Shooting an Elephant is one of the most famous essays by George Orwell that presents the situation of preindependence era in Burma. There are very subtle instances that act as a window for the readers into the social setup of that time. One could see that the Burmese hated the British in a pity and helpless manner. One of the few opportunities they had to express their anger was during the soccer game where the rules of society were over ruled by the rules of the game. The psychology of the author
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George Orwell: Shooting an Elephant In his essay‚ George Orwell tells a story of what happened in Burma when he served as a police officer. At the time‚ the Burmese citizens did not look kindly upon the English police that protected their city. He describes several instances where he was ridiculed‚ taunted‚ and baited into precarious situations. He goes on to proclaim the cowardice of these citizens‚ and how they waited until the police were out of range before yelling insults towards them.
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In the article ¡°Shooting an Elephant‚¡± Orwell describes his experience of killing an elephant to express the real nature and sorrow of imperialism. He first confesses his bitter life in Moulmein and the baiting by the native people of European. He goes on to narrate a tiny event of shooting an elephant which makes him to realize the real characteristic of imperialism. By reading and thinking this essay in depth‚ I perceive the main theme the essay is that the real nature of imperialism actually
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George Orwell’s "Shooting an Elephant" is an essay about a British police officer living in Lower Burma who goes through the trial and error process of making the right decisions while still trying to maintain an image and position of authority. The officer is hated by the Burmese people‚ which is clearly shown when he would play football. The Burmese were extremely unfair to the officer due to the fact he was part of the Imperialist group which was oppressing Burma. (para. 1) Although the officer
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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 BY GEORGE ORWELL:_ _Commentary_ Political‚ social & ethical issues raised in Orwell’s essay "Shooting an Elephant" create a controversial storyline in which the events metaphorically symbolize the colonial imperialism of the time. Set in Burma‚ 1936‚ the context is based around the anti-European attitudes existent post the Anglo-Burmese Wars. Orwell’s positions‚ as police officer for the despotic British governments‚ required him to hold authority over the Burmese‚ consequently
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1. Orwell shoots the elephant because the two thousand native people standing behind him expect him to. They want revenge for the man it killed‚ the meat the carcass will provide‚ and the entertainment of watching the shooting. “The people expected it of me and I had got to do it” he writes. There is a suggestion that if he decided not to shoot the elephant‚ both he and the empire would suffer a loss of prestige‚ but the main concern in Orwell’s mind is the “long struggle not to be laughed at”. He
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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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1)Create a T-chart. On one side write specific language that shows how the Burmese are treated by the British and on the other side how Orwell is treated by the Burmese (use evidence from the first paragraph). Who is the victim: Orwell or the Burmese? (Hint: It is the Burmese) Explain using the evidence you gathered. “The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups‚ the grey‚ cowed faces of the long-term convicts‚ the scarred buttocks of the men who had been flogged with bamboos”
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Shooting An Elephant Questions 1)George Orwell has an extremely scornful attitude towards imperialism. He views it as a corrupt form of government. He has a strong disgust for the native people‚ as they continually harass him on a daily basis. They attempt to trip him on the soccer field‚ laugh and make fun of him. Orwell dislikes his position in Burma‚ as he frequently states that he does not like having power and ruling over a foreign people. Many times the masses of people tend to go around what
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