In the essay Shooting an Elephant George Orwell writes about two major subjects imperialism and despotism. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary the meaning of imperialism is “a policy of extending a country’s power and influence diplomacy or military force”‚ and the meaning of despotism is “the exercise of absolute power‚ especially in a cruel and oppressive way.” Even though Orwell does not dwell on the subjects in writing‚ in depth his essay revolves around imperialistic views and despotism
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Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell The short story‚ Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell was written about Orwell’s experience in the early Twentieth Century. At that time India was ruled the British. While he was there‚ he had to do something that had caused some ethical conflicts in him. Orwell’s job was to kill an elephant that had ran rampant in lust throughout a village in Burma. “It had already destroyed somebody’s bamboo hut‚ killed a cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the
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Lower Burma‚ also known as Myanmar‚ was a country in Asia‚ that at the moment was being taken over by the mean‚ powerful‚ cruel‚ British Empire. George Orwell‚ the writer of Shooting and Elephant‚ was a “sub-divisional police officer of the town”(1). Being an authority of the town‚ Moulmein‚ ment “[he] was an obvious target” (1). The narrator was often jeered at‚ due to the fact he was a European. He often faced many difficult tasks that he was obligated to perform‚ despite his beliefs. He was “hated
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“Shooting an Elephant” Response Orwell did not get along with the Burmese‚ nor did he like them because they would make fun of him and enjoyed insulting him while on duty. As for the British Raj‚ he felt as if the Raj was a cruel and aggressive government ruler and that his hatred towards him was so great that he would “drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest’s guts.” (pg.3). Therefore Orwell being a white man has a great conflict with the Burmese. In paragraph 2‚ he began to talk about how
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Shooting an Elephant In the short story by George Orwell "Shooting an Elephant" the author unveiled to his audience the bureaucracy and his struggled with himself. As in so many other countries‚ bureaucracy and prejudice maybe found. However‚ in East Burma those days it was regiment. it appeared to be do as one says or pay the consequences of not doing the preferred choice. In this story‚ George Orwell‚ served in a top position in Britain as a police official. Throughout his years in his position
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Reader’s Response: “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell’s essay‚ “Shooting an Elephant” tells the story of a British policeman in British occupied India‚ who faces a situation where he must either follow his morals or pretend to be something else in order to please the public. Obviously living in Burma in the early nineteen hundreds‚ as an Englishman‚ was not easy. Furthermore‚ serving as a steward of the law in a place oppressed by the country you are from‚ certainly will make a job difficult
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In George Orwell’s story‚ Shooting the Elephant‚ the narrator is faced with a strenuous decision that is against a somewhat formidable foe. The foe is not some lunatic of a man‚ but a raging elephant. The elephant has been causing amok in the town. The narrator‚ who is also a police officer‚ is called down to investigate the havoc that is being caused. Upon hearing about the troubles the elephant had caused the Burmese population and seeing for himself what the elephant has done‚ he is faced with
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Shooting an Elephant Orwell battles a constant struggle between his role as a British Police Officer and as a citizen who can recognize the error of the dominating‚ imperialistic government whose rules he must enforce. Orwell dislikes the tyrannical ways of British imperialism and is also discontent with the “evil-spirited little beasts who try to make his job impossible”. Orwell details the struggle between the misconception that he is another white tyrant in the British regime and the reality
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DISCUSS ORWELL’S USE OF PERSUASIVE TOOLS SUCH AS‚ SYMBOLISM‚ METAPHORS AND IRONY IN THIS ESSAY AND EXPLAIN HOW HE USES EACH OF THESE TO CONVEY HIS ARGUMENT OR MESSAGE In the extract‚ "Shooting An Elephant" Orwell conveys his message through the use of various persuasive tools. He wants the reader to identify when somebody assumes power. This technique is used to show that the powerful are also a captive to the will of people they control. Everyone involved in the situation becomes affected. In
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Mark Morrison Page 1 Professor Bautista English 110 October 8‚ 2012 “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell In his essay “Shooting an Elephant‚” George Orwell recounts a time in his life when as a British police officer in India‚ he was faced with the moral dilemma of having to shoot an elephant in order to save his pride. In the beginning of the essay‚ Orwell describes it as a time of tension and hostility. For example‚ if a European woman was seen walking alone in a bazaar she
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