The Impact of Literary Composition

George Orwell’s, “Shooting an Elephant,” incorporates the “five recurrent ideas” of literary theory outlined in “Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory” by Peter Barry. Orwell’s literary piece is heavily influenced by allusions to imperialism, historical events, and the impact his time in the army had on his writing. “Shooting an Elephant” serves as a direction correlation to the tenants of literary theory due to the impact Orwell’s surroundings and his personal life had on his writing.

According to Barry, “the meanings within a literary work are never fixed and reliable, but always shifting, multi-faceted and ambiguous. In literature, as in all writing, there is never the possibility of establishing fixed and definite meanings: rather, it is characteristics of language to generate infinite webs of meaning, so that all texts are necessarily self-contradictory, as the process of deconstruction will reveal” (Barry 34). Barry is claiming that the outside world has a direct impact on a writer’s piece of work (non-fictional or fictional). Literary theorists acknowledge that any piece of writing has a different meaning due the various outside forces. Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” can be interpreted in various in many ways like his political concentration on imperialism or that the essay is a reflection of his time as a solider.

Orwell’s critical essay, “Shooting an Elephant,” is historically accurate. He illustrates the treatment white-European soldiers received from the Burmese citizens. The Burmese are described as, “…sneering yellow faces of young men [Burmese] that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves…there were several thousands of th...

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...position of the literary piece is successful in making a distinct viewpoint in his literary essays and books.

George Orwell’s critical essay “Shooting an Elephant” is an example of literary theory. His writing is not purely a figment of his imagination, but a record of his life. He incorporates his views from his own personal experiences and ultimately has a greater impact on capturing the readers’ attention. “Shooting and Elephant” was greatly impacted by the “five recurrent ideas” of literary theory.

Works Cited

Barry, Peter. “Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory.” 3rd ed. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2009. Print.

Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant.” Handout. English 301A Gateway Seminar. Suffolk University. January 27, 2014.

“Orwell the Writer.” Handout. English 301A Gateway Seminar. Suffolk University. January 15, 2014.