In 1936‚ author George Orwell wrote an essay titled “Shooting an Elephant”. In the essay Orwell describes a scene of a British police officer who is stuck between having to shoot an elephant. The story takes place in Burma‚ India where then‚ they were under British imperialism. Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. It humiliates the occupied people‚ reducing them to an inferior status in their own country. Analyzing Orwell’s work
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We are trapped in a never ending war‚ a war with ourselves and with others. In this war‚ each side is fighting for power. This is the case in the essay‚ “Shooting an Elephant‚” by George Orwell‚ where it can be interpreted that “when the white man turns tyrant‚ it is his own freedom he destroys… he wears a mask‚ and his face grows to fit it.” Through the beginning of the essay‚ a person can consider this thesis to follow yet disagree with the essay. Depending on the way that a person interprets
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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
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In the essay “Shooting an Elephant”‚ George Orwell uses the elephant as an extended metaphor for Orwell’s morality and the outside forces challenging it. In the second paragraph‚ Orwell makes it clear that he “was stuck between [George Orwell’s] hatred of the empire [he] served and [his] rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make [his] job impossible.” Deep down‚ Orwell despised imperialism and sympathized with the oppressed Burmese people as a whole. His morality is clouded
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"Shooting an Elephant" is about the encounters of an English officer in Burma‚ then a state of England. Here‚ Orwell plainly portrays the contentions that colonialism conveys to various people groups. Government‚ it appears‚ has cons for both sides. The persona is despised by most‚ if not all‚ of the locals in Burma. He‚ then again‚ feel compassion and blame for the conditions on the Burmans however can’t make a move since he is relied upon to act with the power and pride of an Englishman. Despite
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In the beginning of his essay he was against shooting the elephant. Once he saw the opportunity of acceptance‚ he decided to take action towards the elephant. Throughout this essay the author doubts himself. He feels a sense of guilt towards the end of the essay. Orwell had three perspective in this essay guilt‚ doubtful‚ and acceptance. In this situation acceptance took over his feelings‚ and this is why Orwell was not justified in shooting the elephant. In the beginning of the essay the author said
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In Shooting an Elephant‚ George Orwell explores the ideology of imperialism. Throughout the essay it is established that Orwell is not in favor of imperialism. By using an officer from the British empire as the narrator‚ Orwell uses the officer to show the evils of imperialism on not only the Burmese but also on the enforcers. Orwell develops his argument against British imperialism through his use of rhetorical strategies such as symbolism‚ similes/metaphors‚ and imagery. One rhetorical strategy
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his main purpose(s) in shooting the elephant? Both the one he uses to justify his decision and his real
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themselves. George Orwell‚ in “Shooting an Elephant”‚ tells a story of his past when he killed an elephant in order to please the Burmese crowd. At the time‚ Orwell was a white Indian Imperial Police officer who was disliked by the country’s natives due to the fact that he was European. One day‚ he heard of an elephant’s doing of ravaging the town‚ so he ran to the scene with a rifle. When he finally arrived‚ he found himself observing a peacefully feeding elephant while a huge crowd of Burmans gathered
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Billy Crawford Ms. Myrna Sam AP English Language 23 January 2013 The Elephant Contradiction To be liked by others is a very controversial term. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” the “sahib” struggles as he battles himself in a self destroying and virtue deciding internal conflict. This mental battle is one that all must eventually endure. There is no definitive solution as all choices lead to new problems and consequences. The “sahib” wants to gain acceptance by the crowd behind
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