George Orwell Shooting An Elephant Summary

George Orwell writes Shooting an Elephant with his experiences in Burma; so story is in Burma, Myanmar. Both Orwell uses his own experiences in past and he lives in the significant era of British in history, we see high rise at historical background in the story. Orwell prefers to indirect way to express his emotions using symbols. One of the main symbols is an elephant. The elephant symbolizes British Empire. The reason that Orwell chooses the elephant, the empire is powerful like an elephant. When it dies, Orwell makes narrative sentences about the elephant. These sentences help us the elephant is the British Empire.” One could have imagined him thousands of years old. (5)” “He was dying, very slowly and in great agony, but in some world
remote from me where not even a bullet could damage him further. (5)” Actually, when we consider that the elephant is a peaceful creature, which is a harmless; so, there is no sense to hurt the elephant. Orwell has not already wanted to kill the elephant at first but then the crowd provokes him. He is forced with killing the elephant as psychologically. On the other hand, this provocation can be a result of the imperialism. The imperialism forces him to display his power in front of the crowd. It is concluded that imperialism has inhumane and irrational role. Primarily, imperialism keeps in a large place in the text as meaning. For instance, the bodily defeat of the elephant is only shows the savagery of imperialism. His physical features associate with the Empire. Because of his hugeness, he cannot fall easily. He collapses slowly. “At the second shot he didn’t collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to his feet and stood weakly upright, with legs sagging and head dropping. (5)” Falling the elephant slowly demonstrates dying the imperialism.