Inhisessay,ShootinganElephant,GeorgeOrwellillustrateshisexperiencesasaBritishpolice officer,andreflectsittothenatureofimperialism.HehateshisjobasapoliceofficerinMoulmein becausean"anti–Europeanfeelingwasverybitter"duetoBritishEmpire'sdictatorshipinBurma Therefore,Orwell,awhitemanisbeingtreateddisrespectfullybytheBurmesewhichallowshimto hatehisjobandBritishEmpire,therootofeverything.However,theincidentofshootingofan elephantgiveshima"betterglimpse...oftherealnatureofimperialism–therealmotivesforwhich despoticgovernmentact"(13).Inordertoexpresstheeffectsofimperialism,Orwellillustratesthis "enlightening"incidencebyusingvariousshowmorecontent
WhenOrwellwasfollowedbythousandsofBurmese,hesays,"seeminglytheleadingactorofthe piece;butinrealityIwasonlyanabsurdpuppetpushedtoandfrobythewillofthoseyellowfaces behind"(15)Hecallshimself"puppet"toindicatethatevenanoppressorloseshisfreedomandhas toliveunderpressurewhenimperialismtakesplaceinthesociety.Orwellalsoestablishesparticular effectsinhisessaybyusingdifferentsentencestructures.Hedescribesthepictureof,"Tocomeall thatway,rifleinhand,withtwothousandpeoplemarchingatmyheels,andthentotrailfeebly away,havingdonenothing–no,thatwasimpossible"(15).Theparallelphrasesareusedinthis passagetorecapthewholesituationbutthesuddenusageofanacoluthonintheendofthelink allowsOrwellshowhowmuchOrwellispressurizedandindicatesreadsthatthereisnowayfor Orwelltoleavetheelephantaliveaftercomingtothisstageofthesituation.Orwellagainusesthe parallelphrasestodescribetheeffectsonanelephantafterthefirstshot:"Inthatinstant,intooshort atime,onewouldhavethought,evenforthebullettogetthere,amysterious,terriblechangehad comeovertheelephant"(16)Thisstructureintensifiestheshockandreactioninreadersandhelps Orwelltoprovewhatittakesforonedecision.Thelackofgrammaticalsequenceisusedwhen Orwellgoesouttokill
ShootinganElephantEssay
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ThestorythatmyevaluationwillbebasedonisShootinganElephantwrittenin1936.Theauthor GeorgeOrwellwasbornin1903inIndiatoaBritishofficerraisedinEngland.HeattendedEton College,whichintroducedhimtoEngland'smiddleandupperclasses.Hewasdeniedascholarship, whichledhimtobecomeapoliceofficerfortheIndianImperialin1922.HeservedinBurmauntil resigningin1927duetothelackofrespectforthejusticeofBritishImperialisminBurmaand India.Hewasnowdeterminedtobecomeawriter,soatthebrinkofpovertyhebegantopayclose attentiontosocialoutcastsandlaborers.ThisledhimtowriteDownandOutinParisandLondon (1933)duringtheSpanishCivilWarHeembodiedhishateforshowmorecontent
Ashewalkedontolocatetheelephanttherealizationthatthewholetownwaswatchingandwaiting forhimtomakehismovewasveryapparent.Theofficercameacrosstheelephanteatingina clearingandfeltateasethattheanimalwasfinishedwithhispathofdestruction.Heglancedaround himandrealizedthathewouldbeforcedtokilltheanimal.Thetown'speopledislikedhimgreatly, butwithaweaponandtheabilitytokillthewildbeastthequicklychangedtheiropinionaboutthe officer.Althoughtheelephantwasharmlessatthispoint,theofficerfellintothetrapofpeer pressureandfeltobligatedtoterminatetheanimal'slife.Hewalkedasclosetotheelephantashe couldwithoutstartlingitandpulledthetrigger.GeorgeOrwellthengoesontodescribeingreat detailthehorribledeaththattheelephantexperienced.Ilikedthemessageofthisstory,butIdidnot careforthewaythattheauthorchosetopresentitThemessagewasveryclearinthattherewasa commonproblembetweenpeopleingeneralandcertainracesinthemid–thirties.Themessagewas thateventhoughpeersmayexpectsomethingofthemitisnotalwaystherightthingtodo.Thisis displayedintheparagraphatthetopofpage683andcontinuesuntilthemiddleofthepageThe maincharactermentionsrightbeforeheshootstheelephantthefirsttimethat"
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ShootingAnElephantEssay
ShootingAnElephant
Thestory,"ShootinganElephant",isverydescriptiveandintriguing.GeorgeOrwell,theauthor, usessmallwordsthroughoutthisstorythatgettheaudience'sattention.Heevenhasdifferentlines thatreadersrememberwhenthetitleisspokenof.Becauseheissothoroughintheplottakingplace, theaudiencehasanopportunitytofeelasiftheywerethereandsaweverythingthathashappened. GeorgeOrwell'sstylisticchoicesrelatedtopace,tone,andcharacterdevelopmentenablehimtobe successful.Theauthor'sstylisticchoicerelatedtopaceallowshimtobesuccessful.Atthebeginning of"ShootinganElephant",hestartsoffwithaslow,drytopic,buthesaidsomethingaboutacorpse grinningThemandiedinapainfulway,butOrwellstilldescribedhimashavingagrinonhisface becausehismouthwasopened.Becausehewroteofamanfeelingpressuretodosomethinghe didn'twantto,hebecamerelatabletohisaudience.Thisallowedhimtobemoresuccessfulbecause peoplenaturallyenjoysomething/someonetheycanrelatewith.Bykillinganelephant,heportrayed givingintowhatthepeoplearoundhimwanted.Often,thenatureofmangivesintothepressure theyfeel,andthismadehimsuccessfulinthisstoryshowmorecontent
Throughoutthestory,hemadeitknownthathedidn'twanttoshoottheelephant,andhisattitude neverchangedfromthat.Healsoseemedtobedepressedinthestorybecausehefeltpressuretodo whathedidn'twantto.Hecontinuestobedepressedbecausehefollowedthroughwithwhatthe crownwantedhimtodo.Theauthoralsowasworriedinthemiddleofthestorybecausehedidn't wantthecrowdtoputhimdownifhedecidednottokilltheelephantTheentiretoneofthestory wasoverallgloomy,andtherewasn'tanyhappinessexceptforwhenthecrowd'swantswere
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ShootingAnElephant
Peopledonotalwaysdowhatisright.Sometimes,theystrayfromthepaththatislaidoutinfrontof them.GeorgeOrwellshineslightonthistopic.InhisstoryShootinganElephant,Orwelltalksabout beingaBritishpoliceofficerinBurma.TheBurmesepeoplereallydidn'tliketheBritishpeopleat thistime.TheentiretimetheBritishoccupiedthisIsland,therewasapowerstruggle.InGeorge Orwell'snarrativeessayShootinganElephant,thethreemainmessagesareimperialism,peer pressure,andfear.
ThefirstmessageinGeorgeOrwell'sShootinganElephantisimperialismImperialismiswhena strongcountrytakesoveraweakercountryandrunsit.ThisiswhattheBritishdidtoBurma. ThroughoutthestorythereisaconstantpowerstrugglebetweentheBurmeseandtheBritish.Atthe beginningofthestoryitlooksliketheBritishholdallthepower.But,attheendofthestorythe readerrealisesthattheBurmesepeopleactuallyholdallthepower.Hedidnotwanttomakethe peoplewiththepowerangry
InShootinganElephantbyGeorgeOrwell,thesecondmessageispeerpressure.Peerpressureis oftenrelatedtohormone–crazedteenswhodon'tknowhowtocontroltheiremotions.Thisisnot alwaysthecase.TheBritishpoliceofficerknowsthatheshouldnotshootthe...showmorecontent... FearcanmakepeopledothingsthattheywouldnotnormallydoPeoplewhoaredrivenbyfearare peoplewhocandoanything.Theelephantisafraidsohetramplesoverhousesandpeople.The policeofficerisafraidthattheBurmesewilllaughathimifhedoesnotshoottheelephant.Thisfear eatshimaliveuntilhedoessomethingheknowshewillregretOrwellsaysonpage1324,"Forat thatmoment,withthecrowdwatchingme,Iwasnotafraidintheordinarysense,asIwouldhave beenifIhadbeenalone."Fearisthedrivingforceforpeopletodounforgettable
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ShootingAnElephant
ThestoryofShootinganElephantisashortstorythatshowstheinternalstruggleofamanwhotries tofigureoutforhimselfifhevaluesselfrespectmoreorothersrespectmore.Themaincharacteris aEuropeanwhoworksforthesub–divisionalpoliceinSouthEastAsia.HeisstationedinBurma where,eventhoughhehatesthepeople,hehopestheBurmesewinthewar.HatredfortheBurmese peopleisfueledbytheirmockinghimandtreatmenttowardshimwithabsolutelynorespectand littleregard.Inaddition,eventhoughthemanshootstheelephant,heearlierstatedthathehad absolutelynoresolveinhimtoshoottheelephant.Hisdecisiontonotkilltheelephantcomes crumblingdownwhenherealizestheBurmesewilltakenoticeofhimifheshootstheelephant WhywouldhecareaboutwhattheBurmesethoughtofhimiftheyhatedhimanyway?Thisis becausehishatredfortheBurmeseislittleincomparisontohowmuchhewishesforrespectand recognition.Theshowmorecontent
Intheveryfirstparagraphofthestorythecharactertellsofhisexperienceonafootballfield.He statedthat"whenanimbleBurmantrippedmeuponthefootballfieldandthereferee(another Burman)lookedtheotherway,thecrowdyelledwithhideouslaughter"(Orwell1).Thecharacter alsorecountsofotherexperienceshehaswhere"insultshootedaftermewhenIwasatasafe distance"(Orwell1).Inhisownwordsthecharacterdescribeshowhefeelsaboutthesesituations. HestateshowtheBurman'sactionsbadlygotonhisnerves.Heexplainshowoverwhelmingand upsettinghisjobmakeshim,somuchsothathewantstoquitItisimportanttonotethecharacters perceptionoftheBurmesebecauseitshowsthathisrancortowardsthemdoesnotaffecthislonging forrespect.Thisisabasicpointthathelpssetupthestorytoshowwhatthecharacters
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ShootingAnElephants
Inthearticle"ShootinganElephants"byGeorgeOrwelltheauthor'sstoryisverycaptivatingand descriptive."Irememberthatitwasacloudy,stuffymorningatthebeginningoftherains."Hedoes notholdbackthedetailsasifheremembersthem.Orwelloriginallydidnotwanttoshootthe elephantbutfearedwhathispeerswouldsay,hispeersbeingthethousandyellowfacesthatstood behindhimifhedidn'tcompletehisjobUnfortunately,hewasnotinfearofhislifebuthisduty andjobcalledforhimtoagainsthismoralsandshootstheelephant.Thelocalshaditoutforhim anyways,notkillingelephantwouldhaveaddedfiretotheflameofthedisliketheywouldhavefor thepolicemanTheBurmesepeopleplayahugerole,badgering
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