imperialism and hate the Burmese natives. However, shooting the elephant gave him a sight of the true nature of imperialism. Through his actions, Orwell efficiently demonstrates the negative effects of imperialism on individuals and society. In the passage, the theme of colonialism is demonstrated through Orwell’s use of key literary elements such as symbolism, tone, setting, and language.