An Analysis Of George Orwell's Essay 'Shooting An Elephant'

Writing 122
25 January 2014
Experience Outweighs Theoretical Knowledge in the Works of George Orwell George Orwell’s essay “Shooting an Elephant” is the first of his works I was introduced to. I could not have asked for a better introduction to his writing style. It is one I can relate to. Even though I don’t consider myself a gifted linguist, the same type of life experiences are where I would find my writing voice. I feel very confident when I speak from experience. Theoretical knowledge, on the other hand, should not to be undervalued; it is simply theoretical. Not until one has lived through an experience can they begin to understand the contingencies and possible outcomes of their decisions. By failing or succeeding, one remembers
the outcomes of a decision that might have seemed trivial. Without this experience knowledge, portraying an idea or concept with conviction can be very difficult. After all, wisdom and experience are synonymous with each other and Orwell utilizes both with finesse. One might think at first that a job as a British police officer in a distant land would be exciting and full of adventure.
A way to travel and see more of the world while supporting their homeland. It would make sense to believe this because someone applying for this position most likely lived in Great Britain. The only knowledge they would have of this job would come from their peers and local media sources. In contrast, if they could have asked someone who has held this position, they might reconsider the job entirely. Orwell had no idea what to expect when he took this same career opportunity.
It wasn’t until he reached the far off land of Burma that he understood what this position truly entailed. As a police officer working for an invading country his presence was anything but desired. Or in his own words from the introduction of “Shooting an Elephant”:
In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people- the only time in my life I have been important enough for this to happen to me. I was a subdivisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter. (Orwell, p.
29)
He also goes on to write:
I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better. Theoretically- and secretly, of course- I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British. As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly that I can perhaps make clear. In a job like that you see the dirty work of the Empire at close quarters. (Orwell, p. 29)
Once Orwell had experienced this position, he could accurately share the reality of it and vividly describe the bitterness and resentment he felt. This would not have been possible from someone with only theoretical knowledge of the position. Some may argue that book knowledge (theory knowledge) eclipses life experiences. This simply isn’t true. It is true however, that an employer might prefer a college graduate over someone with years of job experience in the same field. This often happens because they can train and mold the new graduate much easier than the experienced applicant. Basically, it’s an issue of “teaching an old dog new tricks”. In contrast though, if you had to take a car ride with either someone who has years of driving experience or with someone who studied driving from a book, most people would instantly choose the driver with experience. Most would consider this an obvious decision. Certain knowledge required for driving can only be obtained through experience.
A second great example regarding the power of experience knowledge in Orwell’s writing comes from his narrative essay “How the Poor Die”. In this essay he writes of a time when he was sick with pneumonia in a French hospital called Hospital X. He had heard of some of the horror stories of the government funded hospitals, but that in no way prepared him for what he experienced. He informs us of this during the following passage:
When I entered the ward at the Hospital X I was conscious of a strange feeling of familiarity. What the scene reminded me of, of course, was the reeking, pain-filled hospitals of the nineteenth century, which I had never seen but of which I had a traditional knowledge. (Orwell, p.243)
Even though he had heard in theory of these terrible hospitals, the experience of his visit gave him first-hand knowledge. He also goes on to write:
In the public wards of a hospital you see horrors that you don’t seem to meet with among people who manage to die in their homes, as though certain diseases only attacked people at the lower income levels. But it is a fact that you would not in any English hospitals see some of the things I saw in Hospital X. This business of people just dying like animals, for instance, with nobody standing by, nobody interested, the death not even noticed till the morning- this happened more than once. You certainly would not see that in England, and still less would you see a corpse left exposed to the view of the other patients…You wouldn’t, either, see in England such dirt as existed in the Hospital X. (Orwell, p. 239)
Without having experienced Hospital X, he could never have painted such an accurate picture. He describes it in such detail that I can feel as though I lived it. Finally, to get a better understanding of Orwell’s writing style, one should absolutely read his essay “Why I Write”. In this essay he tells of his childhood early life experiences. These experiences shaped and influenced his writing style. He illustrates this well when he writes:
I do not think one can assess a writer’s motives without knowing something of his early development.
His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in…before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never fully escape. (Orwell, p. 226-227)
I believe that Orwell’s realization here embodies what I enjoy about his writing style so much. It also shows that experience should be counted as the cornerstone of his writing style. I cannot imagine enjoying his essays and published work as much if he wrote from theoretical knowledge as opposed to writing from his amazing life experiences. `As a student and a scholar, I feel more and more confident about my opinions and beliefs as time goes on. One thing stands out in my mind though, and luckily, I am unable to forget it. When I compare what I have learned as a requirement versus what I have experienced in life, I have no doubts as to which I would defend more ardently. Though I am quite sure that I am not being misinformed in my scholastic pursuits, I almost never feel the need to zealously defend what I have learned in school. However, when a subject arises that I have experienced or have first-hand knowledge of; I am able to defend it or refute it with a passion that would otherwise not exist. This passion arises from life experience and though these experiences may differ from person to person, it does give an air of assured certainty to those who have this first-hand knowledge.
George Orwell writes with this same passion and empathy in my favorite of his works.

Works Cited
Packer, George, comp. Facing Unpleasant Facts. First Mariner Books Edition ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. Print.