Shooting An Elephant Vs Group Minds'
Yasmin Ramos
ENGWR101
Professor Sanchez
April 18, 2016
Shooting an Elephant v Group Minds Every decision made, will affect us, wether it’s in a negative or positive way. Everyone at some point in their lives will experience some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure is a very influential when we are making decisions. Peer pressure encourages other people to change the way they are or values to please those who are influencing us, which can be a group or an individual. In comparing and contrasting the essays “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell and “Group Minds” by Doris Lessing, the authors share homogeneous arguments, revealing the tendency for individuals to choose to comply to the majority of peoples beliefs against their own will. However, …show more content…
She started her lecture by going over groups and talks specifically in a universal setting talking about Western philosophy and that we are living in a free society, existing as individuals and making individual choices.We as people live as groups. Family groups, working parters, and even church groups. Therefore, there is no was of making decisions that we truly believe in. There is always that thought in our head “well maybe, Jill would have done this instead…”. Lessing believes that resisting group pressure to maintain one’s individual opinion is very difficult and anyone has the tendency to act like everyone else in a group. Lessing believes that, we, the people, are “group animals” and have group mindsets when we interact with others in our families, at work, and in social, religious, and political groups. Without knowing it, we allow others opinions and actions to influence ours. When someone is isolated outside or a group, asserts that two pieces of wood are not equal in length, the group forces the individual to comply with them, and change their mind that maybe that piece of wood, is actually the same …show more content…
Lessing believes that people cave into the group mind because it is human like to agree with others, she provides a proposal counter group mind thinking. She suggests that people need to be more careful and and not be so quick to please the people around us. She wishes that we could simply tell our kids about this, so they don’t grow up being pressured, and they can maybe improve themselves and society. The aftermath of Orwell’s killing of the elephant illustrates the way the colonial cycle perpetuates itself. Those harmed by the violence are either silenced or lack resources. Orwell’s choice to kill the elephant was controversial. The elephant’s owner was angry, but, as an Indian, had no legal recourse. How imperialism devours the humanity of the colonized people and helps to devoid of dignity is apparent in the story and can be understood through the actions of the Burmese
ENGWR101
Professor Sanchez
April 18, 2016
Shooting an Elephant v Group Minds Every decision made, will affect us, wether it’s in a negative or positive way. Everyone at some point in their lives will experience some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure is a very influential when we are making decisions. Peer pressure encourages other people to change the way they are or values to please those who are influencing us, which can be a group or an individual. In comparing and contrasting the essays “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell and “Group Minds” by Doris Lessing, the authors share homogeneous arguments, revealing the tendency for individuals to choose to comply to the majority of peoples beliefs against their own will. However, …show more content…
She started her lecture by going over groups and talks specifically in a universal setting talking about Western philosophy and that we are living in a free society, existing as individuals and making individual choices.We as people live as groups. Family groups, working parters, and even church groups. Therefore, there is no was of making decisions that we truly believe in. There is always that thought in our head “well maybe, Jill would have done this instead…”. Lessing believes that resisting group pressure to maintain one’s individual opinion is very difficult and anyone has the tendency to act like everyone else in a group. Lessing believes that, we, the people, are “group animals” and have group mindsets when we interact with others in our families, at work, and in social, religious, and political groups. Without knowing it, we allow others opinions and actions to influence ours. When someone is isolated outside or a group, asserts that two pieces of wood are not equal in length, the group forces the individual to comply with them, and change their mind that maybe that piece of wood, is actually the same …show more content…
Lessing believes that people cave into the group mind because it is human like to agree with others, she provides a proposal counter group mind thinking. She suggests that people need to be more careful and and not be so quick to please the people around us. She wishes that we could simply tell our kids about this, so they don’t grow up being pressured, and they can maybe improve themselves and society. The aftermath of Orwell’s killing of the elephant illustrates the way the colonial cycle perpetuates itself. Those harmed by the violence are either silenced or lack resources. Orwell’s choice to kill the elephant was controversial. The elephant’s owner was angry, but, as an Indian, had no legal recourse. How imperialism devours the humanity of the colonized people and helps to devoid of dignity is apparent in the story and can be understood through the actions of the Burmese