George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant‚” deals with the evil side of imperialism. The shooting of the elephant in Orwell’s story is the central focus from which Orwell builds his argument through the two dominant characters‚ the elephant and the British officer. The British officer‚ acts as a symbol of the imperial country and the elephant is the victim of imperialism. Together‚ the solider and the elephant turns this into an attack on the evils of imperialism. The shooting of the elephant shows the different
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SG Orwell ’s Relationship with the Burmese in “Shooting an Elephant” The relationship between Orwell and the Burmese in George Orwell ’s “Shooting an Elephant‚” is a complex relationship filled with hatred. Regardless of Orwell ’s personal morals and beliefs on imperialism‚ he still upholds the duties of his job and has desire to show he is not in any shape or form inferior to any Burman‚ while the Burmese show nothing but ridicule and loathe for Orwell. This relationship shared between Orwell
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understanding of how a person from a different background see things. Unfortunately‚ in “Shooting an Elephant” the Burmese perspective was limited being that they were happy for an elephant to die for immediate satisfaction‚ ignoring that the Elephant is a symbolism for power and dignity within their culture “However‚ the white man and enforcer of imperialism was able to experience what it feels like to be oppressed. Orwell‚ being a man of privilege‚ aware of how “evil” imperialism is going against his personal
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George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant George Orwell writes of his experience in British-ruled India in the early twentieth century as a sub-divisional police officer in the sovereign Southeast Asia state of Burma. His essay presents a powerful theme of inner conflict. Orwell’s strong inner conflict lies between what he believes as a human being and what he should do as an imperial police officer. Orwell immediately claims his perspective on British imperialism saying that it is evil and that he
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My Interpretation of "Shooting An Elephant" By Christina Harry 06/19/2013 English Composition 111 "Shooting An Elephant" by George Orwell (1903-1950) is to me‚ a memoir of the time he spent in Moulmein‚ Burma‚ as a European sub-divisional police officer of the town. He was sent there to attempt control of the unruly Burmese people by the British Empire. Orwell was a white European and was hated by the people because
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Reaction to shooting an elephant This time tables are turned for Orwell. In A hanging Orwell was the oppressor but in shooting an elephant I felt that Orwell was oppressed by the Burmese people as he mentions that "In Moulmein‚ in lower Burma‚ I was hated by large numbers of people" and he emphasizes on that fact by adding "As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so" and was also oppressed by the empire as he was forced to do a job that he doesn’t
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character Orwell was a sub-divisional police officer. One day there was a rampaging circus elephant going through the town‚ and Orwell went with his old .44 Winchester so he could go scare it away. During the elephants rampage throughout the town it destroyed a hut‚ killed a cow and raided some fruit stalls. Later on they realized the elephant trampled a man to death and that’s when Orwell went and got an elephant rifle from a friend because he thought it was needed at the moment. Orwell tracked down
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ghed at.” Seeing as Westerners have been the perpetrators of imperialism for the past several centuries‚ it is to them that his message is directed. Purpose: Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is to persuade his audience that imperialism is harmful to all parties involved. The harms of imperialism are illustrated with Orwell’s words‚ “I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.” This evidences the harms of imperialism by showing
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Imperialism in ‘Shooting an Elephant’ by George Orwell Shooting an elephant is a short story about the speaker’s experience in working as a colonial officer in Burma‚ a previous conquered province by Britain‚ and facing a pressure to shoot an innocent elephant to please a large Burmese crowd. Throughout the story Orwell makes clear to readers how Imperialism causes misery and pain. To a clear definition for Imperialism‚ I sum up the important points according to my understanding as
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Shooting an Elephant Summary: Set during the early 1900’s‚ the narrator recount his experiences as an English police officer stationed in Burma. He often describes that the British presence there were greatly despised and that he himself has been a target multiple times by the Burmese people. “As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so.” (229) Being there to do the dirty work of the British empire‚ the narrator gets to see what imperialism really
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