Orwell: Shooting An Elephant - analysis paper
Orwell Analysis Paper
Prompt 3 “Read carefully paragrphs 11-13 of Orwells Shooting An Elephant. THen write a well-organized essay explaining how the author uses stylistic devices and rhetoical strategies to convey his attitude toward the shooting of the elephant. Elephants were once, and are currently, considered prized possessions in some parts of the world. The taming of these majestic creatures dates all the way back to BC and, since then, elephants have continued to hold high value especially ceremonially, labor-wise, and culturally. But, just like any living organism, sometimes elephants do the wrong thing, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. That's what unfortunately happened to the elephant in Orwell's piece, Shooting an Elephant. Orwell's piece includes stylistic elements such as figurative languag and juxtaposition to express the narrators indifferent, but also guilty attitude towards bringing death upon the elephant.
Orwell weaves symbolic figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, into his piece Shooting the Elephant to emphasize the narrators emotions towards his pulling of the trigger on the elephant. The narrators indifference caused his mind to believe "a mad elephant has to be killed like a mad dog,if it's owner fails to control it;" even though the elephant never posed a threat as a mad dog would. If the narrator hadn't felt guilty, he wouldn't have downsized the situation by comparing the elephant to a mad dog to justify his actions, but if he hadn't had an indifferent attitude then perhaps the elephant would still be standing. Pulling the trigger on the gun aimed for the elephant triggered the narrators guilty conscience, especially when the elephant helplessly collapses "with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay." The metaphorical comparison of the elephant falling to an earthquake illustrates how the narrator realized how monumental and uncalled for the death of the elephant was, which led the guilt
Prompt 3 “Read carefully paragrphs 11-13 of Orwells Shooting An Elephant. THen write a well-organized essay explaining how the author uses stylistic devices and rhetoical strategies to convey his attitude toward the shooting of the elephant. Elephants were once, and are currently, considered prized possessions in some parts of the world. The taming of these majestic creatures dates all the way back to BC and, since then, elephants have continued to hold high value especially ceremonially, labor-wise, and culturally. But, just like any living organism, sometimes elephants do the wrong thing, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. That's what unfortunately happened to the elephant in Orwell's piece, Shooting an Elephant. Orwell's piece includes stylistic elements such as figurative languag and juxtaposition to express the narrators indifferent, but also guilty attitude towards bringing death upon the elephant.
Orwell weaves symbolic figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, into his piece Shooting the Elephant to emphasize the narrators emotions towards his pulling of the trigger on the elephant. The narrators indifference caused his mind to believe "a mad elephant has to be killed like a mad dog,if it's owner fails to control it;" even though the elephant never posed a threat as a mad dog would. If the narrator hadn't felt guilty, he wouldn't have downsized the situation by comparing the elephant to a mad dog to justify his actions, but if he hadn't had an indifferent attitude then perhaps the elephant would still be standing. Pulling the trigger on the gun aimed for the elephant triggered the narrators guilty conscience, especially when the elephant helplessly collapses "with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay." The metaphorical comparison of the elephant falling to an earthquake illustrates how the narrator realized how monumental and uncalled for the death of the elephant was, which led the guilt