Abstract The present study looks at an important political essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell. The literary critics gave the text wide recognition and appreciation. It depicts Orwell’s anti-imperialistic view which is presented through the shooting of an elephant. The theme is presented in a fantastic way and this is evident from Orwell’s use of lexis‚ syntax‚ cohesive ties‚ point of view‚ and figures of speech. A closer look at the experiences he had gone indicate that his sentiment
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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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_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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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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Reflection on “Shooting an Elephant” “I was hated by… people” and “the only time…been important enough” are words that jump out at me revealing Orwell’s low self-esteem and low self-worth. His essay describes the events that turn his luck enabling him to feel a pseudo-sense of control and authority over the Burmese. Opportunity presents itself in the form of an elephant running amok‚ leaving a trail of destruction and death behind. Unfortunately he gives in to pressure exerted by the locals and does
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Orwell’s autobiographical account of shooting and eventually killing an elephant presents the animal and its death sympathetically as it died a slow‚ painful death. Through the language‚ the author evokes sympathy towards the elephant and a slightly more complex feeling towards the author who‚ although he kills the elephant‚ suffers inwardly during the process and appears to be affected by the Burman crowd’s greed to strip the carcass. In the society Orwell lived in‚ hunting was common amongst
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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 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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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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approval. George Orwell in “Shooting an elephant” and Langston Hughes in “Salvation” deal with the issue of “fitting in” in very different ways. George Orwell describes to us in “Shooting an elephant” the struggle that his character faces when to win the mobs approval and respect when he shoots down an innocent animal and sacrifices what he believes to be right. Orwell is a police officer in Moulmein‚ during the period of the British occupation of Burma. An escaped elephant gives him the opportunity
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